The Valley of Waterfalls: Hiking the Bernese Oberland
There is a moment, stepping off the train at Lauterbrunnen, when the valley simply silences you. Sheer grey cliffs rise close on both sides, and down them tumble waterfalls, seventy-two of them, feathering into mist before they reach the meadow floor. Above it all float the white summits of the Jungfrau massif. This corner of the Bernese Oberland is the Switzerland of imagination made real, and the best way to meet it is slowly, trail by trail, with a wedge of mountain cheese in your pack.
The lay of the land
The Lauterbrunnen valley is the hub. From its floor, two car-free villages perch on the shelves above: Wengen on the sunny eastern side, Mürren on the western, each reached by a little cog railway or cable car. Higher still sit the great viewpoints, Kleine Scheidegg, the Schilthorn, and the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 metres.
You do not need a car here; you arguably should not have one. The region runs on a beautifully integrated web of trains, cable cars and post buses, and half the joy is the journey itself, climbing through pine forest into alpine meadow as the valley shrinks below.
Choosing your basecamp
Lauterbrunnen itself is the most convenient and best value, right on the main rail line with the waterfalls at your door. Wengen trades a little convenience for sunshine and the most famous Jungfrau views, and being car-free, it is wonderfully quiet at night. Mürren, smaller and higher, feels like stepping back fifty years; it is the launch point for the Schilthorn cable car.
For a first trip, base in Lauterbrunnen or Wengen. Stay at least four nights , the weather turns on a coin here, and you want spare days to catch the clear ones.
The hikes you came for
The signature walk is the Kleine Scheidegg to Wengernalp descent, with the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau filling the sky the entire way, gentle, downhill and suitable for almost anyone. For something higher, the North Face Trail from Mürren loops through flower meadows beneath that same wall of rock.
Stronger walkers should not miss the trail to Bachalpsee from First, above Grindelwald, where the peaks mirror in a still alpine lake. And for waterfall lovers, the easy valley-floor path links Staubbach and the thundering Trümmelbach Falls, ten glacial cascades carved inside the mountain itself, reached by a tunnel lift.
Going high: the great viewpoints
When the forecast is clear, spend the money and go up. The Jungfraujoch railway burrows through the Eiger to a station on a glacier saddle, with an ice palace, a snow field and views deep into the Aletsch, the longest glacier in the Alps. It is touristy and expensive, and on a clear day utterly worth it.
The Schilthorn, crowned by the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant of James Bond fame, gives a 360-degree panorama of some 200 peaks for rather less money. If you must choose one, pick the Schilthorn for the view and the Jungfraujoch for the spectacle.
Passes, weather and timing
Transport here is superb but not cheap. If you plan to ride the high lifts daily, look at the Jungfrau Travel Pass or a Swiss Travel Pass, which can pay for themselves in three or four journeys. Always check the live webcams before committing to an expensive ascent, there is no view from inside a cloud.
Mountain weather changes fast. Carry layers, a waterproof shell and more water than you think you need, even on a sunny morning. Trails are immaculately signed in yellow (easy) and white-red-white (mountain), respect the difference.
Long evenings and mountain food
After a day on the trails, Swiss mountain food is honest and restorative: bubbling cheese fondue, rösti crisped in a pan, air-dried Bündner beef and a glass of cold local Rivella. Many mountain restaurants serve until the last cable car down, so you can watch alpenglow paint the peaks pink before descending into the dusk.
Where to stay, and a sample week
Accommodation here ranges from simple to storied. In Lauterbrunnen you will find good-value guesthouses and a campsite right beneath the Staubbach falls. Up in Wengen and Mürren, the car-free villages, are family-run hotels that have hosted walkers for over a century, many with south-facing balconies framing the Jungfrau, the kind of view you happily wake early for. Book a place with a kitchenette if you plan to self-cater; Swiss restaurant prices add up fast.
A satisfying week could run like this: arrive and walk the valley floor to Trümmelbach; day two ride to Kleine Scheidegg and walk down to Wengernalp; day three save for the Jungfraujoch if skies are clear; day four cross to Mürren for the North Face Trail; day five up the Schilthorn for sunset; and day six over to First above Grindelwald for the hike to Bachalpsee. Keep one day flexible, the mountains decide the schedule here, not your itinerary, and the reward for patience is a clear summit on a day you almost gave up on.
Things to do
Ride to the Jungfraujoch
The Top of Europe, a glacier station burrowed through the Eiger.
Hike to Bachalpsee
A mirror-still lake reflecting the Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn.
Trümmelbach Falls
Ten glacial waterfalls thundering inside the mountain.
Sunset on the Schilthorn
A 360° panorama of 200 peaks from the revolving summit.
Insider tips
- Check the live mountain webcams every morning, only pay for the high lifts on a clear day.
- A Jungfrau or Swiss Travel Pass often beats paying per ride if you go up daily.
- Trains and cable cars run to the minute. Arrive two minutes early, not two minutes late.
- Carry Swiss francs for mountain huts; some still don't take cards at altitude.
- Break in your boots before you arrive, even "easy" descents are long on the knees.
Budget guide
Best time to visit
Food & drink to try
Cheese fondue
The communal pot of melted Gruyère and Vacherin, best after a cold descent.
Rösti
Crisp grated-potato cake, often topped with egg, cheese or speck.
Älplermagronen
Alpine mac-and-cheese with potato, onion and a side of apple sauce.
Bündnerfleisch
Wafer-thin air-dried alpine beef, a perfect trail snack.
Getting around
Getting there
Trains from Zürich or Geneva airports reach Lauterbrunnen in 2.5-3 hours, changing at Interlaken Ost.
Trains & cog rail
The mountain railways link every village and viewpoint, running to the timetabled minute.
Cable cars
Aerial lifts climb to Mürren, the Schilthorn and First, half the adventure.
On foot
Hundreds of kilometres of signed trails; many descents replace a lift ticket entirely.
Gallery
Travel checklist
Tick these off before you go. Your progress is kept while you stay on this page.
