Lauterbrunnen Valley
The Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of our favorite spots in Switzerland. Feathery waterfalls cascade over sheer cliffs into the valley below. The glacier-fed Lutschine River flows down through green pastures, where you'll hear the delightful sounds of bells tinkling as cows and sheep graze. Best of all, the valley is very accessible for kids, even little ones.
Lauterbrunnen Village - The village has everything you need for family vacations - train station and bus stops, supermarket, restaurants, bakeries, community swimming pool, tennis courts, mini-golf, bike rentals. In winter, the tennis courts are an ice skating rink.
Trummelbach Falls (Trummelbachfalle) - Trummelbach Falls, 10 different waterfalls cascading down from the glaciers of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, is a "must see." Unlike most falls, here kids can walk inside the falls, through tunnels of rock carved by the forces of water. Take an elevator inside the mountain, walk up to see falls 6 - 10, then walk back down to see the other six falls (one is called the "Corkscrew Falls"). The walkways have guard rails, but can be wet.
Before the entrance to the falls is a cafe with sandwiches, snacks, hot and cold drinks, and a PostBus stop.
Hikes - The Lauterbrunnen Valley is largely level, so you can start at Stechelberg, and if the kids are up for it, walk all the way back to Lauterbrunnen village, 4 miles (6.5 km). Or just hike one, or two, of the sections described below. There are benches and picnic tables along the way. Trails in the valley are well marked with yellow (Wanderweg) trail signs.
Stechelberg, Hotel to Schilthornbahn Station - At the Hotel Stechelberg, walk around behind the hotel, you'll see a yellow sign that says "Schilthornbahn, Trummelbachfalle, Lauterbrunnen." Follow the sign, the trail goes between two wooden buildings and on a bridge over the Lutschine River. Turn right, and follow the gravel path. The trail goes through a series of fields, with brown and white cows grazing (didn't blink an eye when we walked by). Be sure to close the gate after you. At the Schilthornbahn Station, take the cable car to Murren (see below).Schilthornbahn Station to Trummelbach Falls - This is a lovely walk, right along the west side of the Lutschine River (the floury blue-green color of the river is due to fine rock particles from the glaciers suspended in the water). There are trees and benches, great spot for a picnic lunch.Trummelbach Falls to Lauterbrunnen village - The trail from the falls to the village of Lauterbrunnen is a wide and paved. On the west side of the valley are waterfalls tumbling down from high above, including the Staubbach Falls, the highest in Switzerland. To reach Lauterbrunnen village, follow the signs for Lutschinenpromenade, the trail that goes right next to the river. The trail will lead you right into the center of town, passing the Sportanlage, with mini golf. Just before you reach Lauterbrunnen, look south up the valley, for one last panorama of snow topped peaks.Cable car to Murren - Ride the Schilthornbahn (cable car) up to the village of Murren, perched high above the valley below. As the cable car rises, the valley floor increasingly looks like a miniature world, green fields and picturesque chalets, and the mountains get closer and bigger.
Change cable cars in Grimmelwald and get off if you like - there's a playground next to the cable car, and hikes with spectacular views, wildflowers in season, goats grazing.
Murren is a village with no cars, plenty of restaurants and cafes, and the most amazing views of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger peaks across the valley to the east! If you're doing this as a day trip, it's a super spot for lunch.
Also, ride the short Allmendhubel funicular up the mountain, then walk the Flower Trail (May to September) to see lovely alpine flowers. There's a children's playground and restaurant with spectacular views. From Allmendhubel, you can hike back down to Murren. Getting Around - Drive or take the train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen (plenty of trains daily). Roads go up to the valley to Stechelberg; you can drive, or it's fun to take the bright yellow PostBus that goes frequently up and down the valley.
Tip: The bus stop in Lauterbrunnen is right across from the train station, buy tickets on the bus. Even if you have a car, you might want to consider parking it in Lauterbrunnen, so you can hike some sections of the valley (without backtracking to retrieve your car) - riding the Post Bus is fun.
A vacation rental has lots of advantages for families - full kitchen and dining area so you don't need to eat all your meals in restaurants, washer and dryer, and more.
