Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
marmots.Becausehuntersarenotallowednearlifts,animalshavelearnedthatthesearesafe
places to hang out—giving tourists a better chance of spotting them.
The trail leads up and over to a group of huts called Schiltalp (good food, drink, and
service, and a romantic farm setting). If the poles under the eaves have bells, the cows are
up here. If not, the cows are still at the lower farms. Half the cows in Gimmelwald (about
100)spendtheir summers here.InJuly,August,andSeptember,youcanwatch cheese being
made and have a snack or drink. Thirty years ago, each family had its own hut. Labor was
cheap andavailable. Today,it'sacommunal thing, with several families sharing the expense
ofasinglecowherder.Cowherdersaremastercheesemakersandhaveveterinaryskills,too.
From Schiltalp, the trail winds gracefully down toward Spielbodenalp. From there you
can finish the North Face Trail (continuing down and left through meadows and the ham-
let of Gimmeln, then back to Mürren, with more historic signposts), or cut off right (des-
cendingsteeply throughathickforestandunderthedramatic SprutzWaterfall intoGimmel-
wald—see Sprutz Waterfall, previous page, for details).
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Allmendhubel/Mürren to Grütschalp (fairly easy)
For a not-too-tough two-hour walk with great Jungfrau views, ride the funicular from Mür-
ren to Allmendhubel and walk to Grütschalp (a drop of about 1,500 feet), where you can
catch the train back to Mürren. An easier version is the lower Bergweg from Allmendhubel
to Grütschalp via Winteregg and its cheese farm. For a super-easy family stroll with grand
views, walk from Mürren just above the train tracks either to Winteregg (40 minutes, res-
taurant, playground, train station) or through even better scenery on to Grütschalp (1 hour,
train station), then catch the train back to Mürren.
Hikes on the Jungfrau (East) Side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley
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Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg (easy and with dramatic views)
This is my favorite easy alpine hike (2.5 miles, 1-1.5 hours, 900-foot altitude drop to Kleine
Scheidegg). It's entertaining all the way, with glorious mountain views. If you missed the
plot, it's the Young Maiden (Jungfrau), being protected from the Ogre (Eiger) by the Monk
(Mönch). Trails may be snowbound into June; ask about conditions at the lift stations or at
If the weather's good, start off bright and early. From the Lauterbrunnen train station,
take the little mountain train up to Wengen. Sit on the right side of the train for great valley
and waterfall views. In Wengen, buy a picnic at the Co-op grocery across from the station,
walkacrosstown,andcatchthelifttoMännlichen,locatedonthetopoftheridgehighabove
you. The lift can be open even if the trail is closed; if the weather is questionable, confirm
