By rail
Grindelwald station, ~35 min from Interlaken
Europe · Switzerland
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Glaciers under the Eiger's north face
Getting there
By air
Zurich (ZRH), ~2.5 h by train
Best time to visit
June to September; December to March for skiing
Don't miss
The Eiger
First
The Bachalpsee
The Glacier Canyon
Things to do
Grindelwald First's cliff walk
Hiking to the Bachalpsee
Skiing
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
The Pfingstegg toboggan run
Questions travellers ask
Is Grindelwald a summer or a winter destination?
Both: June to September, or December to March for skiing. Layers are a must.
What are the top things to do in Grindelwald?
Grindelwald First's cliff walk, hiking to the Bachalpsee, the Glacier Canyon, and the Eiger itself.
Is there a train to Grindelwald?
Yes. Grindelwald station is about 35 minutes from Interlaken, and about 2.5 hours from Zurich (ZRH) by train.
What's a fun hidden gem in Grindelwald?
The Pfingstegg toboggan run. Then try some Alpine cheese.
About Grindelwald
- Mountains
Where it is
Grindelwald is a village in the Interlaken-Oberhasli district of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, spread across a wide valley at about 1,000 m below the Eiger, the Wetterhorn and the Schreckhorn.
History
Tourism began in the late 18th century, when visitors came to see the glaciers that reached down towards the village. A rack railway reached Kleine Scheidegg in 1893 and was extended to the Jungfraujoch in 1912, and the first ascent of the Eiger's north face in 1938 became a milestone in mountaineering history.
People
Grindelwalders speak Bernese German, and alongside tourism many families still keep cattle, taking them up to high alpine pastures in summer, where cheese is made. Mountain guiding, ski schools and the railways are other local livelihoods.
Known for
- The Eiger's north face
- The First Cliff Walk and the Bachalpsee
- The Eiger Express gondola
- Skiing and sledging
- The Glacier Canyon
Did you know?
When Grindelwald became the first resort in the Bernese Oberland to welcome winter guests, in 1888, the attractions were sleigh rides, curling and skating; skiing only arrived in 1891.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.