McLisa

I am travelling w/ my teenage daughter next summer to Switzerland (& Paris). We will be staying w/ Swiss friends much of the time. But I am planning on taking my daughter to the Jungfrau region to stay 4 nights in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland by ourselves. This is near Wengen (tiny town) & Interlaken (bigger town). I've already booked our hotel. Can't wait! Does anyone have recommendations on what are "must-sees" while we are there in Lauterbrunnen for 4 nights?

Alice9

Well, I assume you will take the Jungfraujoch train, which is incredible. There's a lovely waterfall right at the end of town in Lauterbrunnen, and the beautiful Trümmelbach Falls as well. There is fabulous hiking everywhere in that region.

Alice

kja

I thought the Michelin Green Guide the best of the half-dozen guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area. It's a wonderful place - enjoy your time with your daughter! (And BTW, I actually skipped the Jungfraujoch -- whether to visit it really depends on the weather and one's priorities.)

CarolineF

Interesting! We are exactly doing the same thing next year with our teenage son and I was wondering what to do for 4 days there as well!

Pepper_von_snoot

Schynige Platte. Get off Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen train at Wilderswil and transfer to the choo-choo train.

Harder Kulm funicular.

Mannlichen gondola to Kleine Scheidegg.

Boat from Interlaken to Hotel Geissbach on Lake Brienz. Boat launch is behind Interlaken Ost bahnhof.


Thun and Spiez.



Tschüß,
Thin

michele_d

Jungfrau. Pick day depending on weather at the top.
Take gondola from Wengen to Mannlichen and walk to KS. Lovely!
Take cable car and train from Lauterbrunnen to Murren: watch the hang gliders. The view down to Lauterbrunnen from here is spectacular.
Trummelbach Falls is a great 1/2 day trip.

kja

"watch the hang gliders" -- or better yet, hang glide!

michele_d

<"watch the hang gliders" -- or better yet, hang glide!>

Ohhhh Nooooo!!!

McLisa

Thank you all!
Lisa

McLisa

Michele_d:

What is "KS"?

michele_d

Kleine Scheidegg...sorry for the abbreviation.

PalenQ

The Schilthorn is my favorite jaunt in the whole Jungfrau Region - from Lauterbrunnen take a thrilling aerial cableway up to Grutschalp then a toy-like mountain train to Murren, a famous resort once catering to the British I read, then take one of the longest aerial cable ways in the Alps to The Schilthorn/Piz Gloria - an icy outpost in the middle of nowhere but with a revolving restaurant, ice grottos and a viewing platform with vistas for miles around.

James Bond's film On Her Majesty's Service used Piz Gloria - the structure/restaurant built on The Schilthorn, as a setting for large segments of the film, being filmed when Piz Gloria was still under construction - watch the film before going!

Then take the aerial cable way back to Murren and on to Gimmelwald - a picture postcard cute farming hamlet in a gorgeous Alpine surrounding - very unique - stop there for a bit and then take an even more thrilling aerial gondolas down to the valley at Stechelberg - this large gondola seems to plunge to the valley floor - postal buses or a lovely flat few-mile walk take you back to Lauterbrunnen.

For lots of good info on this jaunt and various trains and cable ways in the Jungfrau Region I always spotlight www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. You may want to look into the Jungfraubahn Pass, sold locally at train stations, as it would cover many expensive things - if you kiddo is under 16 then she can get a free Family Pass and never have to pay a penny on any transportation as long as a parent accompanies her with their own ticket (or pass). I think you can get the Family Pass at any train station but not sure - maybe tourist offices too.

PalenQ

Another place easily reached from Lauterbrunnen via Wengen is The Mannlichen, one of the most celebrated look out points in Switzerland - train to Wengen then cable car to The Mannlichen, from where you can see all around, including down to Interlaken, bookended between its two lakes and to the north the Jungfrau Massif in all its glory.

From The Mannlichen you can do the famous Ridge Walk, an easy fairly flat gently ascending wide foot trail to Kleine Scheidegg, jumping off point for the Jungfraujoch trains.

The Ridge Walk is unique in that you see down into both the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys - an easy and tremendous walk anyone can do if at all mobile.

aliced

Thin, you took the words out of my mouth as connecting to Wilderswil cog and going up to K-S. Had the most lovely lunch there last Fall. Of course, you'll go up through Wengen and up to Mannlichen and if time allows connect down to Grindenwald. Wish I was your daughter.....

PalenQ

If looking for another easy awesome walk when or if you take the cable way to Grutschalp then instead of taking the electric train to Murren you can easy walk the flat few miles on nice paths paralleling the cliff's edge (from a safe distance) with wowing views down into the Lauterbrunnen Valley and of the Jungfrau Massif towering above it.

Midway there is a famous restaurant with ubiquitous sun terrace where folks love to sit, if warm enough, and take it all in - in mornings this place is famous for its Farmer's Breakfast which of course you can get at many places in the area.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/roesti.html

If you tire on the walk you can board the train at several places en route - but this is a flat walk with many strollers on it on a nice day.

McLisa

These sound great. I stayed in Wengen 30+ yrs ago as a college student, staying at some hostel. My daughter is a poet and we'll be looking for lots of pleasing vistas to sit & absorb scenery to allow her creative juices to flow. I'm thinking of getting her some of van Goethe's poetry for Christmas gift. He wrote a lovely poem about the falls in Lauterbrunnen - Staubbach Falls I believe they're called.

michele_d

< My daughter is a poet and we'll be looking for lots of pleasing vistas to sit & absorb scenery to allow her creative juices to flow.<

Well I think you picked one of the most beautiful places in the world to achieve this.

McLisa

I agree! Of all the places we'll go on our trip (including Paris), I am most looking forward to these 4 days/nights w/ her in Lauterbrunnen. It is truly a slice of heaven. I can feel my blood pressure going down already just thinking about it.

PalenQ

Staubbach Falls may or may not be awesome in some periods of summer - like one summer when I was there it had dried to a trickle but still kind of awesome. Not sure if this is a regular occurrence or not.

Pepper_von_snoot

You are mistaken.

The Wilderswil cog train--the little choo-choo train-- does not go up to Kleine Scheidegg through Wengen.

The Wilderswil cog goes to the Schynige Platte.

Wilderswil is between Interlaken Ost and Zweilütschenin.

Wengen is between Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg.

Thin