Grindelwald

Europe · Switzerland

Grindelwald, Switzerland

Glaciers under the Eiger's north face

Plan this trip

Getting there

By rail

Grindelwald station, ~35 min from Interlaken

By air

Zurich (ZRH), ~2.5 h by train

Best time to visit

June to September; December to March for skiing

Don't miss

The Eiger

First

The Bachalpsee

The Glacier Canyon

Things to do

Grindelwald First's cliff walk

Hiking to the Bachalpsee

Skiing

Where to eat

Alpine cheese

Sources: Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to pack

Layers

A quieter corner

The Pfingstegg toboggan run

Questions travellers ask

Is Grindelwald a summer or a winter destination?

Both: June to September, or December to March for skiing. Layers are a must.

What are the top things to do in Grindelwald?

Grindelwald First's cliff walk, hiking to the Bachalpsee, the Glacier Canyon, and the Eiger itself.

Is there a train to Grindelwald?

Yes. Grindelwald station is about 35 minutes from Interlaken, and about 2.5 hours from Zurich (ZRH) by train.

What's a fun hidden gem in Grindelwald?

The Pfingstegg toboggan run. Then try some Alpine cheese.

About Grindelwald

Mountains

Where it is

Grindelwald is a village in the Interlaken-Oberhasli district of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, spread across a wide valley at about 1,000 m below the Eiger, the Wetterhorn and the Schreckhorn.

History

Tourism began in the late 18th century, when visitors came to see the glaciers that reached down towards the village. A rack railway reached Kleine Scheidegg in 1893 and was extended to the Jungfraujoch in 1912, and the first ascent of the Eiger's north face in 1938 became a milestone in mountaineering history.

People

Grindelwalders speak Bernese German, and alongside tourism many families still keep cattle, taking them up to high alpine pastures in summer, where cheese is made. Mountain guiding, ski schools and the railways are other local livelihoods.

Known for

The Eiger's north face
The First Cliff Walk and the Bachalpsee
The Eiger Express gondola
Skiing and sledging
The Glacier Canyon

Did you know?

When Grindelwald became the first resort in the Bernese Oberland to welcome winter guests, in 1888, the attractions were sleigh rides, curling and skating; skiing only arrived in 1891.