How to walk from Grindelwald-First to the famous mountain lake "Bachsee"

Must-knows

The Bachsee is a beautiful mountain lake. You can reach it on foot from Grindelwald-First in under an hour.

The easy path the lake is suitable for nearly everone.

Plan your walk on a windless day to catch the perfect mountain reflection in the Bachsee surface.

This is a popular route. Beat the crowds by taking the first gondola in the early morning.

The easy way to plan your Switzerland trip

➤ Let the experts handle the research and bookings for you. We design a unique, independent journey based on your wishes. Save time and avoid common mistakes. See how it works

First-Bachsee-First: the facts

Hiking time: 1h50
Difficulty: easy
Elevation: 2149 – 2300 m
Distance: 5.8 km
Terrain: high-alpine area with meadows
Nearest town: Grindelwald (Jungfrau Region)

About the trail

There are various hiking possibilities from First. Some of the routes lead to other mountain tops or bus stations, but you may want to do an easy trip leading back to First. Walking to the Bachsee (or Bachalpsee) is a good choice.

This small mountain lake is situated on the foot of the Faulhorn. Even in summer, there may be ice floating on the lake. Your way towards the lake starts with an ascent, but the remaining part is pretty easy because of the wide and even path. You can rest near the lake and enjoy the great view of several peaks such as the Schreckhorn.

The Bachsee is popular and therefore visited by many people. One of the reasons is that this path offers the passage to one of the most popular hiking routes in the Bernese Oberland: the one from First to Schynige Platte.