Day 1 in Grindelwald
Welcome to Grindelwald! Upon arrival, you will go through customs and
immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check
in and do not give in to jet lag! There
is so much for you to see and do.
Grindelwald has it all! It is a
playground for mountaineers, hikers and walkers, skilled skiers and beginners,
or people who just want to enjoy natural beauty and the impressive mountain
scenery of the Jungfrau Region.
Start your exploration of the
area by discovering Gletscherschlucht, the gorge of the Lower
Grindelwald glacier. You can easily catch a bus to the mouth of this ravine and
be there in just ten minutes from Grindelwald`s station. This impressive masterpiece
of nature, which has retreated significantly up the slope since the Little Ice
Age in the middle ages, is covered by rock galleries and tunnels that provide a
unique experience for all the senses. Walkways have been fastened to the walls
of the ravine, and in the summer you can even make use of the `Spider Web`, a
large net suspended over the roaring melt-water.
Spend your evening
discovering the quaint village of Grindelwald. The village is
easy to walk and has lots of cute houses with a very Swiss Alps vibe. There is
a good selection of restaurants, mostly hotel based, serving international
meals from around the world, and of course Swiss specialties. You`ll also find
plenty of nightly entertainment options here consisting of musical concerts and
folklore in the many bars and discos.
Day 2 in Grindelwald
What is on your
agenda for the day may depend on the time of year you are visiting. If you`re
visiting during the warmer months, there are numerous miles of trails in the
region for some beautiful mountain biking or hiking. And the winter months boast an abundance of snow sports including skiing, ice skating, sledding, snowboarding and more.
The region boasts almost 200
miles of marked walking, hiking and mountain paths
inviting visitors to discover the Alpine landscape around Grindelwald. Many are
panoramic, high-Alpine paths with mountain taverns along the way providing for
rest and refreshment. The well-posted trails are in the Kleine
Scheidegg – Maennlichen area, the First - Bussalp - Grosse
Scheidegg area, or in the Pfingstegg area. There
also are several Theme Routes such as the `Floral
nature Trail` or the `Felix Trail` for families
with children. We recommend you grab some brochures with suggestions for walks
and various detailed hiking maps at the Tourist Office which also offers guided
hikes.
For the mountain-bike
enthusiasts you`ll find each mountain-bike route is divided
into three levels (difficult, medium, easy). There is also a training course at the Upper Glacier. Bikers` maps are available at the Tourist Office where you also want
to inquire about the top ten bike runs.
Alternatively, if you are visiting in the winter
months spend your day enjoying some downhill skiing. There
are three ski areas nearby, at Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen,
Bodmiarena and Grindelwald-First. Down in the
valley, the Bodmiarena is the starting point for families and first-time
skiers, and has the resort`s main ski school and two public lifts for skiing,
snow-tubing and tobogganing. Just a bit further, Kleine Scheidegg-Mannlichen is
for the more advanced skiers, where about 70 miles of runs will be at your disposal, at a ski area where the world-famous
Lauberhorn World Cup Tour begins.
If cross-country skiing is
more your thing, hop on a bus or train for Grindelwald`s own cross-country
course. As you ski you`ll have the beautiful sight of Wetterhorn in front, and
Eiger on your shoulder, as well as a ring of snow-capped peaks. The main 3.5 mile
trail is very family friendly. In total, Grindelwald offers about 10 miles of
cross-country sking tracks of all levels of difficulty.
Another fun winter activity with almost no learning curve is tobogganing,
and there`s nowhere better for it than Grindelwald (where the `Grindelwald`
sledge-model has been invented). That`s because you`re in striking distance of
the longest toboggan run in Europe. This weaves from the peak
of Faulhorn all the way down to Grindelwald.
The run is known as Big Pintenfritz and drops more than a
quarter of a mile. During your descent, make sure to relish in the views of Jungrau
and Eiger. In total, there is more than 35 miles of
sledge-runs in the Grindelwald regions, with 22 miles in the First ski area.
Even at night, toboggan runs to the village are quite popular.
You may want to try a ride on the `Velogemel`:
this vehicle, equipped with a wooden frame, two metal runners and a steering bar
in front, is unique to Grindelwald and are not found anywhere else in
Switzerland. They are indeed a rarity and therefore an attraction to visitors.
There is even a Velogemel World Championship held
every year in Grindelwald.
End the day partaking in the `Apres-Ski` at one of the
numerous ski- and snow-bars which are located on the slopes and at the bottom
of the various ski areas.
Day 3 in Grindelwald
On your last day in Grindelwald, spend the day seeing more that the area
has to offer. We highly recommend a journey to Jungfraujoch, a once-in-a-lifetime experience you`ll only
encounter in the Alps. From Grindelwald Grund you can catch the train to Kleine
Scheidegg and change there for the highest railway in the world. Before long you`ll be at a
the Jungfraujoch saddle, 11,332 ft. up. One
of many incredible things about this location is that the railway was completed
all the way back in 1912. At the penultimate stop there are windows into the
interior of the Aletsch Glacier.
After that you`ll be in `The Top of Europe`, starring down
at the glacier and the peaks around it like Mönch and Jungfrau. Go even higher
to the Sphinx Observatory for 360° views as far as the
Vosges in France, or enter the frozen wonderland of the glacier at the Ice
Palace.
Alternatively,
head up the Männlichen mountain, the Grindelwald–Männlichen
gondola cableway will lift you up 4,265 ft (0.8 miles) to the peak. There are higher
mountains in the vicinity, but the thrill of the trip lies in the journey
itself. The cableway is the third longest of its kind in the world and on the
30-minute climb you`ll have lots of time to sit back and bask in the inspiring surroundings.
In late-June the valley is filled with wildflowers, and once you arrive at the
summit you can wander around to the various lookouts around the peak. After
that you could continue on to the town of Wengen on the other side of the peak. Or
you might hike back towards Grindelwald and get back on the gondola halfway
down.
Additional Days in Grindelwald
Should you be able to spend additional days in Grindelwald we recommend you spend a day of relaxation in one of the tranquil spas of the area. After hiking, climbing or speeding down mountains, a visit to a spa is just what you need to nurse some aching muscles. If you are staying at a hotel there will surely be a spa attached, but for those who aren’t, most hotels spas allow non-guest to use their facilities. There are plenty to choose from in Grindelwald offering herbal baths, steam baths, ice fountain, saunas, massages, outdoor whirlpools and more.
Your Final Day in Grindelwald
Depart your hotel for the airport or train station where you will head home or make your way to more European adventures. Savor the memories of a very special time spent in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland.