Interlaken, the hikers dream
Discover the 5 must do hikes in Interlaken recommended and tested by our Super crew
One of, if not the biggest reason why Balmers Hostel is so popular is the ease of access to a number of fantastic hikes just on the door step or a short train journey to get to the trail head.
Easy hikes near Interlaken
Unless you are scaling walls or ridgelines, none of the trails in this region require any significant mountaineering skills or specialist equipment. The hike trails in Switzerland are all incredibly well marked and signposted so you should have no issue when on the hike with getting lost or being in any great danger. There are over 70 trails marked on the summer hiking map and that’s not including some of the longer-distance ones such as the Harder Grat which isn’t as easy as the blog posts that you read about it make it out to be.
The best hikes in the Jungfrau Region
The below information is just to whet your appetite with what is on offer about hiking in the Jungfrau region so come and have a chat with us at the reception desk so we can explain all of these in greater detail over a few hiking maps, and if you require any train or cable car tickets you can purchase them directly with us as well. Easy no?
Make sure to check out all the options available before you buy your train tickets.
Where to hike in Interlaken?
1. The Rugen
This trailhead is located a 5-minute walk from the hostel is only a brisk 30-40 minute hike to the top and is not all that challenging, if you know you are not as fit as you would like to be or want to kill an hour or 2 with doing something other than sitting on down on your phone then this is the one for you. You get great views of Interlaken and the two lakes, and it offers you a 360-degree view of Interlaken.
2. The Harder Kulm
Next on the list and one step up on the hiking scale of difficulty and the step up is quite considerable. The increase in difficulty is in the fact that there are no flat sections on the Harder Kulm; it is just up the entire way and down the entire way if you do not use the funicular. You can always take the funicular up or down in case you are tired. Remember to use your visitor’s card when purchasing your ticket for quite a discounted rate. The hike is about 1.5 hours either way and the top will not disappoint. They have an incredible glass-bottomed floor viewing point where you see the majestic Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger mountains. There is even a cool little restaurant which used to be an old Monastery where you can enjoy lunch or a refreshing beer!
Read our blog post about hiking the Harder Kulm in detail here.
3. Lauterbrunnen – the valley of the waterfalls
This one is more of a loop through the bottom of the valley of Lauterbrunnen and then across the top and can be split into sections if you do not wish to hike the entire distance.
- Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. 1-hour walk. Easy 1.5 hours in the flat section of the valley, you go past wonderful waterfalls (one you can even walk behind)
- Stechelberg to Gimmelwald to Murren. - 823m elevation up 1-2 hours hiking. Pretty steep and tiring but you are in the forest and you get to see the cliffs where many adrenalin junkies go Base jumping. This is quite a sight!
- Murren to Grutschalp. – 1-hour walk. Easy and flat, at a height of around 900 meters offers you a relaxing and picturesque view of the surrounding snowcapped mountains and glaciers.
- Grutschalp to Lauterbrunnen. – 854m elevation change down 2 hours hiking. Steep and most people take their mountain bike trails, so if this is your sport it is a fantastic long cross-country trail.
Each of these sections can be traveled with public transportation for a small fee and the only one I recommend to not hike down is the last section. It is just continuous switchbacks with not much of a view and the cable car is only 9chf one way and no one likes hiking downhill.
Read our blog post about what to do in Lauterbrunnen here.
4. Grindelwald
You need to take a short 30-minute train to get here but once there it is an open valley, sunny for most of the day and you are at the base of the famous Eiger North Face which is an alpinist dream. You can take a gondola to the new Tissot Cliff walk attached to the restaurant at First. You can always hike up from Grindelwald to First which is about 3-4 hours up. The majority of it is on a paved path so the trail is incredibly easy to follow with not much navigation.
When you arrive at First and have taken your share of selfies on the Cliff Walk there is the extra option to continue on for another 1 hour 1 way to Bachalpsee, which is a glacial, lake situated over 2000m above sea level. Words and pictures do not do it any justice. It looks like an infinity pool with a view and is most popular for a surprise engagement setting! Wink wink…
The trail is dotted with alpine wildflowers, cows with bells, and jaw-dropping glacial views, and is a must for anybody visiting the region. Once again due to the transportation infrastructure of Switzerland, you can access First via cable car if you wish to give your legs a rest during your time here if you have been hitting the trails hard.
Read our blog post about organising your trip to Grindelwald - Fiest here.
5. Schynige Platte
Last but not least is the longest hike on this list and totals 32.5km long with 2378m of elevation up and 1918 elevation down. It starts in Wilderwil, which is a few minute's bus ride from the hostel, and then rises up to the Schynige Platte. The Schynige Platte is where 16.2km of this trail starts which is the main chunk of it and it cannot be skipped with public transportation. The end of this section finishes at First which is previously mentioned in the last hike and offers you the choice if you are too tired to carry on to ride a cable car back down to Grindelwald. You can also take the charming original wooden train up and hike around the top of the Schynnige platter area.
Read our blog post about hiking in Schynige Platte here.
What to bring for your hike in the Interlaken region
All of these hikes do not require much with regards to planning and preparation except for checking the weather report with the reception staff at Balmers Hostel before setting off along with packing snacks and energy food, lots of water, sunglasses, and of course good hiking shoes. Trainers will do fine too but no flip-flops or high heels! A camera or phone is ESSENTIAL for the hundreds of Insta glam pictures you can boast about afterward.
As with all hiking it is advisable to carry a rain jacket even with clear skies, and a working mobile phone in case you come into trouble too. The Swiss summers get hotter than you might think so sunblock is essential, arriving back at the hostel looking like a lobster might put a dampener on your plans for the next few days.
Common sense prevails and most locals are eager to help with any questions.
Curious fact:
You may come across little fridges outside farms, inside them you will find locally made cheese, milk, drinks, and cured sausages and hams. These work with an honesty box, so you can help yourself and leave money in the boxes where the farmers will pick it up later.
Switzerland has some of the best drinking water so be sure to bring a reusable water bottle (save the planet) and fill it up in any of the many water fountains. This water comes straight from the glacier and rumor has it, that it adds years to your life! Keep hydrated at all times!
