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Flew into GVA yesterday morning and immediately took the train to Zermatt. It was very easy to navigate the train stations thanks to all the great advice this website provides. After arriving in Zermatt I rested the rest of the day to acclimate myself to the altitude(I’m from Florida).
This morning I got up early to do the 5 lakes hike. I was blessed with picture perfect weather and got some great shots of the Matterhorn.
Tomorrow it’s off to Kandersteg for one night to see Oesceninsee.
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Hi Jason,
Thanks for your report. Sounds like a good start! Feel free to attach images up to 1 Mb.
Today I took the gondola up to Oeschinensee and all I can say is WOW! The lake and surrounding mountains are truly spectacular. I also rode the mountain coaster while I was up there. Felt like a little kid again.
So far so good for my first trip to Switzerland. Tomorrow it’s off to Wengen for 5 nights.
Can you share few photos of hike. I visited in May and trail was not open
Zermatt or Oesch?
Both
Guys, I’m having an issue attaching photos from my hotel. I will post when I get home from a desktop computer.
Arrived in Wengen yesterday. Hiked up the Lauterbrunnen valley and was awestruck by the magnificent waterfalls. Trummelbach falls was better than I expected. Awesome power or mother nature.
This morning I went up to Schynige Platte. One word. AMAZING! Words cannot possibly do justice to this place.
4 more days, loving it!
Went up to Schilthorn today. Not a cloud in the sky this morning so the views were incredible. Hiked all around Murren, down to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg. Watched the hangliders land in the valley. Maybe next trip I will give it a try.
Some of the higher elevation trails are still closed due to heavy snow this past winter. Guy who runs the hotel where I’m staying says First is still closed as far as he knows. Hoping it opens up in the next couple of days. Probably will hike around Kleine Scheidegg tomorrow depending on what trails are open.
Yesterday I took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg. Hiked the #33 trail to Mannlichen even though it was closed. You are allowed to hike on trails that are closed but be aware you are doing so at your own risk. There was still some snow on the trail but not much.
After hiking #33 trail I took the #35 trail which I believe they call the Romantikweg back to Kleine Scheidegg then took the long trail closest to the Lauterbrunnen valley back to Wengen.
Today I went over to Grindelwald to hike the Bachalpsee lake. This trail also is still closed although I saw many people doing this hike. The lake is still almost completely covered in ice.
After Bachalpsee I took the easy trail over to Gross Scheidegg. Another fantastic trail and the ride down back to Grindelwald is a treat in of itself. Tomorrow is my last day before heading to GVA.
Sounds like you’re getting a good taste of Swiss hiking trails! Thanks for keeping us up to date, enjoy your last day!
Is there an issue attatching pics on chrome browser because I am having issues?
I am not aware of any issues. As long as the pictures are not larger than 1 Mb it should work. If not, do you get an error message?
Thanks for reporting back on your trip! Are the trails well marked? Are trailmaps readily available in Wengen? Will be there in 2 weeks. Surprised to hear there is still so much snow. Thanks!
Not getting error message. It just will simply not let me post a message with a picture attached. Pics must be over 1 Mb I guess.
Yes the trails are very well marked. I had no problems whatsoever finding my way. My hotel provided a trail map upon arrival. The trails should be all clear by the time you get there but not sure if Bachalpsee will be unfrozen by that time. I was shocked at how much ice was on the lake. Almost still completely frozen over.
Great, thank you! I will be hiking with my 10 year old and don’t want to get lost.
I guess we won’t be jumping in a mountain lake as I had envisioned! Which was your favorite hike from Wengen?
My favorite hike in the area was without a doubt at Schynige Platte. Absolutely incredible view. You can see both lakes of Interlaken and the Jungfrau while standing in one spot. Be sure to go on a clear day.
Some final observations and thoughts about my trip:
I can’t believe how easy it was to travel throughout Switzerland. Everything I read about the excellent transportation system was absolutely the truth. I have nothing but great things to say about it. Never had an issue getting around and everything runs like clockwork.
A little advice about luggage. I can’t tell you how many people I saw dragging huge suitcases around. It is a real pain when you are getting on and off trains. It is also difficult getting from train station to hotel in a place like Wengen depending on how far the hotel is from station. So if I could give one piece of advice I would say travel light if possible. It really makes getting around a lot easier.
I bought a Swiss travel pass to get around and even though it was a little bit expensive up front I definitely thought I got good value out of it, not to mention just hopping on any train without having to worry about buying tickets at every station was a huge plus. I also went to Schilthorn so that was included in the price of the pass.
The trail system around Jungfrau is very well marked and you would have to try pretty hard to get lost. Every trail I hiked was beautiful so you basically can’t go wrong no matter which one you choose. I was also impressed with how clean the trails were. I only saw a couple of pieces of trash on all the hikes I did.
This was my first trip to Europe and I don’t think I could have picked a better country to visit. I went solo on this vacation so I was a little apprehensive when I was planning it but now I know there is nothing to worry about. If I can do it anybody can do it. Anyone who is thinking about a trip to Switzerland should buy a plane ticket today. Not kidding, I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to return someday.
Thanks to all those who gave me advice for this trip. This website has a wealth of info and was very helpful to me. So stop waiting and start planning your trip today!
Thanks so much for sharing the details of your trip. I am a bit intimidated by all the detailed planning required, but excited to head over in a week. We are also visiting g Zermatt and Wengen among several other spots. Planning a half day of skiing with a guide in Zermatt. Should be an adventure. So good to hear the trains were easy and straightforward. Hope you can get the pictures uploaded!
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