Lauterbrunnen and the Bernese Oberland

We will spend three nights in Lauterbrunnen. Most people online suggest spending most your time in Switzerland in the Bernese Oberland. You usually hear about towns other than Lauterbrunnen, but this sounds like a great place. It is in a valley that has over 70 waterfalls, alpine meadows with flowers....sounds like paradise :). And, unlike Murren and Wengen, it allows cars so things are a little cheaper (transporting stuff to the autofree towns add to the price).

We will take the train from Interlaken, one site has the following description of the train trip:

The train south from Interlaken shadows the road and the Lütschine river through Wilderswil and on into the deep countryside. Cliffs close in either side as you reach Zweilütschinen: the Schwarze Lütschine tumbles in from Grindelwald further east, while the road and railway continue south alongside the rushing Weisse Lütschine (named “white” for its foaminess) through a charming wooded gorge. At the point where the valley opens up, airily broad, sunlit and impossibly picturesque, you enter the busy little village of LAUTERBRUNNEN.

Our hotel looks out on Staubbach falls - it is the highest in Switzerland. Also, a scenic half-hour walk or an hourly postbus can take us 3 km up the valley to the Trummelbach falls. These are thunderous waterfalls which have carved corkscrew channels through the valley walls. There is a catwalk that leads you over and around the waterfalls which have gradually eroded the rock into weird shapes.

There are a lot of options for hikes and/or walks. Sounds like people take the post bus up to Wengen and then walk back down to see the views of the valley (about a 30 minute walk).

We will want to take a train trip up to either the Jungfraujoch or the Schilthorn. I don't know which would be better, on a couple sites online people have asked which to do and you get different suggestions:

- people recommend the Schilthorn because it has more panoramic views (including the Jungfrau which you obviously wouldn't see on the Jungfrau itself).

- I believe the Jungfraujoch is higher - they call it the top of Europe.

- the Schilthorn is less crowded, takes less time, and costs less.

- on the Jungfraujoch you get views of the Glacier Valley.

- on the Jungfraujoch you can take an elevator down to an ice gallery inside the glacier.

- the train to the Jungfrau goes through some tunnels inside/through the mountain.

- you don't take a train to the Schilthorn -it's a gondola.

So, we will have to decide...or, of course, we could do both.

This is the Jungfrau

This is the Schilthorn (it was in a James Bond film)

It doesn't sound like there are a lot of places to eat or shop in Lauterbrunnen. The hotels have restaurants, but no little cafes, etc. There is a coop where people said they grabbed bread, cheese and cold cuts for lunch...which sounds good to me! Also, one place does say to eat the chocolate made in the shops as you drink your coffee. That sentence indicates there are both shops and chocolate - not bad :).

It sounds like if we want a little more huslte or bustle we should go to Murren or Grindewald or Wengen. I assume we will want to go to at least one of these towns. Here's a picture of each:

A couple of other things to do right in Lauterbrunnen: Guided Walking tour of the city - this is on Mondays only and starts mid-June...so, we may be too early. Lace making is an old tradition in Lauterbrunnen and every Tuesday you can watch locals make some. There is a local history museum.

So, should be fun...and can be as relaxing or exhausting as we make it!