Scenic Switzerland: Four Days in the Bernese Oberland
Alpine chalets nestled in green valleys with backdrops of looming mountains, cows grazing in vast fields with the sound of a waterfall nearby, blue lakes so clear they reflect views of the mountain peaks – this is the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, and in my opinion, the most naturally beautiful place in the world.
We spent four days in September exploring this region of Switzerland – hiking, going on adventures, and of course, taking a lot of photos. We spent our time in four main areas: Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, and Grindelwald. Here is my full guide to exploring the most scenic part of Switzerland!
HOW TO GET HERE
The Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland sits right in the center of the country, and is incredibly easy to reach by train. Fly into Geneva (GVA), Bern (BRN), or Zurich (ZRH), then hop on a train to your destination! Public transportation in Switzerland is fantastic – it’s convenient and very easy to navigate. You have a few options regarding transportation:
SWISS TRAVEL PASS | My recommendation. Can be purchased for the number of days you require it for. Gives you unlimited travel by train, bus, and ferry. You do not have to book anything ahead of time either, you can just hop on whichever ride you’d like! It also offers you 50% off many mountain excursions and gives you free entry into over 500 museums.
HALF FARE CARD | Gives you half off all travel in Switzerland, and half off many mountain excursions. The downside to the half fare card is all tickets will still have to be purchased beforehand or on site at the train station – you can’t just hop on whatever train you want.
It is possible to just book transportation without purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass or the Half Fare Card – but I would only recommend doing this if you’re using transportation infrequently as it gets pretty expensive!
WHERE TO STAY
I highly recommend choosing one place to base yourself then taking day trips to the other areas in the region you want to visit! This saves you from spending all your time lugging your bags around and checking in and out of different hotels.
WENGEN
Our base! Very quiet, scenic, and much less touristy than anywhere else we visited in this region. However, it’s also the least connected – so you will need to take an extra 10 minute cable car each time you leave to explore a new place. We didn’t find this to be an issue, the car was so scenic and ran quite frequently!
HOTEL FALKEN | The coziest, most charming hotel. Each morning, we woke up to the most beautiful panoramic view from our balcony. Everyone working here was so kind and friendly – we literally felt like family! One evening, we ordered a bottle of wine from the hotel bar and were brought candles and eclairs to enjoy with the wine. The entire experience was just so wonderful it’s hard for me to even recommend anywhere else!
LAUTERBRUNNEN
An adorable little town in a valley. A bit more connected than Wengen (this is the town we would take that 10min cable car to each day). It did feel quite a bit more touristy, but was still so charming.
HOTEL SILBERHORN | Beautiful rooms with panoramic valley views.
INTERLAKEN
A much larger town with more accommodation options. It’s very well connected to other areas in the Jungfrau region, so this makes for fewer train transfers! Interlaken is definitely the most convenient place to base yourself, but it’s much busier than other quieter towns, and you’ll pay a pretty penny to get the same views you would get elsewhere.
VICTORIA JUNGFRAU | The luxury option! Gorgeous rooms, panoramic terraces, two pools, a spa.. this hotel is gorgeous. We had afternoon tea here and it was stunning!
HOTEL BEAUSITE | A charming hotel with beautiful Jungfrau views. We stayed at a Beausite in Zermatt and loved it!
HOTEL INTERLAKEN | A pretty basic hotel, but has great prices and great reviews!
We took the train (or rather, three trains) into Wengen from Geneva. The ride was about three and a half hours, but the views were so scenic we hardly minded! Once we arrived we spent the morning and early afternoon getting settled into Hotel Falken. We wanted to base ourselves here to get the quiet, much more authentic experience of the Jungfrau region.
Wengen is situated just above the town of Lauterbrunnen, only about a ten minute cable car away. It is a car-free village and is quite small and easily walkable! I just found the entire town so charming.
We took our first day in the Bernese Oberland slow, just enjoying the views and the crisp weather. If you’re looking to slow down and live like a local for a day, Wengen is the perfect place to do it!
Things to Do in Wengen
- WANDER THE STREETS | The town is so picturesque, I recommend just getting out and walking! You’ll find cute shops selling Swiss goods and winter accessories, parks and playgrounds, and views every way you turn.
- HAVE A MEAL AT RESTAURANT BAREN | One of my favorite meals in Switzerland! The homemade tagliatelle with pumpkin, pear, and gorgonzola was mouthwatering. They also have a lot of fresh game! Make a reservation here.
- GRAB A DRINK AND FONDUE AT THE DECK | This spot literally only sells fondue and drinks, and it’s got an amazing view out over the town!
- THE NORTH FACE TRAIL | Take the gondola up to Murren and embark on the North Face Trail – a roughly 7.5km hike with scenic views and plenty of wildlife!
- GET COCKTAILS AT ON THE ROCKS | We stumbled upon this little cocktail bar one night and it turned out to be so cute! The entire menu was autumn inspired – from smores martinis to apple pie drinks.
On our second day in the Bernese Oberland we headed down into Lauterbrunnen, a town nestled in the valley of the alps. You’ve probably seen Lauterbrunnen on Instagram or Pinterest. Wooden chalets nestled in a lush green valley with a mountainous backdrop and waterfalls framing the town – it’s truly picture perfect.
Things to do in Lauterbrunnen
- STAUBBACH FALLS | Perhaps rather obvious, but you can’t visit Lauterbrunnen without visiting Staubbach Falls! You can see this massive waterfall from all around the town, but I highly recommend hiking up to it for the best experience!
- GET THAT ICONIC INSTA PHOTO | Lauterbrunnen is gorgeous from any angle, but there is one iconic spot that shows off the entire town, mountains, and waterfall! I’ve pinned the coordinates here. (You’re welcome!)
- WALK/BIKE THROUGH THE TOWN | Lauterbrunnen is another car-free village, but you’ll find it quite easy to walk or bike here! It’s a small town, but there’s plenty of trails and bike paths branching off just begging to be explored.
- HAVE LUNCH AT RESTARAUNT WEIDSTUBLI | Slow down and unwind with a spritz and a Swiss meal at the cutest little alpine restaurant. I highly recommend the Alpler Macaroni and the Ceaser salad!
- STOP BY BETTY’S CORN DOGS | We unfortunately visited Lauterbrunnen on a Friday (the only day of the week Betty’s is closed) so we missed out on the iconic corn dogs. Don’t make this same mistake!
- GRAB SOME SOUVENIRS | There are so many adorable souvenir shops here!
Situated between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun sits the city of Interlaken, an alpine resort town with a stunning backdrop of blue water and rolling mountains. I didn’t expect to like Interlaken as much as I did – I’ve heard it’s quite touristy and busy, and I tend to prefer quieter, smaller towns. However, Interlaken ended up being one of my favorites! There is simply just so much to do and see here. While I did find it busier than other places we visited, it definitely didn’t feel overcrowded (note: we visited in September, so I can’t speak to the peak summer months).
Things to do in Interlaken
Go paragliding
My #1 recommendation in this entire travel guide! This was such a bucket list experience. You can go paragliding in many different regions of Switzerland, but Interlaken is the Mecca of paragliding – you’ll find the most tour companies here! We booked our tandem flight through Skywings and it was just a 10/10 experience. They arranged our pickup, drove us up the mountain, and the flight landed in the main park in the city center. Their pilots are very experienced and we felt incredibly safe! If you’re an adrenaline junkie, they’ll even do flips and let you drive the glider for a bit. 10/10 experience!
Have a Picnic in the Park
The large park in the middle of the city is the landing zone for paragliding. After your flight, grab some food from a nearby Coop and enjoy your lunch while watching other paragliders and enjoying the view!
Afternoon Tea
Enjoy an afternoon pick-me-up with tea, scones, and pastries at the Victoria Jungfrau hotel! This was so cute, although the service could have been better.
Enjoy the Lakes
Interlaken is situated between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun (hence the name “Interlaken”). You can venture out on either, but I personally find the water of Lake Brienz to be a bit bluer. We took a bus to the town of Brienz, explored for a bit, then hopped on the ferry back to Interlaken. The ferry is included in the Swiss Travel Pass and takes about an hour and a half. There’s drinks and food on board so you can grab a spritz to go with your view! If you’re visiting in the peak months of the summer, you can find other private / semi-private boat tours on the lakes as well as some kayaking!
Head up to Harder Kulm
You probably saw Harder Kulm during your paragliding adventure or even just from the town below while gazing up the mountains. Harder Kulm, nicknamed “The Top of Interlaken” is about a 10 minute cable car straight up the mountain. It offers insane views of Interlaken – you can see both lakes and pretty much the entire town! You can purchase your tickets ahead of time or directly on site. (Note: the ticket price is 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card). The line gets quite long about an hour or two before sunset, so I highly recommend getting up there before then! Stop at the restaurant for drinks and fondue, then head to the viewing platform and watch the sun sink behind the mountains.
Go Shopping
Interlaken has tons of shops with something for everyone – souvenir, chocolatiers, luxury watches – the list goes on. There are definitely some mass manufactured souvenir shops here though, so be mindful of that.
High in the Bernese mountains sits the alpine village of Grindelwald. Traditional Swiss chalets dot the rolling green hills with massive mountains looming in the backdrop. It’s SUCH a scenic town, and there is so much to do and see here!
Things to do in Grindelwald
Grindelwald - First
Also referred to as the “Top of Adventure”, Grindelwald – First is the place to go if you’re looking for fun activities with a beautiful backdrop. I highly recommend purchasing your tickets online so you don’t have to wait in a queue when you arrive. Your ticket will include unlimited gondola rides up and down the First mountain, and however many activities you choose upon purchase. I recommend taking the gondola all the way up and then essentially working your way back down the mountain. Here’s your itinerary:
- Take the gondola all the way up to Grindelwald – First.
- Do the First Cliff Walk, a circular platform and suspension bridge along the rock face of the First peak. The views are incredible!
- Hike to Lake Bachalpsee and enjoy the stunning views. The hike is very easy and takes about an hour each way. The trail point starts at First.
- Have lunch at Berggasthaus First!
- After lunch, take the First Flyer or First Glider zipline! The zipline will take you from First to Shreckfeld.
- At Shreckfeld, hop on a mountain cart and ride down the mountain to Bort. (This was my favorite – I felt like a little kid again).
- At Bort, either take the trottibike down to the base of the mountain, or hop on the gondola back down.
Grindelwald – First is open during the warmer months of May through October. It does close at 6pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends so make sure you get here early!
Hiking
Grindelwald is known for its numerous hiking trails – there’s about 300km of groomed trails in the area! Here’s some popular hikes:
LAKE BACHALPSEE | A quite easy hike starting at Grindelwald – First. It’s very quick and only takes about an hour each way, but of course you’ll have to factor in some time for taking photos and enjoying the stunning views.
THE EIGER TRAIL | A gorgeous hike along the base of the iconic Eiger North Face. Take the Eiger Express from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher (a 15 minute ride) for the trailhead. The hike is 6km and takes about 3 hours!
SCHYNIGE PLATTE – FIRST | This hike can be done in either direction and takes about 6 hours. The hike passes through some of the most scenic landscapes in the Bernese Alps! We didn’t have enough time on this trip, but I will be back to do this hike! Here is a detailed description of the hike with all the important information you’ll need.
Explore the town
The charming town of Grindelwald is a great spot to shop for some souvenirs or grab a drink and fondue! We stopped at Base Camp, a cute little wooden chalet with gorgeous views.
