[Anonymous]

11 January 2018 at 22:14:04 #814009

I’m trying to have a 2 site holiday to stroll among the spring flowers and have thought Interlaken would be good. I have also looked at Lauterbrunnen as they seem to be very different in altitude, but they are only +/- 20 Kms apart and anything I could see from one of these I could also do from the other. Has anyone any ideas for a better spread? I do want to stay in Interlaken some of the time and it may be that there is another better option for a second place to stay for a few days.

Also the Bernese Oberland Pass seems to be very comprehensive so maybe somewhere within the Pass area would be good? Confused as to whether the Swiss Rail Pass is better.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

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[rockoyster]

Reply 1 of 4 • 11 January 2018 at 23:16:25 #874062

Hello Moonbeam01 and Welcome to MySwissAlps

What time of the year are you visiting precisely and how long are you staying?

You need to map out an itinerary before deciding on which pass suits you better. See http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass

If you are just staying in the Interlaken/Jungfrau Region then a Jungfrau Travel Pass may suit. See http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrautravelpass

Wengen is a favourite for grand views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Interlaken is more of a transport hub and not all that thrilling as a base.

Have a look at this thread http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/itinerary-for-8-nights-in-switzerland-in-aprilmay for things to do in the region.

[User]

Reply 2 of 4 • 12 January 2018 at 2:45:18 #874063

Hi Moonbeam,

The best time to see wildflowers in the alpine areas is early and mid-summer.

Rockoyster mentioned Wengen as a base, and I would agree with that – it is a lovely small alpine village with stunning views, and where traditional chalet-style buildings are the predominant building style.

A company that runs wildflower-viewing tours from a Wengen base runs their tours between 17 June and 1 July, so I expect they know from experience that the second half of June is the best time to see wildflowers in that area. Given the amount of snow that has been around this winter, I would expect your best chances this year would be right at the end of that period, rather than right at the beginning, but this is just guesswork on my part.

This report from a participant on one of these tours might interest you, and assist you to find the best spots for viewing the flowers:

http://www.rps.org/adminuploa ds/external/images/nat [email protected]/Alpine%20F lowers%20of%20the%20Sw iss%20Alps.pdf

There is also the Allmendhubel Flower Trail, accessible by funicular from Mürren (on the opposite side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Wengen):

jungfrauregion.ch/en/s ummer/product/page/all mendhubel-1907-masl-768/

The summer season for the funicular to Allmendhubel runs from 23 June until 14 October 2018.

Another good excursion would be to the Schynige Platte Botanical Alpine Garden, which is reached by a stunningly scenic train ride from Wilderswil (on the rail line between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen). The Alpine Garden reopens after the winter closure on 26 May 2018, and remains open until 28 October inclusive. The train from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte is also expected to open on 26 May, but weather could delay it a bit.

Depending on how long your stay is, I would not necessarily change bases, as you will find plenty to do in the Jungfrau Region and nearby if you will be there from mid-late June onwards.

If you really did want another base, I would suggest Luzern. Apparently the Rigi is excellent for wildflowers, but I haven’t been there at the height of the wildflower season myself.

Alpenrose

PS My forum nickname, Alpenrose, is an alpine flower (but a rhododendron rather than a rose), and you can see a picture of it at the link below. Many hotels also have the name Alpenrose or Alpenrösli (which is the Swiss German diminutive form of the word).

https://www.adelbodner .ch/assets/Fotos/Hinte rgrund/alpenrose.jpg

[rockoyster]

Reply 3 of 4 • 12 January 2018 at 2:49:55 #874064

Alpenrose has reminded me to point out this thread to you http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/spring-flowers-on-rigi

[User]

Reply 4 of 4 • 12 January 2018 at 2:57:43 #874065

Thanks for that info on the Rigi, rockoyster.

If Moonbeam were to go to both Luzern and the Jungfrau region, it sounds like the Rigi would be the place to go first, as the wildflowers might come out a bit earlier there than at the higher altitudes of the Jungfrau Region.

Alpenrose