Weekend Guide: Bernese Oberland

The Red Jacket Weekend Guides are quick itineraries on how to make the most of your short time in a specific city or region, without breaking the bank. From the best sights and the tastiest restaurants, you can trust RJT Weekend Guides to provide you with the best possible experience.

Bernese Oberland

The Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland has some of the most jaw-dropping scenery out of anywhere I’ve ever been. From 360 views of the Swiss alps to gorgeous hikes through Sound of Music-esq meadows and gigantic waterfalls, a weekend in the Bernese Oberland is one for the ages. 

Note: This plan is only for the summer in the Bernese Oberland. I haven’t been to Switzerland during the winter, but I would recommend you go skiing or snowboarding with your time in the Swiss Alps if you’re there in the winter.

Day 1

Depending on where you’re staying in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, you should be closer to either the activities for day one or day two. Day one is on the western side of the valley, while day two is on the eastern side. It only takes about 30 minutes to get from one side to the other, so don’t worry too much about which side you stay on, but be sure you stay up in the mountains for the best views. 

The first destination you’ll be going to is the Schilthorn, a high mountain peak at 9,744 feet above sea level. From the valley floor at the village of Stechelberg, you’ll take a series of four cable cars up to the peak, stopping in the villages of Gimmelwald, Mürren, and Birg. Although the cable cars can take awhile, part of the fun is taking them up to the top and watching the views get progressively more incredible as you rise above the valley floor. 

The first transfer point between cable cars, Gimmelwald, is a nice little village that is only noteworthy because of the incredible hostel located in the village. The second transfer point, Mürren, is a sizable town that has some great options for lunch, including a small grocery store. Finally, the third transfer point is Birg, which you should definitely get out and explore because it has something called the Thrill Walk, a high alpine thrill walk suspended on the cliff face. 

After Birg, you can take the last stage up to the peak of the Shilthorn, with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Schilthorn is also home to Piz Gloria, a rotating restaurant with snacks and a bar, and the filming location for the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Because this one movie was filmed here, there is an elaborate James Bond exhibition inside Piz Gloria that is pretty interesting to check out. 

When you’ve had your fill of epic alpine views, head down two of the cable cars to Mürren, where you can either have a sit down lunch or pick up a couple things from the Coop grocery store to have on an afternoon hike.

Once you’ve refilled your water bottle and packed plenty of snacks, you’re ready for your hike! If you have one of the free maps they give out in Mürren, you’ll be following most of the North Face trail, which takes two and a half to three hours, from Mürren up to Suppenalp, then across the ridge to Schitlalp and Spielbodenalp, and finally veering off the North Face trail down a trail under a waterfall and finally arriving in Gimmelwald. 

This trail offers incredible views across the mountains and meadows upon meadows of flowers and tall grass where you just want to shout out and sing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music!” The hike also winds through some cow pastures and a couple of small villages, which adds to the quaintness of this region. 

After the hike ends in Gimmelwald, you can either take the gondola back up to Mürren for dinner or the gondola down to Stechelberg, where you can catch the bus to Laterbrunnen for dinner. 

Day 2

Today is all about exploring the Eastern side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The best way to get above the valley floor on this side is to take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. From Wengen, which is a larger town than Mürren, you’ll have plenty of options to get higher up into the mountains. 

But before you gain any more altitude, be sure to stop at the Coop grocery store for snacks and something to eat for lunch. There are restaurants in the towns higher up on the mountains, but they’re often expensive and crowded. 

Whenever you’re ready, take the Mannlichen cable car up to the top of the ridge above town. From here, you’ll start your (mostly) downhill hike to Kleine Scheidegg, a cool town that feels like a high-alpine crossroads. This hike, which takes about 45 minutes to an hour, straddles a ridge while slowly descending into the pass where Kleine Scheidegg is located, providing even more incredible views of the surrounding area. 

Once you get to Kleine Scheidegg, take a few minutes to catch your breath and explore the small town. Grab a coffee if you brave the prices and chill for a few minutes. Kleine Scheidegg is also the departure point for trains up to Jungfraujoch. 

This mountain outpost is advertised as the “roof of Europe” and it is aptly named, as it has the highest train station in Europe at 11,716 feet above sea level. However, it is expensive to go up there and not necessarily worth it if it is a cloudy day, so don’t feel obligated to spend the money if the conditions aren’t perfect. There are plenty of views to go around.

If you don’t go up to Jungfraujoch, you have several options. One, is to hike up to Eigergletscher, the first stop on the train to Jungfrau and see views up there, but that is mainly uphill. Another, which is what I would recommend is to hike down Allmend, one of the stops on the train from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen. What you’ll do is follow the train track downhill, towards the town of Wengernalp, which should take you half an hour. At Wengernalp, you can take the train down to Wengen should you choose or continue down to Allmend, which is another hour on the trail. Either way, the hike is absolutely incredible and not often hiked, which makes it a nice tourist-free alternative. 

When you get to Allmend, the train is by request only, so make yourself visible to the conductor and you may have to push a button to summon the train. They generally come every half hour, so you could be waiting there awhile. Eventually though, you’ll find your way back down to Wegnen, where you can have dinner or relax for a bit and then take the train back to Lauterbrunnen and the other side of the valley if you’re staying over there.