Switzerland: Gimmelwald
Updated: Feb 9, 2019
My first visit to Lauterbrunnen Valley was to the scenic mountain village of
Gimmelwald. Switzerland was a bucket list item and my 50th birthday seemed like the perfect motivation to make it happen.
This trip ultimately originated in Berlin, with visits to along the way to Buchenwald concentration camp, Wittenberg, Dresden, Munich (Dachau concentration camp, BMW), visits along the Romantic Road, Wieskirche (UNESCO Pilgrimage Church of Wies), Füssen (Neuschwanstein Castle) and then on to Switzerland.
This was early May, so I expected we would possibly see some weather as we approached the Alps. As we passed through Interlaken the rain started and began to turn to a wet spring snow. The drive up to Lauterbrunnen was amazing as the snow continued to fall.
Gimmelwald is small village atop these mountain clifts. There is no vehicle access so you must transfer yourself and luggage to an aerial tram in Steckelberg, which take you on a steep journey to the village of Gimmelwald. The ride up is very steep, but the tram delivers you safely. Again, spectacular scenery, with waterfalls everywhere you look.
As it turned out, Gimmelwald had received over 12 inches of snow this day! The short walk from he tram station to Esther's Guesthouse would not have been an issue in clear weather, but we ended up having to "snow plow" through deep slushy snow with our rolling luggage.
We were exited to have arrived! We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Mountain Hostel restaurant not far from the hotel. Wow, what a journey to get where we were.
I was worried about the weather for the next day, as we had tickets to Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe). A cloudy stormy day would be a huge disappointment.
What a difference a day makes!
In the morning the skies had cleared and nothing but blue sky. It was time to take off for Jungfraujoch.
The excursion to Jungfraujoch will be detailed in a separate post.
GIMMELWALD
TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Hotels: Esther's Guesthouse B&B, Hotel Mittaghorn, Ollie & Maria's B&B
Restaurants: Pension Gimmelwald, Mountain Hostel Restaurant
Must See Places: Short walking trails around Gimmelwald, Tanzbodeli hike (3.5 miles).
Extended Day-Trips: Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe), Trümmelbach Falls, Staubbach Falls, Lauterbrunnen Valley hike
Alternate Locations: Mürren is higher up in the Alps, but easily accessible via tram or walk. I will post details about Mürren in a separate post.