We stayed in Grindelwald in 2007 for 5 days at a self catering rental. We LOVED all of the other villages, the cablecars, trains, gondolas, and especially the wonderful easy walks in the area.

Is Zermatt similar? Are there wonderful easy walks up near the top?

they are very different. BO is an area made up of many villages. Zermatt is a destination town. I love them both, but I wouldn't compare them. I would think you could probably spend more time in BO than in Zermatt... so I might combine Zermatt with something else to do...

Hi wrenwood,

Yes, I agree with surfmom -- they are pretty different. Zermatt also lies at the end of a valley, so it's more remote than Grindelwald and the other clustered villages of the BO.

And something that's a little harder to define -- I don't find the "village" of Zermatt to be very charming. It's almost constructed to be too cute, and it's sooo new (designed to look old). It has so much construction that, even in 1996, I thought it was overbuilt. And I've heard it referred to as the "Manhattan of the mountains."

But I guess everyone (who can) wants to see it at least once -- so it might be a good idea to go.

There are some charming, authentic, car-free villages that are not too far from Zermatt where you might want to stay and make Zermatt a day-trip. These are Bettmeralp and Riederalp.

Anyway, have fun with your research!

s

Thanks swandav2000

Do Bettmeralp and Riederalp have the wonderful access to walking trails like the BO?

wrenwood,

I liked Wengen a lot better than Zermatt. I also liked it better than Grindelwald. Zermatt has the wow factor of the Matterhorn, but otherwise I couldn't find the charm. One night was plenty.

I didn't hike in Zermatt though so I can't help with that...

gruezi

Hi again,

Actually, ALL of Switzerland does, lol. Really, I haven't been to a single town, village, or city in Switzerland that wasn't nearby a nest of walking and hiking trails.

I must come clean, though; I haven't ever stayed myself in these villages. I spent an afternoon in Brig and made a mental note to return to stay in the villages above. On another travel forum, one poster mentions a lot of hikes from those villages.

Here's a link to the Bettmeralp's summertime pages -- you may find it interesting:

http://www.bettmeralp.ch/e/sommer/

If you get there before I do, I won't be angry (but I will be jealous, lol).

Have fun!

s

We love Bettmeralp!!! We try to include a 3-day stay there each time we go to Switzerland. The hiking is fantastic, with views over the Aletschgletscher.

There are several lifts you can ride up for great views (Eggishorn, Bettmerhorn), but the walk from these points would be fairly steep downhill.

There are easy ridge top rambles from the Moosfluh lift that heads up from Riederalp. This town is an easy 20-minute walk from Bettmeralp. The Pro Natura nature center is worth a visit:

http://www.pronatura.ch/aletsch/en/center/index.html

There are a number of trails in this area through the Aletschwald.

Both these villages are perched high on a bench above the valley, and are similar to Wengen in that they are car-free. We lole this hotel:

http://www.panorama-bettmeralp.ch/

The rooms are comfortable, the views from the south-facing balcony are spectacular, and the food is great.

On our last trip we included Zermatt for the first time. We had a lovely apartment at the far end of the town with a jaw-dropping view of the Matterhorn---on those occasions when it wasn't obscured by clouds. The town itself is bustling and crowded. but there are a number of lifts and trains that you can take to the high country all around, and there are some good easy walks up there too.

There is probably more variety there than at Bettmeralp.