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What is the best hiking trail in Grindelwald?

What is the best hiking trail in Grindelwald?

Old Mar 30th, 2016, 09:00 AM
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What is the best hiking trail in Grindelwald?

I am travelling to Switzerland this summer and have 2 days to do some hiking and i was wondering what the most beautiful trail is in Grindelwald, or if there is a better area to hike? Thank you for any suggestions!
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 09:47 AM
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You can hike all over Switzerland: more than 40.000 (fourty thousand)miles of well signmarked hiking trails!

Grindelwald isn't bad. Most popular trails:
First - Grosse Scheidegg
First - Lake Bachalp - Faulhorn - Schynige Platte
Maennlichen - Kleine Scheidegg
Alpiglen - Eiger Glacier (Eiger trail)
Wengen - Mettlenalp - Eiger Glacier.

I suppose you know that weather is alway unpredictable in the Alps. May be you will have 2 beautiful days, may be you can't hike at all, because of rain, fog and wind.

Sometimes it rains at Grindelwald while the sun shines in the Cantons of Ticino or Valais. The best is to be flexible.
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 10:23 AM
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What would you suggest as the best place in switzerland to hike?
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 11:19 AM
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I will say for the average casual hiker the Jungfrau Region is excellent - I would not say 'not bad' as that implies it ain't that good - but I've hiked all the trains neckervd lists above and man I could not want any nicer hikes and hiking is not the only thing you can do in the Jungfrau Region - there are so so many other neat things.

I would not pick an area to visit just because there may be better hikes elsewhere - where I can't fathom and again to me the Grindelwald-Lauterbrunnen-Murren area has so so many fantastic hikes - I would not expect any better for me anyway - locals like neckervd I think sometimes do not put themselves in the eyes of a foreign tourist as they become jaded to extremely popular places where tourists go - IMO - and for a variety of reasons I think for first-timers to Switzerland who want to experience an Alpine wonderland the Jungfrau Region is the best - there may be places for better hikes from a hikers' point of view where the hike is the thing but the ones in the Jungfrau Region are sheer pleasure for novice hikers - no special shoes or gear needed.

The most popular don't miss hike is the famous Ridge Walk from The Mannlichen (an acclaimed vista point for views over the spiny ridge of central Switzerland) and the walk descends slowly to Kleine Scheidegg, from where the Jungfraujoch train starts - easy to take a gondola from either Wengen or Grindelwald to The Mannlichen - walk to Kleine Scheidegg and hop the train (or vice versa) - the Ridge walk lets you see both the Grindelwald amphitheatre-like valley and the deep gorge-like Lauterbrunnen Valley with the glacier-girdled Jungfrau Massif always in front of you when going towards Kl Scheidegg.

On rainy days you can easily day trip by train to Bern, a lovely city with unique covered walkways in its shopping area or even to Lucerne - when it is raining in the mountains it may not be down in those cities.

And besides hiking you have the Jungfraujoch Train - the long long gondolas to The Schilthorn - James Bond's On Her Majesty's Secret Service was largely shot at The Schilthorn in the famous revolving Piz Gloria restaurant while it was under construction. And you are not marooned indoors if the weather turns bad as you can day trip to Thun, Bern, Lucerne or take a boat trip on either lake bookending Interlaken.

So there may be better hiking areas for hikers but there is no better place for first-time visitors to Switzerland and who also like many various types of hikes - from easy to very challenging.
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 11:51 AM
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Schynigge Platte to First, no contest. There are hundreds of kilometres of great walkimg but this is the standout. !5 Km, about 800m of ascent, rack railway from the first stop out from Interlaken (can't remember its name) then a hutte for refreshments at about 6km, then a hotel at the highest point, at 2700m before a beautiful tranquil downhill stroll back down to the cable car at First which whisks you down to Grindelwald. Done it twice, quite wonderful. But get an early train!
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 12:10 PM
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The Schynigge Platte train goes from Wilderswill - yes first stop out of Interlaken-Ost station- the SP train will be on an adjoining platform. S-P is also known for its lovely Alpine Garden and Teddy Bear Land. Very popular excursion for Swiss it seems.
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Old Mar 30th, 2016, 01:22 PM
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This guy lists several great hikes in the area.

http://www.gimmelwald.com/hikes.html
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Old Mar 31st, 2016, 01:51 PM
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Every hotel I have visited has free copies of Jungfrau Magazine on the racks - this gives hours of operation of all trains and cables and for hikers has a large relief map with hiking trails colored in red, yellow and green (not sure of colors) - very difficult - needs experience and good gear - medium difficulty and easy - and it gives elevations along the hiking path.
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Old Apr 1st, 2016, 01:48 AM
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"What would you suggest as the best place in switzerland to hike?"
A place with fine weather. Consult the weahter forecast a few days prior to your start and decide then.
Do like local people, book accommodation by web or phone the day before you start.
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Old Apr 1st, 2016, 10:41 AM
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the best hiking is too general - what does the OP means by 'best' - to me the hikes in the Jungfrau Region are certainly amongst the best in Switzerland for a novice hiker looking for walking thru gorgeous scenery - to others 'best' means a challenging hike.

but for most the Grindelwald area has many many great hikes - are they the 'best' ion Switzerland - who knows - it depends on what you mean by 'best'.
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