Best recommended hikes in Wengen-Grindelwald area

My wife and I will be staying in Wengen first week of July, and are primarily interested in hiking. We will hope to hike almost every day, weather permitting. Full day hikes would be fine, we are in reasonable shape and experienced hikers. Since we have limited time, would appreciate a list of your best recommended hikes in area. Do you recommend we purchase any maps, or just print them from online sites. We also would like your thoughts on a hike in Rick Steeve's book about the Via Ferrata in the Lauterbrunnen Valley where one clips into a carabiner to hike along steep hillsides.

Unrelated question also about whether we should get an inexpensive pre-paid cell phone in Switzerland or Simm card.

Thank you

Hi aplopez,

Here's a list of local trails: myswissalps.com/ jungfrauregion/ activities (scroll down please). I do recommend paper maps, either printed or purchased. There's a good map on map.wanderland.ch.

My thoughts on the Via Ferrata is that I would never do it; but that's just me ;-) I'm sure it's very special if you like such adventures, and July is the season for it.

For sim cards, please see myswissalps.com/ simcard.

Hello aplopez,

In addition to the good information Arno provided there are a series of 3 PDFs at www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim that describe many hikes in the region as well as other information. The hiking opportunities are pretty endless!

After 18 hiking holidays to the region we have found paper maps to only be needed if you are hiking over the major peaks such as Bundechrinde, Sefinenfurge, Hohturli, etc. If you are simply doing day hikes in the region the ways are very clearly signposted. My husband just loves maps so we often carry one anyway but never end up referring to it unless way out in the wilds. (We have hiked across the entire country on the Alpine Pass Route/Via Alpina.) In addition to on-line maps you can buy very detailed and interesting paper maps in pretty much any village, even as small as Wengen. There the Foto Fritz shop has very good maps.

I'm with Arno, Via Ferrata not my cup of tea! But I'm afraid of heights. . .

In addition to the excellent advice from two experts already posted, here are a few links that might be helpful:

www.jungfrau.ch/en/som mer/tourism/destinatio ns/kleine-scheidegg/hiking-trails/

Watch the date at the bottom of the page, but all should be open in July.

www.swissholidayco.com /Public/Assets/User/fi les/Map-of-Jungfrauregion1.jpg

and the best topo map:

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=swisstopo&lang=e n&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo .pixelkarte-farbe&layers=ch.swisst opo.zeitreihen,ch.bfs. gebaeude_wohnungs_regi ster,ch.bafu.wrz-wildruhezonen_portal,c h.swisstopo.swisstlm3d -wanderwege&layers_visi bility=false,false,fal se,true&layers_timesta mp=18641231,,,&X=16212 0.00&Y=637310.00&zoom= 6

I have set the options to show trails.

SwissTopo is the website of the federation land office. On their home page, they list "Products," which include many kinds of maps. As Kim noted, the ones that are good for hiking are readily available at stores of various types all over Switzerland.

www.swisstopo.admin.ch /internet/swisstopo/en /home.html

Youi may know about the trail markers already:

www.alpenwild.com/hike -alps/trail-signs-swiss-alps

Slowpoke