Hiking the 3h20 Lake Oeschinen Loop in May
Dylan is planning to hike the Panorama Loop near Oeschinensee in May but discovered that there's confusion about the trail's availability, as it might not open until June due to snow. He's seeking alternative hikes because he will be in the area the last week of May and wants to make the most of his trip.
- The Oeschinensee Loop includes the Panorama Trail and a scenic walk back to the gondola station; to access it, take the gondola first.
- Consider hiking at lower elevations like Ebenalp or Seealpsee if Oeschinensee isn't accessible by late May.
- Check with the local tourist office for the latest trail conditions, especially if planning to hike around Grindelwald.
- The Männlichen gondolas will reopen on May 24, and the 'Royal Walk' is a short option that's expected to be accessible.
- Be sure to book tickets in advance for public holiday weekends to avoid crowds.
AI-generated summary-
Hi. I am hoping to hike this loop in May, but when I reached out to the Oeschinen helpdesk, they replied that there is “no loop”. Can you tell me if this hike, which I see on All Trails, is called something different? I know that the Heuberg trail is a part of this hike, but I am looking to do the Panorama loop which is about 3 hours and 20 minutes. Thank you for helping to clarify this confusion. Dylan
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Hi Elyssa,
The Oeschinensee Loop is a circular route that combines the Panorama Trail that takes you high above the lake, and the dirt road from the lakeshore back to the mountain gondola station. To access the trail, first take the gondola up then follow the mountain trail towards Heuberg. The climb is steep and challenging on some sections but the view from the top is amazing. After a while the trail will lead you down to the lakeshore. From here you can follow the dirt road back to the gondola station.
The gondola ride to Oeschinensee is free if you have the Berner Oberland Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/berner-oberland-pass/)!
Best regards,
Anna
Thank you so much Anna. In planning more this morning, it appears that the Panorama Hiking above Oeschinen is closed until June due to avalanche danger? Are you able to confirm if I am understanding this correctly. If so, can you recommend an alternative please as I will be in town the last week of May and am so dissapointed to not be able to do the Oeschinen hike. My plans include going to Rigi with family on Saturday, and then meeting up with friends in Zurich who have a car and we will hike Grindenwald First on Monday and then somewhere else on Tuesday…whatever this replacement hike might be. I would love any suggestions please. Thanks. Dylan
Hi Dylan,
The hiking season at Oeschinensee officially begins on 10 May 2025. But access to the Panorama Trail might not be possible until June as there might still be snow high up on the mountains. Please check the website again for the latest status update. Regardless, I think it’s still worth going to Oeschinensee. The walk from the mountain gondola station to the lakeshore is very scenic. And when you reach the lake, you can do a short hike to the waterfalls, have a picnic or rent a boat. You can also try the toboggan (mountain coaster) ride next to the gondola station. I recommend planning ahead and book your tickets in advance if you are planning to visit the weekend of 29 May. It’s a public holiday weekend so I’m guessing there will be a lot of visitors.
If you’d rather skip Oeschinensee altogether, I recommend hiking on Ebenalp or Seealpsee in May. It’s all the way in East Switzerland near Appenzell.
You can find further hiking suggestions here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-blog/
Regards,
Anna
Hi Dylan
you mention you plan to hike Grindelwald/First in late May or early June. Do you have a specific hike in mind? There are many beautiful hikes out of First that’s take advantage of the spectacular scenery. But walking up from Grindelwald to First would not be one of them in my opinion.
Mark
Hey Mark. I appreciate the feedback and any input you have. I’ll be hiking there on Monday May 26 and wondered which hikes you would suggest? Thanks so much.
The one I was considering is called Marmot nature trail I believe from First-Grosse Scheidegg but would welcome your thoughts. Thank you so much.
Hi Dylan,
The Marmot trail unfortunately won’t be accessible when you are there on May 26th, it generally opens at the beginning of June (subject to weather conditions).
The lower elevation hikes in the links below, should be doable when you are here.
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-lauterbrunnen-stechelberg/
- https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-grutschalp-murren/
The Männlichen gondolas are scheduled to re-open on 24th May, so the “Royal Walk” (around 25 minutes) should be doable at the top. Further details for a visit to Männlichen in the link here.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
The Marmot trail roughly parallels the main trail from First to Grosse Scheidegg and is an easy roughly 1 hr walk. As Yolanda states May 26 is borderline early and the high alpine trails may be impassable due to snow. First to GS is roughly the same altitude and conditions as First to Bachalpsee (they go in opposite directions). With global warming and the possibility of warm weather in early May I would check with the local tourist office in Grindelwald to see what’s open. My guess is a 50-50 chance. If the First trails are open and you want something a little longer and more challenging I would recommend hiking from First to Bachalpsee to Hireleni to Feld to Bussalp and then bus or walk back to Grindelwald. This is a gorgeous hike and scenic the whole route and takes about 3 hrs. Alternatively the loop of First to Bachalpsee to Waldspitz and back up to First is also very scenic and could be combined after returning to First with the very easy Marmot trail. Again about a 3-3.5 hr hike and very scenic. Both these hikes would be much more scenic and much easier than hiking strait up from Grindelwald to First.
If these trails are not open then I would consider a lower altitude trail like the Mountain View trail that starts just after leaving Grutschalp (right fork or turn shortly after leaving the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp (https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-grutschalp-murren/). This will take you to Murren where you might eat lunch then a short walk down to the Gimmelwald gondola down to Steckelburg and then walk down Lauterbrunnen valley back to Lauterbrunnen perhaps with a stop at Trummelbach falls (https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-lauterbrunnen-stechelberg/). Beautiful scenery and takes 3.5 hrs approximately. Note the Mountain View trail branches off the Panaramag trail from Grutschalp to Murren mentioned by Yolanda above. In my opinion the views and ambience of the Mountain View trail are far superior if a little harder and longer than the Panaramag route which is more of a road than trail.
Mark
Hey Mark and everyone…I’m here now and considering where to hike on Monday. Do you know if the Grindebwald hikes you suggested are accessible currently and if not where might you suggest. My family went to Rigi today and all of your guidance on this site was so helpful. Thanks!
Hi Elyssa,
The hike from Grindelwald-First to Lake Bachalpsee ( https://www.myswissalps.com/blog/hike-bachsee/) is showing to be open for hiking. The hikes mentioned in the previous replies should be fine too.
Maybe pop into the local tourist office in Grindelwald to check for definitive trails that are open in the area. Check the weather forecast (https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/weather/forecast/) too so as to be not caught in any untoward weather when you are out.
Have fun.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
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