The Town of Lauterbrunnen

It might be small but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm and beauty. Lauterbrunnen has been nicknamed the “land of 72 waterfalls” for good reason. Small and large waterfalls drape left and right of Lauterbrunnen, and several waterfalls in the area are easy to walk to.

We stayed close to the heart of town in the October period and selected an affordable Airbnb which had all the necessary amenities like a shared kitchen and bathroom to stretch our budget for our next leg of the Switzerland trip. The sweet little town was perfect with local restaurants serving rosti, bratwurst, locally brewed beer and even had vegan cafes and a grocery store with all the ingredients available to set up a picnic in the mountains.

Staubbach Fall

Staubbach Falls, located on the edge of town, is a short walk from any hotel based in the village. Once you’re at the base of the waterfall, start ascending the steps and trek up to the waterfall slowly. The terrain is a paved trail, but it’s on the steeper side so be cautious while trekking. The trail will also lead you right behind the waterfall and unveil a view of Lauterbrunnen and the valley through a curtain of misty falling water.

Trummelbachfalle

At Trummelbach Falls, there’s a series of waterfalls gushing down the mountain that has sculpted it into a cave overtime. You’d catch surging waters and enjoy lovely lookout points. Lots of tourists come here so choose an early hour to beat the crowd

Jungfraujoch ‑ Top of Europe

Jungfrau joch, top of Europe is rugged and impressive in all its glory when the sunrays hit the mountain face. Bring a good pair of sports shoes that has grip or hiking boots in winter and wear layers — it’s likely you’ll need them especially when you get to the snow covered top.

If like us you’re travelling from Lauterbrunnen town, you’d have to first take a gondola via Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg, a stop point where visitors can go for trekking. From here you’d take the ride on the Jungfrau Railway through the north face of the Eiger Glacier to Europe’s highest railway station Jungfraujoch. At the top of the mountain, you’d get to walk through a glacier tunnel viewing items (I saw a bouquet of roses) that have been left behind when the place was build, frozen in time. You’d also come across a multimedia experience tour and read the risks mountain climbers went through to ascent Jungfraujoch as well as sacrifices made by miners to open up this highest railway in Europe for tourists to visit the summit with just a train ticket today.

Tickets for the journey up don’t come cheap but worth every penny to see the epic view, so make sure you keep aside SGD300 bucks to cover your to and fro train ride costs to the summit. I’d also visit the highest altitude viewing point called the Sphinx Observatory and look out to amazing views that are 3,571 m (11,716 ft) above sea level.

Grütschalp to Murren trail

While you’re up in these picturesue mountains, make the most of the beautiful environment and take an easy to moderate hike! We took a cable car to Grutschalp from Lauterbrunnen town center and started our 3 hour beginners hike from Grutschalp station all the way to Murren point and then back to Grutschalp.

The total journey was around 20 km and the completely car free, drop dead gorgeous alpine views combined with crisp fresh air is something a city person has never breathed. While you pass through these tall valleys, its in these moments you feel how small you are and how beautiful some parts of the planet are. To city dwellers who love nature, this is a dream like location to go to if you need time to disconnect with technology, crowds and the hectic-ness of the city.

Thank you for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed my write up on the 5 Awesome reasons to visit Lauterbrunnen and may it inspire you to make a trip here. One bonus attraction which we missed – the Schilthorn summit . As the observatory tower at Schilthorn was similar but the elevation was lower than the Sphinx Observatory tower, we chose to see Jungfraujoch to save on costs. Travellers looking to visit Schilthorn can reach this summit via Stechelberg gondola station.

For travellers coming from Interlaken, you can book the day trips I’ve consolidated for you below to bring you straight to the Top of Europe, Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn summit where the James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was filmed.