Grindelwald

Get in

For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern. Change at Interlaken Ost for the BOB train - the Berner Oberland-Bahn. Don't get off at Interlaken West, which is town centre.

You need to be in the rear portion of the BOB train. This runs every 30 min via Wilderswil, Zweilütschinen (where the front portion detaches for Lauterbrunnen), Schwendi and Grindelwald Terminal (for gondolas to Männlichen and Jungfraujoch), taking 30 min to Grindelwald main station. WAB trains ascend the mountain every 30 min from Grindelwald via Grund, Brandegg and Alpiglen to Kleine Scheidegg, taking 40 min. Eurail passes get you a 25% discount on the BOB and WAB trains but are not in themselves valid for travel beyond Interlaken. A Swiss Travel Pass is valid to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren and gets you 50% discount on the WAB trains.

The last train from Interlaken is at 23:00. Moonliner is an even later bus: it isn't running in 2022, but late evening train services are sometimes "bustitutions".

is in the main village on the north slope of the valley.

Cars are permitted in Grindelwald but parking is limited. The Terminal car park has 1000 spaces - pre-booking is advised as it can be congested by day-trippers heading up to Jungfraujoch, or to Kleine Scheidegg which has no vehicle access. 5 to 24 hours cost Fr. 12 and the car park is open 24 hours.

Get around

is the station on the BOB line five min before you reach the main village. Change here for the gondola to Holenstein (1619 m) and Männlichen (2230 m, for the main skiing area on the ridge to the southwest) and for the Eiger Express gondola towards Jungfraujoch (see Kleine Scheidegg#Get around).

The WAB train (Wengernalpbahn) to Kleine Scheidegg initially descends to on the valley floor before climbing south. This is 500 m east of the Terminal gondola and Eiger Express, is at the foot of hiking trails, and might be more convenient for accommodation on the south slope of the valley.

is on Dorfstrasse 500 m east of the main railway station. This ascends via Bort and Schreckfeld (1955 m) to First (2168 m) and accesses all the north-side slopes.

The cable car to Pfingstegg is on Ribygässli 1 km east, Bus 122. This runs May to mid-Oct for the mountain restaurant and hiking trails.

Grindelwald Bus has half-a-dozen routes around the valley, varying by season. They're included in ski passes and all run from the main railway station. Bus 121 runs to Terminal and Schwendi, and Bus 123 runs by Terminal and Grund.

See

Churches: Reform Church is next to the museum, and the RC Church is by the Co-op near the station. (3967 m / 13,015 ft) is the great peak soaring to the south. Mönch and Jungfrau are hidden behind it as seen from the village but come into view as you ascend. See Kleine Scheidegg for hiking and climbing routes. Glaciers: two are visible southeast of the village. The Upper Glacier arises between the Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn. The Lower Glacier (pictured) is in the next valley south between Agassizhorn and Strahlegghörner, but in rapid retreat.

Do

Paragliding Jungfrau (+41 79 77 99 000) operate tandem flights year-round, though in winter the icy breeze will freeze your knees. They launch from First, Männlichen, Eigergletscher and Mürren. A flight in 2022 is about Fr. 200, which doesn't include your ride up the cable-car to the launch point.

Buy

thumb | 300px | Bachsee Stores are along Dorfstrasse east of the railway station. The Co-op is open daily 08:00-19:00. Vogt's Corner near the Co-op sells Swiss Army knives and Swiss watches. They're open daily from 09:00, May-Sept to 22:00 and Oct-Apr to 19:00.

Eat

Jasmine Garden has good Chinese food. It's within Hotel Grindelwalderhof at Dorfstrasse 155. C&M is a café-bar at Almisgässli 1 with a sun terrace. It's open W-F 11:00-23:00, Sa Su 09:30-23:00. Onkel Tom's is a snug pizzeria at Dorfstrasse 194, open F Su M 12:00-23:30, Tu Sa 16:00-23:30. Da Salvi is within Hotel Steinbock at Dorfstrasse 189, open daily 11:30-22:00. Mountain restaurants may be open in winter if they're in skiing areas (such as Jägerstübli), or summer only (such as Marmorbruch).

Drink

Avocado Bar at Dorfstrasse 158 is open daily 16:00-00:30.

Sleep

thumb | 300px | Eiger Express for Jungfraujoch

Connect

As of Feb 2022, the town has 4G from Salt and Sunrise, and 5G from Swisscom. The signal is good approaching up the valley from Interlaken but patchy on the mountains.

Go next

Kleine Scheidegg is the tiny resort at the top of the pass towards Wengen, with magnificent views of the Jungfrau. You can also reach Jungfraujoch from here, though it's quicker via the Eiger Express. Lauterbrunnen in the next valley is a short hike to Staubbach and Trümmelbach Falls.