I have been to the Jungfrau Region three times now and it is probably the area I know best in Switzerland. This is a list of my favorite things I have done on my visits to this beautiful place.
View Interlaken from Above at Harder Kulm
When you get to the Swiss Alps the are a lot of opportunities to make your way to the top of a mountain. This is probably the most bang for your buck in the area. It only takes a few minutes by funicular to reach the top – easy and quick. There is a cafe at the top – hot cocoa on a Swiss mountain anyone? The views of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are incredible – perfect for Insta. I will say there isn’t much to do once you get up here. But you are on vacation so relax and order another cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the view of all of Interlaken below you.
Tandem Paraglide in Murren Down to Lauterbrunnen
Let me first start this off by saying I am terrified of heights, but while I was on my first solo trip I wanted to keep with the theme of conquering fears so I booked a tandem paragliding trip with Airtime Paragliding. I think the thing that appealed to me the most about paragliding over, say, bungee jumping or skydiving is that instead of jumping off something, you gently run down a hill until your parachute picks up like a kite. My pilot was so amazing. I felt at ease the entire time and dare I say at peace as we flew over the alps into the Lauterbrunnen valley. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
Have Fondue in Grindelwald
Grindelwald is like a little resort town, it is full of shops and restaurants. Set in a idealic open valley below some of the largest mountains in the region. While the town is fun to walk around my favorite thing I did while I was there was get fondue on one of the many outdoor patios.
Eat at the Revolving Restaurant, Piz Gloria, on Schilthorn
There are two main summits in the area that you can make your way to in the area. The first being Jungfrau (Top of Europe) or Schilthorn. I ended up choosing the latter. They are both on the more expensive side to tour and unfortunately I had to pick between the two. My main reasons for picking Schilthorn over Top of Europe was the view. Top of Europe is great if you want to see a glacier, Schilthorn has a 360 view of the alps. Schilthorn alco has a revolving restaurant that was built for a Jame Bond movie. And the 007 is very heavy here, there is even a James Bond museum. The views are spectacular and I recommend spending as much time as you can up here and not just because you just spend over a hundred bucks to get here and back but because the weather can change so quickly and it is fun to watch as clouds pass over the mountains the view changes over time.
Enjoy the View in Iseltwald
This is a place that I saw on Instagram and immediately added it to my list of places I had to visit. Iseltwald is a small village on Lake Brienz the highlight of which is a gorgeous castle located on a peninsula jutting out into the beautiful blue waters of the lake. The castle is currently privately owned, sadly not by me, so you will just have to enjoy the view from the outside.
Climb Behind Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is home to 72 waterfalls but the largest and most impressive is Staubbach Falls. This waterfall is like something out of storybook and it has been the inspiration for many writers. During the warmer months there is a trail that you can climb that will take you up into the side of the mountain so you can view the Lauterbrunnen valley from behind the waterfall. It’s a fairly easy hike and doesn’t take very long.
Tour the Trümmelbach Falls
If Staubbach Falls left you wanting more waterfalls, just down the road are the Trümmelbach Falls. This collection of waterfalls are unique because they are the only glacial waterfalls accessible underground. It is a lot of fun to explore the caves as waterfalls are rushing down around you.
Enjoy a scenic train ride
As you are making your way through the area you will get to enjoy the most beautiful scenery on the train. It’s an experience all on its own so sit back and relax!
