In this post, we’ll explore some of the best things to do in and around Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Specifically, we’ll share things to do in town or within walking distance, and things that are one or two transit rides away. Whether you’re staying in Lauterbrunnen or just planning to spend a day there, this post is for you.
Related Posts
Before we get too far, it’s worth noting that this post is part of an ongoing series on the greater Jungfrau region. The area is full of amazing hikes, sights and attractions, and you can realistically get to any of them from any of the towns or villages in the region.
To make planning easier, I’ve chosen to organize the attractions based on the town they’re closest to. This particular list includes all of the must-do that are in or near Lauterbrunnen specifically. However, if you’re building out a complete Jungfrau itinerary, be sure to check out these other posts for more inspiration.
(These links to be updated soon.)
- Best things to do in Wengen
- Best things to do in Mürren
- Best things to do Grindelwald
- Best things to do in Interlaken
Confused about how to get around Junfrau? You might want to start with our How to get everywhere in Jungfrau post.
About Lauterbrunnen
Note: The term Lauterbrunnen refers to a few different things. It’s the name of the village, the valley, and the broader region that technically includes the villages of Wengen, Mürren, and others. For the sake of this post, though, when we say Lauterbrunnen, we’re referring to the main village near the Lauterbrunnen train station.
Lauterbrunnen is a small town and main transit hub in Jungfrau Switzerland. It’s a popular home base for tourists visiting the region because of its central location, variety of accommodation options and price points, and of course, its storybook charm.
The village of Lauterbrunnen is located in a valley, below Wengen and Mürren. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is known for its falls — earning it the nickname Valley of 72 Waterfalls. The most famous is Staubbach Fall, which you can see from town, but many more cascade down (and sometimes inside) the steep cliffs and mountainsides of the valley.
The main street in town runs from the train station to Staubbach Fall, and is the place to be in town. Here you’ll find restaurants, bars, and shops, which are often buzzing with an energetic crowd.
There are two main transit stations in Lauterbrunnen.
The main train station runs regular connections to Wengen and Kleine Schiedegg, with onward service to Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald. Trains also run the opposite direction toward Zweilütschinen (connection to Grindelwald), Wilderswil (connection to Schynige Platte) and Interlaken (connection to the rest of Switzerland & beyond.)
There is also a cable car station with service to Grütschalp, with onward train service to Mürren.
Things to do in Lauterbrunnen and the nearby valley
In this section, we’ll explore all the best things to do in the village of Lauterbrunnen, as well as nearby in the valley floor. Whether you’re staying in Lauterbrunnen or taking a day trip here from somewhere else in the region, these are the things you won’t want to miss.
Wander the Main Street
Lauterbrunnen is a storybook town wrapped in an Apline hug. The main street, Auf der Fuhrer, runs between the train station to Staubbach Fall.
It is lined with traditional Swiss chalets, many of which are dotted with colorful shutters and floral-framed windows. Inside each one is a restaurant, guesthouse or shop, each more inviting than the last. You glance up, and you’ll see the iconic Lauterbrunnen Church steeple, crashing Staubbach Fall and towering Alpine peaks all all around and every angle feels like it could be a post card.
The highlight of this short walk is definitely the views and the vibes. You’ll get great views the whole walk through town, be specifically be sure to stop at the Valley View Point here for the classic shot of town.
Staubbach Viewpoint Trail
You can see Staubbach Fall from the main street and several viewpoints around town. Some may argue that the best views are actually from the ground. However, if you’re up for an adventure, take a short hike on the Staubbach Viewpoint Trail.
The trail is just under a half mile roundtrip, but with 400 feet of elevation up to the fall. When you get there, you can walk into a cave behind the waterfall. It’s free and usually only takes about half an hour. It can be crowded there, and you might get went.
Grab a cuppa from the Cycling Bean Coffee-Bike
Don’t be deterred by their lack of walls. This bicycle-turned-coffee-cart serves up some of the best coffees in town. The small menu features espresso based beverages, hot chocolate, tea and milkshakes. It is run by local barista, Ingmar, who is beloved as much as the cappuccinos he crafts.
You can usually find it near the base of Staubbach Fall near the trailhead. The only tricky thing is that they don’t have official hours. He’s usually out when the weather is clear, often from the morning into the evening hours.
Walk the Valley Floor to Stechelberg
One of the best ways to experience the Lauterbrunnen Valley — and see why it’s nicknamed “Valley of 72 Waterfalls” — is to walk the path from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg.
It’s a rare flat trail in Switerland, which makes it popular with bikers, runners, and hikers of all abilities. The distance between the two towns is about 3 miles. You can walk it as an out-and-back (6 miles total) or you can take a bus one direction.
Though my waterfall count was much lower than 72, it was an absolutely beautiful trail through the valley, with several waterfalls along the way.
Experience Trümmelbach Falls
Tucked away inside the mountains and hidden from view on the nearby valley floor is Trümmelbach Falls. It’s a series of 10 impressive, underground waterfalls that you can access via a series of stairs and elevators. In fact, they’re the only underground falls in the world that you can see like this!
You can get to the falls by walking from Lauterbrunnen (~2 miles) or via public bus. It makes an excellent detour if you’re walking between Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg. Tickets cost CHF 16 and it is only open in the summer season (April – November.)
Note: We personally missed this experience, but people (Full Suitcase for example) rave about it.
Best things to do near Lauterbrunnen
There are so many things to do in Jungfrau region, many of which are easily accessible from Lauterbrunnen. In this next section, we’ll explore some of the best things to see and do that are a short trip from Lauterbrunnen.
For this series, I generally consider “near” a village to be one mode of transit or less. However, from Lauterbrunnen, many top tier attractions end up requiring a transfer. Since the transit time is still relatively short (or as short as they get), I’ve decided to count them on this list.
Reminder: Be sure to check out our other guides for things to do in and around the other towns and villages in Jungfrau if you’re up for taking a few extra connections.
Visit Wengen
How to get there: Take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen
The car-free village of Wengen sits on the mountainside just above Lauterbrunnen. It’s an equally charming Alpine town with a quaint main street, lovely main square, and sweeping views of the valley and Jungfrau peak — plus one of my favorite bakeries in the region.
Wengen is maybe best known for their marble runs — and by marble, we actually mean 3-inch-wooden ball. There are larger-than-life courses scattered all over town. You can purchase a ball for a few dollars in the main visitor center (across from the cable car station) and then spend hours playing on all the different tracks. That, combined with the playground and mini golf course, make Wengen a popular pick for families.
Stroll Through Mürren
How to get there: Take the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp. Transfer to the train from Grütschalp to Mürren.
Opposite Wengen atop a neighboring mountainside is another car-free village of Mürren. Now, this is our main exception to the single-transit-stop-away rule. It does require two modes of transit to get there, but that’s about as few transit stops as it gets.
Mürren offers even more amazing views, and of course, a charming walking street lined with cafes and shops. The main street is called Hehmatten, and you’ll want to walk that from the train station on one side of town to the cable car station on the other side. Pop into the gift shops and look out at the viewpoints along the way. May I also suggest a stop at Cafe LIV for a cup of their spicy hot chocolate.
If you’re visiting with kids, one of the best playgrounds in Jungfrau is the Flower Playground, which sits above Mürren. Adding the Flower Playground as a separate item on this list would violate the spirit of this list being mostly a single transit stop from Lauterbrunnen. However, if you are in Murren and want to tack on a bonus adventure, you’ll definitely want to take the funicular up to the Flower Playground.
Read more: To read more about the Flower Playground & how to get there, you’ll find it in this post with our 5 favorite hike + playground combos.
Play in Winteregg
How to get there: Take the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp. Transfer to the train from Grütschalp to Winteregg.
If you’re visiting Mürren anyway, it might be worth hopping off the train at Winteregg first. (Winteregg is the one intermediary stop between Grütschalp and Mürren.)
Just off the train station is a restaurant and playground. The playground is simple and small compared to the Flower Playground, but it is also much less crowded. The restaurant is lovely, and is a great place to stop for a coffee and a pastry.
More than just the kid’s playground though, there’s also a large panoramic swing and a table-top mini golf situation that seemed to be geared for adults. All in all, there are several fun things to do, great views, and it’s a lovely pit stop on the way to Mürren.
Hike the Detective Trail
How to get there: Take the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp.
Scattered around the Jungfrau region are a handful of kids themed trails. These are usually easier (shorter or flatter) hiking trails that incorporate a story, scavenger hunt or activity points along the way to make hiking fun for kids. Many of these trails include a small prize at the end. One of these such trails is the Discovery Trail.
The Detective Trail is a flat, accessible trail that runs between Grütschalp and Mürren (via Winteregg). The full trail is about 5K, but you can half that if you stop in Winteregg and take the train for the other half. You can learn more about this hike here.
Hike the Panorama Trail from Kleine Scheidegg to Männlichen
How to get there: Take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg.
The Panorama Trail between Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen is one of the most popular hikes in the region. It is about 3 miles and mostly flat, though it is slightly more uphill in the Kleine Scheidegg to Männlichen direction. Along the ridge-side hike, you’ll enjoy sweeping views over the Grindelwald valley and surrounding peaks.
The trail ends in Männlichen, where you’ll find an epic cow playground and restaurant with bathrooms downstairs. From there, you can take another short hike up the Royal Walk for another great view, hike the Lieselotte Trail down to Holenstein, or take the cable car down to Wengen.
Note: To return to Lauterbrunnen, you’ll want to take the cable car from Männlichen to Wengen, then the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen.
Hike the Eiger Trail
How to get there: Take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg. Transfer to a second train to Eigergletscher (or hike 1.5 miles uphill.)
The Eiger Trail was one of my top 3 hikes in Jungfrau (right along with the Schynige Platte hike to Daube & Oberberghorn and the hike from First to Bort.) This trail is easy/moderate and primarily downhill, though it does have a slight incline at the start.
This hike follows along the north face of Eiger. You’ll get the rock face to one side and the Grindelwald valley below. As with all the hikes in Switzerland, it’s beautiful — but it’s also just a fun hike.
The trail is well marked, but a little rustic. Depending on the season, you might have to rock-jump over streams or trudge through snow patches (even in July!) You can look for climbers or even just try to spot the routes (there’s a map) on the rock face. There are several waterfalls along the way, and you’ll probably pass through a field of cows. It’s fun! Then it ends with a steep downhill climb into Alpiglen.
Note: To return to Lauterbrunnen, take the train from Alpiglen to Kleine Scheidegg, then transfer to a train to Lauterbrunnen.
Weather warning: This trail is not recommended for the winter season. While it is often possible, it does require more skill and gear, and is overall more dangerous.
Visit Jungfraujoch
How to get there: Take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg. Transfer to a second train to Jungfraujoch.
Jungfraujoch — aka the Top of Europe — is a tourist attraction on the ridge between Jungfrau (the actual peak) and Mönch (another 4000-er peak). You can only get there by train, and the terminus station is the highest in Europe at 3,454 meters. At the top, there is a handful of activities, including shops, restaurants, sledding/snow park, an ice palace, some nearby hiking, and of course, views for days.
People are pretty divided on Jungfraujoch. Some people love it, and consider it a must-do in Jungfrau. There are definitely a lot of these people because the trains there and the attraction itself are known to be quite crowded. Those crowds though — and the high price tag — are why many other people argue that it’s just not worth it. Costing over CHF 200 per person, we personally opted out of this one.
It’s a lovely peak though! We loved catching views of it from our hotel in Wengen.
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