Discover the awe-inspiring landscapes of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, where the iconic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau tower above glistening lakes, deep valleys, and vibrant alpine meadows. Highlights include classic panorama trails, ascents to accessible summits, and visits to alpine lakes and huts, all offering unforgettable views of the Wetterhorn, Schynige Platte, Bachsee, and the cascading waterfalls plunging into the Lauterbrunnen valley.

Ideal for fit walkers accustomed to days out in the hills, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook features 50 exceptional day walks through Grindelwald, Wengen, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and Mürren. Each route reveals the chocolate-box beauty and dramatic scenery at the heart of the Swiss Alps. Walks are graded by difficulty, making it easy to find the perfect adventure for your experience and ambitions. Many routes take advantage of the region’s extensive network of buses, mountain trains, and cable cars, offering easy access to high-altitude trails and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints.

• Explore celebrated Bernese Oberland destinations, including Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, and through routes from Meiringen to Griesalp, each a gateway to unforgettable mountain days. Routes range from gentle 5km (3-mile) strolls to challenging 23km (14-mile) treks, with walking times from 1 to 10 hours.
• The Bernese Oberland is best enjoyed between early June and mid-October, as lower and mid-altitude walks become accessible when the snows melt and wildflowers bloom.
• Features 1:50,000 maps and downloadable GPX tracks for every walk, ensuring straightforward navigation and clear route-finding, even in the high Alps. Each route description includes an at-a-glance information box with distance, ascent and descent, estimated time, grade, start and finish points, public transport access, and main refreshment opportunities, perfect for planning your days in the Alps.
• Practical advice covers everything you need for your trek: essential equipment, preparation, travel, discount cards and passes, mountain safety, accommodation, mountain huts, berghotels, and refreshment stops, so your time in the Jungfrau region is enjoyable and worry-free.
• Features summary tables for quick route comparison, including highlights, distance (km), ascent (m), descent (m), grade (1–4), and time (hr/min), making it easy to evaluate and plan your walks at a glance.
• Walks are graded into three levels: easy hiking trails (yellow), mountain hiking trails (red-and-white), and alpine routes (blue-and-white), so you can choose from relaxed balcony walks and lakeside rambles to exposed mountain traverses and summit ascents.

Plan your adventure in the Bernese Oberland with the definitive Cicerone guidebook and discover a region of limitless variety, where every trail leads to a new wonder and the spirit of Swiss mountain adventure awaits.

Bernese Oberland: Jungfrau Region - Quick Facts

Location: Bernese Oberland, Swiss Alps 
Number of routes: 50 day walks 
Distance: 5–23 km (3–14 miles) per route 
Duration: 1–10 hours per route 
Areas covered: Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Meiringen to Griesalp 
Route type: Well-marked hiking trails, mountain paths, and alpine routes 
Difficulty: Easy strolls to demanding mountain hikes (graded in three categories) 
Terrain: Alpine meadows, glacial valleys, lakes, panoramic ridges, waterfalls, and summits 
Navigation: 1:50,000 maps, detailed descriptions, downloadable GPX tracks 
Best season: Early June to mid-October 
Highlights: Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Wetterhorn, Schynige Platte, Bachsee, Lauterbrunnen waterfalls, classic panorama trails, mountain huts 
Equipment: Good walking footwear, mountain clothing, and appropriate gear for higher or exposed routes 
Accommodation: Mountain huts, berghotels, valley guesthouses, and restaurants along the routes
 

Author Highlight

"Dawn breaks, and the uppermost tip of the Eiger glows amber, while wispy pillows of cloud still linger in the valley, partly obscuring the hillside below Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. The villages are waking to another fine day, the first rays of sun catching terraces festooned with bright geraniums, while the smell of fresh bread and coffee fills the air. The day will be good, and there will be fine views – some of the most awe-inspiring views in the whole of the Alps, and there will be great walking – striding out on good paths, with mountain inns to visit, and trains and cable cars easing tired legs back to the villages below.” 

- Jonathan and Lesley Williams, authors of Walking in the Bernese Oberland - Jungfrau Region

Map key

Map of the valleys

Route summary table

Introduction

Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau

The shape of the mountains

The main centres and valleys

Plants and wildlife

When to go

Getting there

Travel in the region

Discount cards and passes

Accommodation

Mountain huts, berghotels and restaurants

Other local facilities

Weather

Maps

GPX tracks

Apps

Preparation

Equipment

Using this guide

Schynige Platte to First

1 Schynige Platte Panoramaweg

2 Schynige Platte – Faulhorn – First

3 First – Bachsee – Faulhorn – Bussalp

4 First – Spitzen – Bussalp – the Höhenweg 2200

5 Bussalp – Waldspitz – First – the Höhenweg 2000

6 Bort to Bussalp – the Höhenweg 1600

7 Bussalp to Grindelwald

8 Bort – Alpenvogelpark – Hotel Wetterhorn

9 First – Grosse Scheidegg – Hotel Wetterhorn – Grindelwald

10 First – Bachsee – Waldspitz

11 The Schwarzhorn Circuit: First – Wart – Grosse Scheidegg

Grosse Scheidegg and Meiringen

12 Grosse Scheidegg to Schwarzwaldalp

13 The Rychenbach valley: Schwarzwaldalp – Rosenlaui circuit

14 Meiringen – Grosse Scheidegg – Grindelwald on the Via Alpina

Routes into the mountain wall

15 The Gleckstein Hut

16 Grindelwald – Pfingstegg – Hotel Wetterhorn circuit

17 Pfingstegg – Bäregg Hut

18 The Schreckhorn Hut

Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg

19 Grindelwald – Kleine Scheidegg – Wengen – Lauterbrunnen

20 Grindelwald to Alpiglen the hard way

21 The Eiger Trail – Alpiglen to Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg

22 Männlichen to Alpiglen, the Romantic Way – the Höhenweg 1900

23 Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Panoramaweg – the Höhenweg 2100

Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg

24 Kleine Scheidegg and Wengernalp

25 Eigergletscher to Wengen by the moraine

26 Wengen – Leiterhorn circuit

27 Wengen to Männlichen – the Gemsweg

28 Wengen and the Mendelssohn memorial

29 Wengen – Stalden – Allmend – Wengen

30 The Trümmelbach falls: Wengen – Stalden – Trümmelbach

Lauterbrunnen and Isenfluh

31 Saxeten to Isenfluh

32 Sulwald to Mürren by the Lobhorn hut

33 Grütschalp to Sulwald and onward routes

34 Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg

35 Lauterbrunnen to Mürren on the Via Alpina

Mürren

36 The Mountain View Trail to Grütschalp

37 Mürren, the Blumental and Chänelegg

38 The North Face Trail – Allmendhubel to Mürren via Schiltalp

39 The ‘easy’ way up the Schilthorn from Allmendhubel

40 The Schilthorn via Schiltalp and Grauseewli

41 Mürren – Gimmelwald – Mürren

42 Mürren to the Stutz waterfall and Spielbodenalp

43 Mürren, Bryndli and the Rotstock hut

44 The Sefinental and Rotstock Hut

45 Mürren to Griesalp on the Via Alpina

Stechelberg and Upper Lauterbrunnen valley

46 Stechelberg – Gimmelwald – Mürren

47 Mürren to Obersteinberg via the Tanzbödeli

48 Stechelberg to Obersteinberg

49 Obersteinberg – Oberhornsee – Stechelberg

50 Obersteinberg – Oberhornsee – Schmadri Hut – Stechelberg

Appendix A Useful contacts

Appendix B Trains, lifts, buses and discount options

Appendix C Further reading

Appendix D English–German terms

Seasons

Most routes can be walked between early June through to mid October, although higher altitude walks may still have snow patches well into late June and July. If staying overnight in any of the mountain huts, these tend to be open between mid-June and late September

Centres

The main centres with accommodation and good services are Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren. Smaller villages offer more limited accommodation and services. Interlaken is the nearest larger town, with rail connections to all parts of Switzerland

Difficulty

A variety of routes are offered, graded 1-4. Grade 1 routes tend to be on easy paths with little ascent or descent. Most of the walks are graded 2 or 3, using mountain paths, some with a level of exposure or with brief sections aided by cables or steps. Grade 4 walks are on blue/white signed alpine routes, usually with considerable exposure and technical sections that require a higher level of mountain experience

Must See

Jungfraujoch, Untersteinberg UNESCO World Heritage protected area, Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen valley waterfalls, Wengen, Mürren, Männlichen, Grindelwald, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Isenfluh, Saxeten, Lobhorn, Alpiglen, Wetterhorn, Grosse Scheidegg, Kleine Scheidegg, Schynige Platte, Faulhorn, Bachsee, Schwarzhorn, Rotstock hut, Sefinafurgga, Allmendhubel, Stechelberg, Obersteinberg, Gimmelwald

April 2024

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