Jul 9, 2011 - 12:33 PM
The Ballenberg Open Air museum is a very special place. www.ballenberg.ch/en/welcome
There is also a lovely walk that parallels the river - very easy. Following is a clip from my trip notes on Wengen area, sorry in advance for the strange formatting and lack of spaces between some words (cut and paste to this site results in that, hopefully one of the nice moderators can fix it!):
Lauterbrunnen to Wilderswil. This is a lovely walk that parallels the river from Lauterbrunnen to Wilderswil and also covers some beautiful forested areas. This path is in two stages, both approximately 3 miles in length and on flat terrain. The first stage, Lauterbrunnen to Zweilütschinen,starts right at the Lauterbrunnen train station. Follow the signs to the Parking Garage and WCs east of the station and you’ll come upon the trail signs direction Zweilütschinen and Wilderswil. At the very beginning, there is a short descent over a path that can be a bit muddy and a wee bit steep but quickly puts you out onto a very wide, well-maintained Wanderweg. This stage ofthe trail follows directly along the river through a lovely forest; you willalso see a fish ladder about half way on.
Once you reach Zweilütschinen you can catch the train back to Wengen or press on for the second stage: Zweilütschinen to Wilderswil.(Alternatively, of course, you can take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Zweilütschinen and pick up the trail here.) The local train companies have done visitors yet another favor by constructing a lovely “Nature und Bahn” (loosely translated:“Nature and Railway”) path on this stretch. Cross the train tracks at the northend of the Zweilütschinen station and look for the signs direction Wilderswil and Nature und Bahn trail. This stage is also about 3 miles (flat) and passes through more forested area and the charming village of Gsteigwiler. Admire the beautiful woodwork on the homes and the lovely gardens in town, then continue on the Nature und Bahn trail (Note: there are a number of other paths that also lead to Wilderswil, but the Nature und Bahn trail is the most easily navigated. It is well marked, just look for the special signs.). At the end of the walk, you will cross over the river viaa covered bridge and enter the town of Wilderswil. There are many good restaurant choices in this area if you’re ready for lunch. You can catch the train at Wilderswil back to Wengen.
