Grindelwald

High up in the Bernese Oberland, Grindelwald is a fairytale chalet-village straddling a beautiful alpine valley and, along with nearby Mürren and Wengen, it accesses some of the best skiing in Switzerland’s Jungfrau region. It is overlooked by the north face of the austere Eiger and surrounded by peaks that are snow-covered all year around, with several reaching over 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). Winter brings access to over 210 km (130 miles) of prepared pistes, with plenty of action for skiers of all levels. Europe’s longest cable car runs from Grindelwald up to the summit of Mount First; the five-km (3.1-mile) gondola ride gives glorious views of the Wetterhorn and the still, dark waters of the Bachalpsee; in summer, hiking trails fan out across the valleys and First becomes a paradise for dare-devil paragliders.
Grindelwald is also jumping-off point for breathtaking cogwheel-train trips through spectacular mountain landscapes up to Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe at 3,454 m (11,330 ft) above sea level. Here on the very rooftop of Europe the snow lays thick on the ground even in summer, so boots are a must to reach the 360-degree Sphinx Observation Terrace for views of the diamond-hard, gleaming UNESCO-listed Aletsch Glacier as it creeps down towards Grindelwald. Below the observation terrace, the Ice Palace is freshly carved out of the glacier each year. Jungfraujoch’s newest attraction, opened in July 2014 by Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, is Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven, which showcases the production of Switzerland’s best-loved truffles.

Practical Info

The Grindelwald–First cable car runs daily May through October between 8:30am–4.30pm; one-way tickets range from CHF31–71, depending on date and time. The Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe train runs daily from 7:15am–5:15pm, and a single ticket costs CHF108. All attractions at Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe are open daily from 10am–5pm; free admission is included in the price of the train ticket.