MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Visiting Jungfrau region mid May closures?
-
We are planning a family trip staying in Lauterbrunnen probably the third week in May and i am wondering if transportation and trails in the area…wengen, manlichen, kleine scheidegg, Murren, Gimmelwald etc. are normally open this time of year. Also what about shops and restaurants?
Thanks. Lori
-
Hi Lori-
Welcome to My Swiss Alps.
If this is your first trip to Switzerland, you are in for many pleasant surprises.
<<“We are planning a family trip staying in Lauterbrunnen probably the third week in May and i am wondering if transportation and trails in the area…wengen, manlichen, kleine scheidegg, Murren, Gimmelwald etc. are normally open this time of year. Also what about shops and restaurants?”>>
The short answer is “not so much.”
That is the low point of the inter-season break.
Lots of places will be open, but the skiing is pretty much gone, and hiking season really does not start until late June. Lots of places will be closed; critical stores will be open. Check your hotel possibilities carefully.
The cograil will be running, but cableways may not be. And, high altitude trails will probably not be passable, due to the remains of Winter. The famous Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail opens on about June 15, in most years, after the snow blockages have gone, and the risk of snowslides has become minimal. Even then cloudy weather can be problematic. The cable way from Wengen to Männlichen resumed service on May 20, in 2017.
At lower altitudes, such as Mürrren-Grütschalp, and on the valley floor, snow should be pretty well gone. Those are some pleasant places to hike.
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rneseoberland/activiti es
Check the links and follow the links contained within them.
Altitude is critical.
http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/nature
Finally, realizing the some of this material is season dependent, check this bit of light reading:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
Slowpoke
THanks for your help
Hi mommamenges –
The Cograil train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and onward to Kleine Scheidegg ( side branch up to Jungfraujoch) thence to Grindelwald does run all year, and the cableway access to Schilthorn takes its major break in late Fall, so those would both be enjoyable and scenic.
In 2017, the cableway from Wengen to Männlichen began Summer Season service on May 20th, which s typical. It took its mid season break from April 2 until May 19th. Other services begin in late May or early June. By late June, pretty much everything is open.
The timetable for next year will be available soon. ( I think I saw October 18th…) to check the dates for 2018. They don’t change much from year to year, but, if the season is unusually warm, or the snow up top is still good for skiing, the cable ways may be open on some earlier weekends.)
At that time of year, Spring is well along at lower altitudes. Although it lacks the majestic scenery of the Alpine regions ( except from a distance) I personally like the Emmental, which is farm country with some nice inns in the villages. I have attached an image from Affoltern in Emmental. It is not a usual tourist region unless you have special reasons for being there. I like to walk in the hills.
In April 2014 there was a very unusual stretch of warm dry weather without showers and with clear sunny days for more than a week in April throughout much of Central Switzerland. Usually, it rains a lot. I happened to be ion the Emmental then, and on April 16th (plus or minus a day or two) took a series of pictures of the hills and mountains and Schloss Trachselwald, from above Sumiswald (altitude about 700 meters) from a ridge above the town, and made a panorama. You can see that there is plenty of snow on the Alps, the grass is greening up in the lowest areas, and the trees are flowering. Spring is just beginning. By May, it is in full swing. In contrast, in the high Alps at 2000 meters or so, the snow is almost always not so good for skiing in April, but the high trails are still closed. Lauterbrunnen at 800 meters is deep in a valley and does not get a whole lot of sun, but the snow on the valley floor at around will be substantially melted, and will be pretty much gone by May. Maybe sooner; the climate is warmer these days.
Luzern (local German spelling) and the surrounding lake and mountains offer some good mountain scenery and is a nice town in its own right. There are close by mountains and also good hiking.
http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
It is definitely not a region with the overwhelming collection of many really high (and snow covered) mountains in plenty, as is the Jungfrau region. But, it is beautiful. But. the Jungfrau region can be reached in a rather long day trip. Too long for me, but many others have done it and been satisfied.
I have attached a few random pictures from near Luzern.
Slowpoke
Just to add to the information that Slowpoke has already provided, the following are likely to be operating during your stay:
- Grindelwald to First gondola
- Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp cable car
- Grütschalp to Mürren train
- Stechelberg–Mürren–Schilthorn cable car
- Interlaken to Harder Kulm funicular
- Boats on Brienzersee (Lake Brienz)
- Boats on Thunersee (Lake Thun)
The following are likely to recommence operations on 19 May 2018
- Grindelwald – Grosse Scheidegg – Meiringen PostBus
- Männlichen to Wengen cable car
The Trümmelbach Falls will also be open.
The Brienzer Rothorn train, the Männlichen-Grindelwald Grund gondola, the Mürren-Allmendhubel funicular and the Schynige Platte train are unlikely to be operating.
As Slowpoke also mentioned, the new timetable for 2017-18 will be released online on 18 October 2017, so you can check cable cars etc for your dates after that.
Alpenrose
Thank you for your help. It seems as though there would be plenty to fill the 3 days we would plan on being there. Can you tell me the best website i should be using for the Oct. 18th posting of information you mentioned?
Hi mommamenges,
It’s the Swiss railways timetable here. You should be able to find schedules for 2018 on there after the 18th of October.
- The thread ‘Visiting Jungfrau region mid May closures?’ is closed to new replies.
