Hikes in and around Lauterbrunnen

All of these hikes are doable with children. Consider bringing a hiking backpack or baby carrier if the children are small. None of them would be great with strollers. Here are some of our favorites!

Grutschalp to Gimmewald: This hike will depend on where you are starting from, but if you take the Grutschalp cable car from Lauterbrunnen, you will be able to hike the trail along the railway until Murren. From there, you can continue on to Gimmewald. It is great because you have Murren as a halfway point to stop, grab a drink or snack and then continue on. The train also ends here so if you’d like to cut your hike in half, you can take the train from the Grutscalp cable car to Murren and then walk the 2.5 miles to Gimmewald.

We love the flexibility of this hike because if everyone is in a great mood and cooperating, you can do the entire thing; if not, you can hop on a train or cable car and make it a leisurely walk. It works great for people of all hiking abilities and you get some great views along the way. Be sure to check out the town of Gimmewald as well, it is adorable that there is small kids’ park where you can stop and let the kids run around. 2.5-5 miles depending on the route you take.

Panorama Trail – Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg: I dream about this trail sometimes. The best thing about this trail is it’s mostly downhill and about 3 miles in, six total if you hike back. The best route is from Lauterbrunnen, take the train to Wengen, then the cable car to Mannlichen. From mannlichen, follow the hiking trails for Kleine Scheidegg; if not clear, ask because this is the start of many hiking trails.

In Mannlichen, there is an amazing playground for the kids. Stop here before or some other time to let them play around it is all cow-themed and so much fun. There is a giant cow that you can’t miss. The hike is gorgeous, dropping down off the mountain, you get sprawling views, the sound of cowbells, friendly smiles, and gorgeous peaks at the end. My 4-year-old walked almost half of this herself, and then we put on shoulders the other half. We carried the 1-year-old in a hiking backpack. At the end of the hike, there are many places to eat or drink in Kleine Scheidegg. We went to the Bergrestaurant.

Valley of Waterfalls – Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg: This is really more of a scenic walk (my kind of hike). It is a little over 4 miles and mostly paved. From Lauterbrunnen, you can walk and see the valley, home to over 72 waterfalls. We rented bikes from Imboden Bike in Lauterbrunnen; we also rented a child trailer for the bike and biked the valley of waterfalls. It was a great way to see it, and the kids loved being in the bike trailers.

Best playgrounds for kids

One thing about this region is it is so child friendly. There is the most amazing kids’ playground at every stop, and our kids loved playing and meeting other kids. I love how children have no hesitancy befriending someone they can’t even speak the same language as.

Allmendhübel Flower Park: From Murren, you can take the Allmendhübel Funicular up to the park or hike if you’d like to. This park sits about Murren and is one of the cutest parks I’ve ever seen. Everything is flower and nature themed, and the kids play here for hours.

Männlichen Alpine Playground: This is the playground you will come across at the start of the panorama trail hike. There is a giant cow slide; need I say more? There are also trampolines and a restaurant so the parents can grab a coffee or refreshment while their kids run around.
Alpenspielplatz –

You can catch the train back to Lauterbrunnen or hike back if you feel adventurous. Warning if the hike there was all downhill, you know what the hike back is.

Lieselotte Trail – There is a great forest playground at the end of this walking trail right near the Holenstein State. It is a great all-natural playground that is based around a cow named Leiselotte who is from Germany.

Ballenburg – Open Air Museum

The Ballenburg is a great open-air museum near Lauterbrunnen. You can reach it by taking the swiss public transportation or drive your vehicle if you have one. It is a 45-minute drive. This museum is all outdoors and is a great experience if you are in the region. Each day they have different activities and demos to participate in to learn more about Swiss culture and traditions.

Check out their website to catch various activities you may want to participate in. We did their butter-making class, which was very entertaining, and the kids also loved the toy-making classes. Some days they have more going on than others, like pony rides or local vendors.

Ballenburg

Travel around Lauterbrunnen

Besides Lauterbrunnen being beautiful, it is also centrally located in many of Switzerland’s main cities and attractions.

• Zurich – 2 hours
• Bern – 1 hour
• Lucerne – 1 hour 20 minutes
• Zermatt – 2.5 hours

Switzerland also has an amazing public transportation system! Using it is part of the experience of being in Switzerland.