Must-knows about Grindelwald

  • Grindelwald is a popular Swiss mountain village.
  • It’s situated amidst the Bernese Alps in the Jungfrau Region, at a 35-minute train ride from Interlaken.
  • Grindelwald is a paradise for hikes in summer, snow sports in winter, and mountain excursions year-round.
  • The village is smaller than Interlaken, but larger than the other towns in the Jungfrau Region.
  • It’s a perfect base to explore the Jungfrau Region. But it’s less suitable if you want to travel to other parts of the Bernese Oberland.
  • Grindelwald can be busy and touristy, especially in winter.
Recommended season: early January to early March and early May to late October
Altitude: 1034 m (3392 ft)
This is a winter sports resort
Town size: Small
Local language: German
There is a train station

Things to see and do in Grindelwald Copy link to clipboard

Find your Grindelwald day trips

Jungfraujoch mountain station and Konkordiaplatz
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Jungfraujoch
Mountains, Scenic train tripMin. time required: 4:00
The Jungfraujoch excursion isn't cheap, but it's spectacular. We explain how to bring down costs, how to get there from Wengen and Grindelwald, what to …
Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn with gondolas to Grindelwald-First
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Grindelwald-First
Adventure sport, MountainsMin. time required: 2:00
The First is a mountain near Grindelwald, offering amazing views, hiking trails and fun family activities. Learn how to make the most out of your …
Mönch, Jungfraujoch, Tschuggen and Jungfrau from Männlichen
Männlichen
MountainsMin. time required: 2:00
Männlichen is a mountain offering a 360° view of the Jungfrau Region. You can reach it from Grindelwald and Wengen. Find all details to plan …
Restaurant and Eiger at Pfingstegg
Pfingstegg
Mountains, TobogganingMin. time required: 1:30
Pfingstegg overlooks the valley of Grindelwald and has a toboggan run and Fly Line. Learn how to reach this affordable viewpoint, and what to expect …
"Carv First Try" Ski group course Grindelwald First
"Carv First Try" Ski group course Grindelwald First
Mountains, SkiingGuided day tour
Would you like to improve your skiing technique as a good skier? Get to know the new Carv sole, which fits in every ski boot, in a group lesson.

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3 things you shouldn't miss when staying in Grindelwald

If time is limited, we recommend not to miss this:

  1. The Jungfraujoch is very easy to reach from Grindelwald. If you prefer a budget variant without the Jungfraujoch, make this scenic round trip: Grindelwald-Kleine Scheidegg-Wengen-Lauterbrunnen-Zweilütschinen-Grindelwald.
  2. Visit at least one other mountain: Männlichen, First or Pfingstegg.
  3. Do at least one high-altitude hike. Walking to the Bachsee is a good option, or hike from First to Schynige Platte if you're up for a challenge.

Bad weather activities

Grindelwald is in the mountains, and that's where the weather can change quickly, for the better or the worse. These are good excursions if it rains in Grindelwald:

  • The Glacier Gorge just outside of Grindelwald
  • The indoor sports center
  • The Wellness & Spa in the Sunstar Hotel
  • Shopping in Interlaken
  • Great for kids: Heimwehfluh in Interlaken
  • Great for kids: JungfrauPark Interlaken

Grindelwald summer activities

The main summer excursions in Grindelwald are hiking, mountain biking, and mountain visits.

Several mountains offer fun family activities, such as toboggan runs and zip lines. Examples are Grindelwald-First and Pfingstegg.

Grindelwald winter activities

If you're in Grindelwald during winter, you can enjoy lots of skiing, sledding, and other snow-fun options.

Four ski areas are within easy reach:

Together, they offer more than 265 km of pistes.

Apart from skiing, you can enjoy winter hiking, snowshoe hiking, curling and skating at the indoor ice rink. There are lots of sledding runs, including the longest one in the world: from Faulhorn (near First) to Bussalp and Grindelwald.

Each January, Grindelwald hosts the World Snow Festival. You can watch beautiful ice sculptures made by international artists.

Traveling to and in Grindelwald, plus map Copy link to clipboard

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How to travel to Grindelwald by train

Public transport in Grindelwald and the entire Jungfrau Region is excellent, and we recommend using it. You can reach the village by train from Interlaken Ost in about half an hour.

Note that the same train also heads for Lauterbrunnen. It's split into two separate sections at the rail station of Zweilütschinen. Information boards on the train and at the platforms clearly indicate where you have to be seated to reach Grindelwald (this is mostly sector B of the train and platform).

How to reach Grindelwald by car

You can park your car at the railway station of Interlaken Ost and continue your journey to Grindelwald by train.

Grindelwald itself can be reached by car too, and several parking lots are available: a few smaller ones in the village, and a large one near the railway station "Grindelwald Terminal".

There are frequent train and bus services between "Grindelwald Terminal" and the main rail station in the town center.

How to reach Grindelwald from the airports

You'll probably fly in to Zurich Airport or Geneva Airport. Some flights land at the EuroAirport near Basel too. From the airports, you can continue your journey by public transport.

Train travel times to Grindelwald are:

  • 2h55 from Zurich Airport
  • 3h40 from Geneva Airport
  • 3h10 from Basel EuroAirport

The 3 train stations of Grindelwald

Grindelwald has 3 train stations. You can find each in the timetable.

  1. "Grindelwald". This is the main station in the village, where shops, hotels and holiday homes can be found. Trains from Interlaken arrive here. From the station, you can reach the valley stations of First and Pfingstegg on foot or by bus. Buses to Bussalp, Grosse Scheidegg, the Rosenlaui Valley and Meiringen depart here too.
  2. "Grindelwald Terminal". This is west of the town center. The gondolas to Männlichen and the Eiger Express to Eigergletscher/Jungfraujoch depart here.
  3. "Grindelwald Grund". This station is situated lower than Grindelwald and it's not in the town center. It's one of the stops on the cogwheel train route from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg/Jungfraujoch.

Getting by in Grindelwald: on foot and by bus

Grindelwald isn't that big, but it is hilly. If you have accommodation in the outskirts, you may need to count on some light descending or ascending on foot. Alternatively, you can take a bus.

Discounts on local trips with the Grindelwald Guest Card

The hotels provide a free Guest Card when checking in. The card provides various discounts on local attractions and cableways.

Rail passes for your stay in Grindelwald

If you own a rail pass, you will usually get a better discount than those of Grindelwald's Guest Card. We advise looking into these passes for Grindelwald:

  • The Berner Oberland Pass is a great choice if you plan to explore not only the immediate surroundings of Grindelwald, but other parts of the Bernese Oberland too.
  • The Jungfrau Travel Pass. This one's suitable if you'll be making trips in the Jungfrau Region only.
  • The Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card. These are usually best if your itinerary includes several regions of Switzerland.

Use our free tools to determine which pass is best for your plans.

Map of the town Grindelwald

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The best time to visit Grindelwald Copy link to clipboard

The best months to visit Grindelwald are early January to early March and early May to late October.

Grindelwald in spring, summer and fall

Due to its altitude of over 1000 meters, snow in the surrounding mountains can occur in early spring (April) and late fall (November-December). During these months, mountain trails can be too muddy to properly hike. This is low season for some cable cars too.

That's why Grindelwald can best be visited from May to October. Nature is prettiest during these months, and most attractions are available. High-altitude hiking can best be done in July, August and early September.

Grindelwald in winter

Grindelwald is a great destination for winter holidays. Its altitude at 1034 m means that snow is likely in winter, especially in the mountains near the village. January and February are the best winter months.

Grindelwald is a charming village in winter. It can feel touristy and crowdy, especially during Christmas season and Swiss school holidays.

Weather in Grindelwald Copy link to clipboard

What weather in Grindelwald is like

Grindelwald is at over 1000 m altitude and surrounded by high mountains. This means that weather can change quickly.

Snow in Grindelwald during winter is likely, and enough snow in the surrounding mountains for skiing and other winter activities is very probable. Temperatures in the town are typically around freezing point.

From spring to autumn, all sorts of weather can occur near Grindelwald: from clouds and rain showers at 10°C, to long sunny spells with temperatures of 25°C or more.

5-day weather forecast for Grindelwald

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Accommodation in Grindelwald Copy link to clipboard

Many hotels in Grindelwald are at a less than 15-minute walk from the rail station. Quite some have rooms with gorgeous views of the Eiger North Face.

Rental chalets are widely available too in Grindelwald. Check the location if you want to avoid ascending and descending between the town center and your accommodation.

Find an overview of accommodation throughout the Jungfrau Region here.

Grindelwald hotel list

Aerial view of Grindelwald and Eiger North Face

Hotels in Grindelwald - easy access to attractions and splendid views

We explain where to stay in Grindelwald for easy access to mountain excursions, or for brilliant views of the Eiger. …

Grindelwald’s location, scenery and layout

Location and scenery

Apart from Interlaken, Grindelwald is the largest village in the Jungfrau Region. It’s situated at the end of the valley of the river Schwarze Lütschine and at the foot of high mountains.

There are breathtaking views of the mountains Eiger and Wetterhorn from many locations in town.

The layout of Grindelwald

The town center is situated along the main street, called “Dorfstrasse”. It stretches out between the main rail station and the First cable car station, about 800 m up the road. There are supermarkets, shops and all the other facilities you need as a tourist.

Outside of the town center, Grindelwald mainly consists of chalets in hilly meadows, spread out across a pretty large area.

The pros and cons of Grindelwald

Grindelwald is touristy

Grindelwald is a tourist center. Some would say the town isn’t as authentic as it used to be. That’s true, but we think that Grindelwald has become a tourist center for a good reason: it’s a stunning location that is not only beautiful, but convenient as well.

Cable cars and trains take you right into the high mountains surrounding the town, and you can start hiking or biking right from your hotel or chalet. There are lots of winter sports facilities too.

Grindelwald can be busy

Grindelwald can be busy at times, but we feel that should not scare you off. Grindelwald is a very nice alternative for anyone who does not want to stay in a busy town such as Interlaken, but still wants some shops, restaurants and sports facilities around. Smaller villages generally have limited facilities.

More about winter activities

Top of Mount Corvatsch in winter

Winter activities

Our overviews of winter activities in Switzerland. Apart from winter sports, there’s a lot to see and do: sledding and …

Other websites of interest

Our blog posts related to Grindelwald Copy link to clipboard

Bench with view of Schreckhorn and Grindelwald, between First and Grosse Scheidegg

Hike First-Grosse Scheidegg

Easy walk across alpine meadows with great views of the Jungfrau massif. You can continue by bus or on foot …
Reflection of Schreckhorn and Finsteraarhorn in Bachalpsee

Hike First-Bachsee

Popular, easy trail to a beautiful mountain lake with reflections of the Schreckhorn and other mountains above Grindelwald.
Rosenlaui valley towards Grindelwald, Wetterhorn and Eiger from Hasliberg

Hike Grosse Scheidegg-Meiringen

Admire the great scenery during this hike between the valleys of Grindelwald and Meiringen. It starts just above the tree …

About the Grindelwald area Copy link to clipboard

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Annika
Page author: AnnikaSince early childhood I've been visiting Switzerland during my holidays and I just fell in love with the country. I spent many summers in the Bernese Oberland, which still feels like my second home, and then started to explore other areas. Traveling, hiking and photographing in the Swiss Alps are my absolute favorite activities.