GRINDELWALD FAQ`S
Grindelwald is a mountain village
in Bernese Oberland in the Swiss Alps.
Grindelwald is centrally located in
Switzerland, in the Jungfrau Region, the eastern part of the Bernese Oberland.
At 3,392 ft above sea level, the `Glacier Village` lies in the upper end
of the valley of the Schwarze Luetschine River, in a hollow that is relatively
flat on three sides, and it is surrounded by impressive mountain peaks. With an
area of 66 sq miles, Grindelwald is the second largest community in the Canton
of Bern.
The area names that sound the same, but are different places
(like Jungfrau and Jungfraujoch or Grindelwald
and Grindelwald First). Here is
a breakdown of the area:
-Jungfrau is
the name of the area that covers popular towns like Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken and
Grindelwald.
-Grindelwald is a
valley and a town, whereas Grindelwald First is a summit that can be reached by
cable car and is famous for hiking. There is not a Second, Third or Fourth
summit, in case you were wondering.
-Jungfraujoch is
the name of a mountain col and it`s the highest train station in
Europe (11,332 ft.).
-The Bernese
Oberland is the mountain area in Jungfrau and it basically means
the Highland of Bern because this part of
the Alps is close to the city of Bern.
Zurich-Kloten is the nearest international airport (travel time approx. 2.5 hours by car and 3 hours by train), but also the EuroAirport in Basel-Mulhouse is within approx. 3 hours. In addition, the Bern-Belp Airport with some international flights is reached within just an hour by car.
How do I get to Grindelwald by train?
The Jungfrau Region is located above
Interlaken, where you will need to get to first if you are not already in the
area. The Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) leaves from Interlaken East station.
The trip takes 35 minutes.
The easiest way would be to use the Swiss
Travel System; we recommend the Swiss Travel Pass which is an all-in-one ticket to travel
by train, bus and boat throughout the whole of Switzerland. Take a train
to Interlaken-Ost where you will then transfer to the Bernese Oberland Railway.
Charter/Tour
buses, taxis, and car rentals are also possibilities. If you`re driving, take the Wilderswil road south from
Interlaken and follow the signs all the way to Grindelwald.
In
summer and early fall, it is also possible to hike into Grindelwald from
well-marked Bernese Oberland trails, with or without the assistance of gondolas
or cable-cars.
Grindelwald
has two train stations: Grindelwald and Grund. The Grindelwald station is in the center of town;
the Grund station is in the valley floor, on the way to Kleine Scheidegg.
Wengernalpbahn trains (painted yellow and green) to Kleine Scheidegg generally
stop at both stations. Berner Oberland Bahn trains (in blue and yellow livery)
from Interlaken via Zweilütschinen stop only at Grindelwald.
If you plan to walk between these stations, be aware that the two stations are
about 0.6 miles apart, and separated by
roughly 325 ft of vertical elevation.
A local bus service can get you to
nearby destinations.
The
gondola lift to Männlichen departs a few hundred meters west of Grund station.
The gondola lift to First begins about ten minutes` walk east of Grindelwald
station, while the cable car to Pfingstegg is about fifteen minutes` walk east
of Grindelwald station.
In
both summer and winter the region can be reached by car from
Basel/Zurich/Geneva via Bern or Lucerne/Brünig Pass. From the south, you reach
the Jungfrau Region via Grimsel- or Sustenpass (only in Summer) or via
Simplonpass and afterwards Lötschberg Car Transport.
Wengen and Mürren are
car-free.
Parking
for Wengen is available in Lauterbrunnen, Parking for Mürren in Lauterbrunnen
and Stechelberg. There is a road that goes to Wengen or Mürren. If you type in
`Wengen` or `Mürren`, the navigation system will lead you on a small alpine
gravel road where no private cars are allowed.
Parking in Grindelwald:
There
are different car parks: Parkhaus Eiger (252 car parks) and Parkhaus
Sportzentrum (160 car parks) or Grindelwald Grund.
In summer you can choose
from over 300 miles of marked walking, hiking and mountain paths. The
crystal-blue mountain lakes and gushing waterfalls provide a welcome
refreshment. The Jungfrau Region boasts the most spectacular views of the
Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The landscape has also been awarded the status of a
UNESCO World Heritage site.
-Hike
to Bachalpsee Lake (difficulty: easy)
-Hike
to Grosse Scheidegg (difficulty: easy)
-Hike
to Eigergletscher (difficulty: medium)
-Walk
to the Grindelwald First Cliff Walk
-The
First cable car
-Downhill
trotti biking
-First
Flyer zip lining
The ski areas around Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Hasliberg Mountains offer a total of 160 miles of ski runs ranging from fast to leisurely, and from four to seven miles in length. A total of more than 40 percent of the ski runs are equipped with snow-making machines. In the Jungfrau Region however, non-skiers also get their money`s worth: over 60 miles of winter footpaths enable you to explore the mountains on foot. Furthermore, with its countless toboggan runs, the region is a real paradise for tobogganing. Amongst them is the longest toboggan run in the Alps.
How do I get around Grindelwald by bike?
Grindelwald`s railways and cable-cars are adapted for mountain
bikes, so summer opens up many miles of trails in the region. One designated
route is from First back to Grindelwald.
Thankfully bike
hire centers in Grindelwald test their brakes rigorously! There`s no reason to
rush down the trail as it weaves along flowery pasture, over tracks and asphalt
road. It goes without saying that the panoramas are like something out of a
movie.
The
currency of Switzerland is the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF or SFr.
While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to
convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that
visitors may compare prices. Most of the restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs
accept euro, but expect to pay a premium rate.
The Swiss Franc (CHF or SFr) is divided into
100 centimes (known as Rappen in German speaking Switzerland). Bills come in
10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 10000SFr and coins are divided into 5, 10, 20 and 50
centimes and 1, 2 and 5SFr.
US
dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand
or be prepared to exchange your dollars for Swiss Francs upon arrival. Currency
exchange desks can be found at the airport, train station and many bank
locations throughout the city. ATMs are also widespread throughout the city
accepting bank cards and credit cards.
Switzerland has a reputation for being an
expensive destination. Those amazing transportation options, meals, hotels and
attractions come at a cost. Once you get there, expect your hotel to cost
you an average of $200 USD per night and that cheap pizza at a restaurant will
cost you around $30 USD.
Average temperatures in Grindelwald vary greatly. Considering humidity, temperatures feel cold for about half of the year and otherwise nice with a chance of rain or snow throughout most of the year. The area is less temperate than compared to tourist destinations worldwide. If you`re looking for the very warmest time to visit Grindelwald, the hottest months are July, August, and then June. The warmest time of year is generally mid July where highs are regularly around 77°F with temperatures rarely dropping below 57°F at night. The coldest month is generally December and January with temperature highs around 38°F and lows around 27°F.
I don`t speak German. Will many people speak English? Grindelwald is situated in the German speaking part of Switzerland. In addition to German, however, many locals also speak English and French.
Grindelwald
has a good selection of restaurants, mostly hotel based, serving international
meals from around the world: Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese and of course
Swiss specialties. Bars, restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets can
be found up and down central Dorfstrasse.
Some Swiss
local specialties we recommend you trying are the Bernese
Rosti, skilleted hash brown potatoes flavored with bacon or cheese, it is as
popular as is Valaisian Raclette. This is prepared by melting cheese over a fire,
scraping it onto a baked potato and garnishing it with meat and vegetables of
your choice. And no trip to Switzerland is complete without trying a `fondue`.
This is a communal dish served in a pot over a small burner. There are
different types of fondue, the most popular being cheese. Those eating the
fondue, dip different things (on most occasions bread) into the pot.
Simple!
Grindelwald`s nightlife is fairly low-key, though things do crank up a gear in winter, with DJs at hotel bars and clubs. Grindelwald transforms itself into one of the liveliest towns in the Bernese Oberland. Often times, nightly entertainment consists of musical concerts, folklore evenings, or socializing at the bars and discos. In the winter, the nightlife often starts with the `Apres-Skid` at one of the numerous ski bars which are located on the slopes and at the bottom of the various ski areas. Night tobogganing is another popular evening activity. Grindelwald`s Green Village sits right off of the best sledding hill.
What is the shopping like in Grindelwald?
There
are plenty of shops in the village center,
including groceries. Grindelwald is famous for a wide range of high-class shops. In
addition to the traditional jewelers, boutiques and souvenir shops, on the
village`s main street you will find many sports shops, including biking,
walking and climbing shops.
Opening hours: In general, shops in Grindelwald are open
from 8 or 9 am - Noon and 1:30 or 2 pm - 6:30 pm on weekdays (5:30 pm on
Saturdays), shops are closed on Sundays. During high season, some shops extend
the opening hours in the evenings as well as are opened on Sundays.
Note: Value-added tax (VAT) rate is 8% in Switzerland
which applies to supplies of goods or services registered in Switzerland,
including hotel and restaurant bills. There are no other special taxes.
Police Emergency Number -
117
Ambulance / Medical Emergency - 144
Fire Department - 118