How can anyone resist those #Lauterbrunnen hashtags on Instagram? A beautiful country all around, but there is something about being submerged in nature and surrounded by mountains that makes me most excited when traveling. No place does that more than the little town of Lauterbrunnen with the towering Staubbach Falls claiming your attention as soon as you enter the valley.
Getting here will be a 2 hour adventure of breathtaking views as you exit Zurich and into wild Switzerland. Taking this route you’ll pass mountains such as Rooterberg, Pilatus, and the Brienzersee – and if you’re anything like me you’ll be wanting to stop the car non stop to get that perfect shot. I can hear myself already – “babe stop the car!” lol. It’ll be a good time.
Lauterbrunnen is also known as the valley of 72 waterfalls. Situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks – the beautiful valley of Lauterbrunnen is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland, and it offers pristine beauty. The country itself is pretty expensive so we are going to be doing a ton of outdoor activities. I am pretty stoked, when you’re visiting the Alps – the best way to experience it is by hiking of course! Here is my itinerary – I will be including the the prices that i’ve come across.
1. Ride The Wengen Mannlichen Aerial Cableway:
The cable ride is a little pricey but well worth the trip up and down Mannlichen mountain. The ride up the mountain is breathtaking and for 5 more swiss francs you can ride the roof area or upper deck. Can you imagine that birds eye view? I know I can! I plan on spending the extra money (on the way up) to experience this incredible ride! At the top of the mountain you can hike through the alps and down through the ridge to the cute little town! I sent an email to the train station for price clarification as well as hiking info and this is the response that I received.
A one way ticket for an adult from Wengen to Männlichen is 23.- Swiss Francs, return is 46.- Swiss Francs.If you have any Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare card (50% off) or visitor card (30% off) you’ll get a discount. There are different hiking trails on top. With some you reach other places and may take a train back to Wengen p.e. from Kleine Scheidegg. Also, 50% discounts are offered for holders of the Swiss Travel Pass.
2. Do the Thrill Walk Felsensteg Birg:
I’ve been eyeing the Thrill Walk as well as the James Bond attractions at Schilthorn for a long time now. Also, there is a fantastic 360° rotating restaurant – Piz Gloria – at the top of the summit where you can enjoy a great brunch or dinner in the MIDDLE of the Alps! How awesome is that? To at least have a glass of champagne would be worth it, depending on how expensive the restaurant is – that I have not looked into but I vow to at least have a glass of champagne! From Lauterbrunnen you take the PostBus to the valley station Stechelberg – the train leaves every 30 minutes which isn’t bad at all! The travel time to the summit is about 30 minutes. The attractions at the top include: Bond World 007, 007 Walk Of Fame, Skyline Walk and the Thrill Walk. At 2970 metres, the Schilthorn attracts visitors with a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the “Swiss skyline” including Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
These attractions are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass – something I would suggest looking into especially if you are going to visit for an extended period of time. The Thrill Walk will lead you down into the vertical walls of the imposing rock massif. Walking along the 200-metre cliff pathway under Birg cableway station is sure to give you a spine-tingling mountain experience! How exciting to walk on the glass, over the wire, and crawl through the steel net tunnel while looking down to the steep drop below. Eeek!
3. Hike The Blumental Panorama Trail:
A 2 mile hike that can be accomplished by anyone! The trails are well signed and you can find a map with all the trail information at most hotels or even the Tourist Information Center. After the hike be rewarded with food and drinks at the cafe and enjoy the incredible views of the valley and mountains.
Enjoy up close and scenic views of the snow capped mountains that majestically surround the lush green valley. Throughout the trail, you will stumble upon meadows of flowers, grazing sheep on the mountainside and wood cabins dotting the fields. It is the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the Alps.
