Mikey

We have booked 3 nights in Grindelwald in Mid June. I have read so much about the many places we should see in the region it is getting very confusing. <BR>The web site www. twenj.com kind of convinced us to visit the Schilthorn. But what is the best way from Grindelwald? We are not strong hikers but would like to have some easy hiking up to about 2 hours included. Any suggestions? <BR>In mid June do we need to bring some winter clothes for the mountains? <BR>Also coming from Lucern we have probably only half a day. Any good idea to spend half day? <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance for your help

richard j vicek

Good afternoon, Mikey <BR>Going from Grindelwald to the Schlithorn <BR>is prehaps best taking the (BOB) back down to Zweilutschinin, get off the train <BR>and wait for an up train to Lauterbrunnen. At Lauterbrunnen, cross <BR>the street to the bottom of the Berg-bahn and take all the way into Murren. There and a short walk to the <BR>Schlithorn Seilbahn approx. 2 full blocks. Pza Gloria has two ristorantes <BR>atop, revolving, and has a wonderful <BR>view of the alps on a clear day. At <BR>times the Seilbahn does not run if <BR>the winds are excessive. Here are <BR>a few sites to surf for additional <BR>information. <BR>www.grindelwald.ch/ <BR>www.berneroberland.ch/ <BR>www.lauterbrunne..ch/ <BR>www.murren.ch/ <BR>www.schlithorn,ch/ <BR>Also while in Grindelwald, DO NOT <BR>MISS the gondolas to Grindelwald <BR>First, good view and nice place for lunch. <BR>Also if time permits, the rack railway <BR>up to Kleine Scheidegg, good place for <BR>lunch. Up the Jungfrau, also the Mannlichen bahn up to the Mannlichen <BR>can walk to Kleine Scheidegg or take <BR>the Seilbahn down to Wengen, also a <BR>nice place to visit. www.wengen.ch/ <BR>www.jungfrau.ch/ Richard of La Grange <BR>Park, IL.... <BR>Lauterbrunnen-Murren (BLM)

Bob Brown

Well, even for a very strong hiker, walking from Grindelwald to the cable car station for the Schilthorn is rather formidable. So I think you ride, somehow. <BR> <BR>If you have a car, getting from Grindelwald to the valley station of the Schilthornbahn is simple. <BR>Drive back to Zweilutschinen, turn left toward Lauterbrunnen and drive south along the valley road until you get to the cable car station. Park, get out, go to the ticket window, pay through the nose, get on the cable car and ride up. <BR> <BR>If you don't have a car then things are going to get more detailed. Richard left out a couple of steps. (If what you have read so far confuses you, then tighten your chin strap.) <BR> <BR>First you take the BOB train from Grindelwald to Zweilutschinen where you change for Lauterbrunnen as Richard said, but!!! check the schedules because some of the connections leave you standing around Zweilutschinen for over 30 minutes. (e.g the 11:50 from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen is a good example -- the trip takes over an hour for what should be 35 minutes.) <BR> <BR>In Lauterbrunnen you have two choices: <BR>a. take the Post Bus to the valley station of the Schilthornbahn and buy your ticket, with the same procedure of paying through the nose. <BR>b. walk up the steps to the main street, which is relatively obvious as there is only one of them, and find the valley station for the Grutschalp cable lift. Take the cable lift up to Grutschalp. At Grutschalp, you MUST change to the little train to Murren. In Murren get out of the train, walk down the street to the Schilthornbahn station and pay through the nose to go the rest of the way. (The fare from the valley station in Stechelberg is something like 86 chf, which comes out to about $55. So taking a family of 4 is $220, even with today's strong dollar. So by the time you buy the train tickets to and from Grindelwald, the cost will be nearly $300 for 4 people.) <BR>Now for a beautiful, wonderful hike. <BR>Leave fairly early for Lauterbrunnen and Grutschalp. <BR>When you get to Grutschalp, walk to Murren rather than taking the train. <BR>The trail is relatively flat, well marked, and it leads to a series of gorgeous views. The Moench, the Jungfrau and the Breithorn are in front of you the whole way. I walked it in reverse, so I had to keep stopping to look back. Just about didn't get there. <BR>If you want another suggestion, then I can go on at length about some short, but spectacular walks in that area. <BR>One of the most intriguing ones is to take the easy path from Gimmelwald to the Kilchbalm. This walk is fairly level and takes you up the Sefinenlutschinen river to a dead end against the mountain walls. Ice, snow, waterfalls, creeks, everything you could want in a deep mountain glen are right there, along with a hundred cows. (Walk with a view to the ground.) <BR>As you go through the gates, replace the slats because there are cows in the area. (They are not really gates in the sense that they swing on hinges. The barrier is formed by poles inserted into posts that have slots for that purpose. <BR> <BR>I would rate the Jungfraujoch trip about a notch above the Schilthorn, but it is also more expensive, even with a Berner Oberland Regional Pass. If you take the 4 biggies in that area: Schynigge Platte, First, Jungfraujoch, and the Schilthorn, the pass just about pays for itself. But note that the Schilthorn final state and the Jungfraujoch final state is never free: the best you get is 50% off. Of course those two final stages are very expensive. <BR> <BR>Another goody is a trip to the Stieregg Restaurant. Take the other lift up to the ledge (it is down behind the church from the Firstbahn station). Then walk along the trail to your right as you get off to Stieregg. The trail overlooks the lower Grindelwald Glacier and leads to an amost frightening glacial world. <BR>You are actually looking at the side of the Eiger as you go. Then you see the ice coming off of the mountains in front of you. Quite a site. You will not go much beyond the restaurant because there is a gully that is fairly deep and steep. It is traversed by the agile by hanging onto a cable. Not bad, but if you aren't used to that sort of thing, it can be a little forbidding. But the view from the restaurant is enough for 90% of the people who go up there. <BR> <BR>Having spent more than 2 weeks riding those conveyences around Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen and walking the trails in sleet and sun, I think I know what I am talking about.

greg

In case you have not seen where in the mountains these places are located, here is a good picture: <BR> <BR>http://www.lauterbrunnen-tourismus.ch/images/Region.jpg

Ed

Two good walks you can try: <BR> <BR>1) When you come back down from the Schilthorn stroll from the Muerren cable station past the Muerren train station and walk to Gruetschalp to catch the train down. About a 45 minute walk, you'll have a splendid view of the valley and Eiger-Moench-Jungfrau off to your right and slightly behind you. Walk takes perhaps 45 minutes. <BR> <BR>You could also take a stroll on your way &gt;to&lt; the Schilthorn. Instead of changing in Lauterbrunnen to the funicular up to Muerren, walk through Laugerbrunnen down the valley to the Schilthorn cable station at Stechelberg. It'll take perhaps a hour. <BR> <BR>2) In Grindelwald, take the lift to First. You can walk from there to the Bachalpsee in about 45 minutes. If you have the energy you can continue onward and upward and reach the summit of the Faulhorn and its mountain hotel in another 30-45 minutes The views at Bachalpsee are splendid, and you can see a long way in all directions from the summit of the Faulhorn. <BR> <BR>A bit more details on these at www.twenj.com/swisswalk.htm

rwall

About clothing--if you're going up on the high mountains, you'll want something fairly warm, and you'll especially want sturdy shoes suitable for icy puddles and at least two or three inches of snow.

Carolyn

We stayed in a Pension about 1/2 mile up the hill from Murren last summer. The funicular from Lauterbrunnen to Murren was closed for repair, so we had to bus from Lauterbrunnen to Schechelberg (sp?) and then take the gondola up to Murren. We had a 4 day Swiss Pass which was well worth the money. All the trains, gondolas and funiculars were free with the exception of those up to the large peaks, as mentioned by the previous posters. In our few days there, the sun only came out for a VERY brief time. We were wearing turtlenecks, sweaters and rain jackets the whole time! It didn't matter though, the area is so magnificent -- we just wish we could have seen the mtn peaks for more than 30 mins! Don't worry about being confused by all the trains, funiculars, etc. Everything is very easy to figure out and all runs on time. I'd check out the price of a pass, it may be worth it if you plan on traversing the area a few times. Have a great time -- we'd go back in a second!

Al Godon

These folks who keep saying you should go here and there are slow pokes. Every minute you walk is money and distance down the drain. If you want to see the sights, you gotta cover the ground. And you can't do it walking. <BR>Besides that Bach Sea thing is nothing but a good sized puddle. There aren't even any fish in it. <BR> <BR>If you get up and get with it, you can do the Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, and Schynige Platte all in one day and have time for dinner in Interlaken. Then you will have seen the Bernese Hills and can get on to other places. After you have seen one mountain with snow on it and one glacier, the rate of marginal decline sets in rapidly. So do it quick, see it quick and get on to the next place. <BR> <BR>For this Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Schynige caper, all you gotta do is grab the 7:35 train from Grindelwald to the top, and don't hang around too long at the observation deck. You gotta get down from that place before the return trains get crowded. That's the secret. Be up and at it early and be headed down before the sleepy heads go up. <BR> <BR>On the descent, change at Kleine Scheidegg for Lauterbrunnen and, from there, grab the bus to Stechelberg for the Schilthorn. There's nothing to see in Lauterbrunnen anyhow. <BR> <BR>At the Schilthorn, walk round the observation deck. Or walk around the restaurant and get the 360 degree view. <BR>It will not take long because you have already seen some of it from the Jungfrau. <BR>Then head down on the cable car and make tracks for Wilderswil for the chug up Schynige Platte. Take the last train down and spend the night in Interlaken. <BR> <BR>Then the next day, get out of Interlaken on the 7:45 train for Zermatt. After all, to be properly accredited, you have to see the famous hills around Zermat. By leaving Interlaken at 7:45, you can be at the Gornergrat Station above Zermatt before noon. Sit on the right side of the car, and you can see the Matterhorn on the way up, and you can get a good view of Monte Rosa while you eat a quick lunch at the grab and growl buffet at the Gornergrat Station. Return to Zermatt soon after you eat and you can make Milan by night. In fact you can be there about 7 PM, or you could be in Venice by 10 PM if you want to make a slightly longer day out of it. <BR>So in two days you can see the sights of the Swiss Alps. And that should do it for the mountains. <BR> <BR>Swiss transportation schedules are so well dove-tailed that you can do what I describe easily. Those folks are efficient. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Ed

Looks like Al was so busy on his turbocharged "tour" that he overlooked the spectacular views at Bachalpsee, including the reflection of the mountains/clouds in the little pond. Apparently also missed all of the more than 70 waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. <BR> <BR>Hopefully, most visitors will take some time to 'smell the roses'. <BR> <BR>Ed

Al Godon

You can see Staubach Falls from the bus and from the train descending from Kleine Scheidegg via Wengen. Why mess with the little stuff; its the biggies that pay off. Mikey was the one wanting so see the stuff in one day. I was just telling him how. If you are going to put the suit on and start playing the game, then lets go all the way!! <BR>

Bob Brown

Elsewhere I have stated my love of those mountains. I think I could spend a whole summer just poking around the valleys that feed into the Rhone. <BR>Perhaps one day soon I will get up into the Turtmanntal, Val d'Herrens, Val de Nendaz, and the trails of Bettmeralp for a view of the Grosser Aletschgletscher from the lower end. <BR>Last year our visit to Val d'Anniviers was unforgettable. Unfortunately, our trip over the Gemmi Pass was most forgettable. We got drowned in rain and sleet. But, not being sweet, we didn't melt, even though our feet squished in our boots. (Thanks heavens our landlady let us put stuff in her dryer.) <BR>The mountains look great on a sunny day, but to really understand what the high Alps are all about, you need to get caught in a sleet storm above tree line. <BR>The beauty then can turn into awesome ferocity. You understand real quick why the herdsmen bring the cows down to lower pasture in September!! <BR> <BR>Go get 'em, Al, I will pull over and let you by. <BR>

Christine

Here is the way I would spend a good day in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, up to Schilthorn from Grindelwald. Take the train from Grindelwald to Kl. Scheidgg, then the train down to Wengwald, where you have the choice to either walk down to Lauterbrunnen or take another train down. Then walk down the valley NEXT TO the river (not down the road) to Gimmelwald station (about 2-2 1/2 hours, depending on fitness level) for the spectacular scenary of the Jungfrau in front of you and dozens of waterfalls, a really pretty and easy walk. Then take the cable car up to Schilthorn, ride back down to Murren, and if you're still up for it walk from Murren to Grutschlp (easy/1 hour walk),or alternatively take the train, and take the funicular down to Lauterbrunnen, then either take the series of trains back up to Grindelwald or the cable car/gondolas. <BR> <BR>I mountain biked in the Lauterbrunnen Valley last weekend (where incidently I witnessed a horrific bungy jumping accident) and I actually prefer the scenary in the valley then from on the mountain. Happy travels.

Christine

P.S. here is a good website that explains all the regional bahns <BR>http://www.wengen.com/actrai.html <BR> <BR>I also forgot to mention that the quickest way down to Lauterbrunnen from Grindelwald is probably via the Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Mannlichen and then the Mannlichen Bahn Wengen/Wegernalpbahn.

Mathias

Bob Brown tells us that a trip to the Schilthorn costs around $220. Switzerland is expensive, but not SO expensive. So fortunately Bob's information is NOT correct. <BR>Families can get so called Junior Cards for their kids - costs SFr 20.- for one child or SFr 40.- for 2 and more childs under condition that the parents have a valid. With these cards kids travel free with there parents on the whole Swiss Transport System which includes Railways, Buses, Ships and Mountain Railways as the Schilthornbahn is one. <BR> <BR>If the parents buy a Swiss Pass, they even get these Junior cards, then called Family Card, free of charge. And the parents themselves get a 25% discount on the fares of most mountain Railways. <BR> <BR>www.rail.ch <BR>

Mathias

Correct version of my middle paragraph: <BR> <BR>Families can get so called Junior Cards for their kids - costs SFr 20.- for one child or SFr 40.- for 2 and more childs. With these cards kids travel free under condition the parents have a valid ticket of course. The Junior Card is an offer of the SBB (Federal Railways), but is valid on the whole Swiss Transport System which includes Railways, Buses, Ships and Mountain Railways as the Schilthornbahn is one. <BR>Note that you can buy a ticket for the whole trip in Grindelwald (or anywhere in Switzerland) at the railway station. If you buy your ticket in Lauterbrunnen at he Schilthornbahn station, you'll effectively pay the $220! <BR> <BR>

Mikey

Thanks for all the advices, guys. If I may pose a couple of more questions: <BR>What should we do on an overcast or rainy day? Is it still worth the money to take trip up to Schilthornof Jungfrau? We have already made reservation for 3 nights in Grindelwald and purchased the Swiss pass. <BR>We are flying into Zurich and need to get to Luzern right away by train. How do we get to the train station from the airport? <BR>

Christine

Mikey, you'll be delighted to know that the train station is at the airport. <BR>check the train schedule-type in Zurich airport (it's in english) under departure and Luzern. <BR>http://www.sbb.ch/pv/index_e.htm <BR> <BR>As far as overcast, I would recommend you postpose your Jungfrau Joch trip, but even on cloudy, misty days the Lauterbrunnen valley is lovely, just dress for it.

Dick

Mikey - You've been getting a lot of good advice, so I've opted out of tghe discussion up to now, but your question about overcast days changed my mind. <BR> <BR>I've made the journey from Grindelwald to the Schilthorn many times, but always in the winter to ski the Inferno. Two years ago we almost didn't go up because it was very foggy and overcast, but decided to press ahead anyway. I'm glad we did, because the overcast ended abruptly a few thousand feet below the summit (exactly like coming out of the clouds in a climbing airliner) and we were treated to views of the Eiger, Jungfrau, et al floating on a bed of white cotton. One of the most beautiful scenes I have seen anywhere in the world. We skied all day in bright sun, then descended back down through the murk to Murren. <BR> <BR>Many places in Grindelwald have monitors with remote video cameras from the Schilthorn and elsewhere, so you can check things out before you commit.