UPDATED MAR 2020. Lauterbrunnen, or the valley of 72 waterfalls, is an incredible place to visit if you are looking for a Swiss getaway surrounded by picturesque nature. There’s so much on offer that it has something for everyone. You could plan an adventure-filled active getaway just as easily as you could plan a quiet, pampering trip. Here’s my guide on things to do in Lauterbrunnen and how to plan a weekend visit. Enjoy!
Things To Do In Lauterbrunnen And How To Plan A Weekend Visit
Disclaimer
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The basics
Location: Switzerland
Cost: Expensive – you have to keep an eye on your spending unless you have a big budget
Highlights: Waterfalls, alps, mountain cows, fondue and rosti
How to get to Lauterbrunnen by train
If you are traveling by train, then book your ticket to Lauterbrunnen station.
You’ll most likely go to the Interlaken station and change trains there to get to Lauterbrunnen.
How to get to Lauterbrunnen by car
Well, you just put ‘Parkplatz Lauterbrunnen‘ in Google Maps and drive there so it’s pretty easy.
Before driving, I usually check this website for an estimate of what the road tolls will cost.
Also, if you are driving from a different country, be aware that you will need to stop at a gas station or rest stop before the border to get a vignette. This is a sticker that you put on the windshield and covers the road tax in the country – some countries have toll booths and some you just get the sticker instead.
The vignette cost for Switzerland is currently 40CHF (about 40USD). The vignette lasts a calendar year, so no matter what time of year you buy it, it will expire in December of that year.
Where to stay
I chose to base myself out of Wengen and stayed at the Arenas Resort Victoria-Lauberhorn. You can’t drive in Wengen so you will park your car at the ‘Parkplatz Lauterbrunnen‘ by the train station and take a mountain train up to the Wengen stop.
Arenas Resort was fantastic! It was close to the train station which made it very easy to get around, and it was also close to the cable cars, restaurants, and hiking trails.
The hotel was so pet-friendly and even left a dog bed in the room for Coco Chanel which was lovely.
View from the room at Arenas Resort
I have to recommend their saltwater spa as well because it is a wonderful treat after a long day of hiking and exploring.
Wengen was a nice quiet spot in the mountains to base yourself from and I’d recommend it if you are planning a visit.
If you’d prefer to stay somewhere near a waterfall, then Hornerpub Apartments have an impressive view of the iconic Staubbach Falls. This is near where you park your car to get the train up to Wengen so you’d be close to your car as well as the train station to get around.
The area near the falls and Hornerpub Apartments also had a train station to get around and places to eat. I’d say the only big difference I noticed was that it wasn’t as quiet as Wengen and seemed to have a younger crowd.
No matter where you stay, I recommend searching on Booking.com. This is what I use to find deals when I travel, it’s how I found Arenas for this trip, and I’ve always been able to find a good bargain there.
Things to do
Mountain brunch in Männlichen
There’s brunch, then there’s brunch in the Swiss Alps.
If you are visiting on a Sunday, book yourself a mountain brunch at Männlichen. To get there, take the cable car from Wengen and walk over to the restaurant.
Once there, you’ll be able to dine on fresh crepes, meat, cheese, fruit, bread, yogurt, dessert, and just about everything else while you sit with a view of the mountains. Don’t be surprised if there are a couple of wandering mountain cows around you as well.
It’s a dreamy experience that is well worth it.
You need to call ahead to reserve your spot and here is the website with all the information.
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Hiking in Männlichen
After the mountain brunch, I recommend making the most of your visit to the summit with some hiking before returning to Wengen.
I took a long hike starting with the Romantic Trail to Alpiglen station, then connected to the Panoramic Trail to return to the cable car station. Basically a big loop.
From there I hiked to the lookup point near the cable car station as well – this one is short but steep.
If you didn’t want to hike all the way back after the Romantic Trail, you could take a train back to Wengen. You could also do the Panoramic Trail on its own then take a train to Wengen and you could even hike to Wengen if you still have some energy left.
There are a lot of options and something for everyone’s skill and energy levels.
The trails were well marked, well signed, and have epic views!
There are a lot of grazing mountain cows up here so as you hike, you will be listening to the song of their bells echoing in the mountains.
Take the train to Lauterbrunnen
If you are staying in Wengen, take the train to Lauterbrunnen station to explore the area.
Staubbach Falls is one of the most popular waterfall hikes to do and it’s an easy walk from the train station.
The end of the hike is pretty anti-climactic because you are just next to the waterfall but can’t see much. It’s still cool to be that close to it and feel the spray of the water though.
End of the hike to Staubbach Falls
The incredible thing is that Staubbach falls has the town built around it, which makes for some picturesque Kodak moments.
While you’re there you can also shop for souvenirs and have a bite to eat.
The train to Lauterbrunnen from Wengen is about 7USD each way.
When it comes to things to do in Lauterbrunnen, you can’t miss Staubbach Falls.
Hiking in Wengen
There are a lot of hiking trails around Wengen. I took the Leiterhorn Trail and hiked around for a while on the first day there – I might have also connected with other trails, but I can’t be sure because I just went exploring.
It was a great place to walk in the mountains, with impressive views and scenic lookout points. I even came across cows and horses in the fields.
There were a lot of signs along the way to keep on track and you can also get a map from the tourist office in Wengen. This will show you this trail as well as all the others that you might want to explore.
The signs made it really easy to follow the trails around Wengen
Jungfrau – the Top of Europe
I couldn’t do this one because I had my dog with me and they said that the altitude would probably kill her. It was a pretty easy decision to skip this one and not risk it.
If you won’t be traveling with a pet, visiting Jungfrau would be a great adventure. It’s called the ‘Top of Europe’ because it’s the highest railway station in Europe.
It looks like there are a lot of fun things to see and do up there, I had been looking forward to seeing the Ice Palace and Lindt Chocolate Heaven, but even if you just went for the amazing views it would be worth it.
Here’s the Jungfrau website with more information to plan your visit.
While you are there, it would be worth looking into Grindelwald which you could take the train to for even more outdoor adventures like the cliff walk, hiking, or mountain carts.
Where to eat and what to try
Eiger Restaurant was my favorite in Wengen. The cozy atmosphere was perfect for the chilly evenings, the food was delicious and the staff were super welcoming. They even brought Coco Chanel a bowl of treats when they brought my dinner!
Make sure you try their Rosti with Raclette because it’s amazing. I’d also recommend their Chocolate Souffle with the works.
Taverne Bernerhof was another I tried but, to be honest, I didn’t love it. The staff on the night I went weren’t as helpful and the food was meh. It was a really busy night so I wouldn’t black mark it or anything, but I just didn’t really love it.
They did have Raclette cheese that came out in a block with a grill which seemed to be very popular though.
Foods you have to try during your visit:
- Raclette Cheese
- Fondue
- Rosti – get one with egg, bacon, and cheese if you can
- Swiss chocolate
- Alpine milk, butter or cheese
Rosti with bacon, egg, and raclette from Eiger Restaurant
Tips for saving money
Switzerland is expensive and there’s not much getting around that.
However, there are a few things you can do to help save a little money during your trip.
There is a Coop store near the Wengen station and another near the Lauterbrunnen station. Shopping there for your lunches and snacks, even dinner if your budget is really tight, can save a few bucks.
Get breakfast at the hotel – Arenas that I stayed at had a huge breakfast spread. Use breakfast as your biggest meal of the day and try to keep the sugars and carbs as low as possible. This way you’ll be full for longer and avoid the energy crashes that usually lead to snack emergencies – all those snacks add up during the day.
My usual routine is a big breakfast, a snack or a drink in the afternoon, then I like to go out for dinner.
Hiking is free. Do as much of it as possible.
Limit your train costs by consolidating trips. For example, the train to Lauterbrunnen from Wengen is 7USD per person each way. If you can see that area on the day you arrive or depart it will save you a train trip.
Arenas hotel included a discount card with the stay for the cable cars in the area which was handy. Make sure you have it on you during your days exploring and show it everywhere.
Other places to see in Switzerland
If you can time your visit around the descent of the alpine cows you will be able to experience a unique and adorable festival. This is when the farmers adorn their cows in flower crowns and proudly walk them down from the mountains to bring them home for winter.
Lucerne is a charming place to spend a couple of days as well. It’s close to Mount Titlis and Pilatus so you can add visits to the alps as well as strolling around the city.
Another great place to see in Switzerland is ‘Toblerone Mountain’ aka the famous Matterhorn. Here’s my guide to plan your visit to Zermatt to see it and explore the area.
The mountain brunch is one of the coolest things to do in Lauterbrunnen.
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