Lauterbrunnen village
First-timers and transportThe valley floor: Staubbach Falls, the station and the cheapest beds.
Lauterbrunnen city guide
Things To Do In Lauterbrunnen
A glacial valley with 72 waterfalls pouring off vertical cliffs, car-free villages perched on the ledges above, and a Bond-film revolving restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn.
2
Hostels in the city
9.4
Average, from 3,368 reviews
72
Waterfalls in the valley
297 m
Staubbach Falls, dropping beside the village
2,970 m
The Schilthorn summit
The valley that looks exactly as people imagine Switzerland
Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a deep, U-shaped glacial valley, with sheer rock walls rising hundreds of metres on either side and waterfalls pouring off them — seventy-two by the usual count.
Staubbach Falls drops almost three hundred metres right beside the village, so fine that much of it turns to mist before it reaches the ground. Trümmelbach Falls, up the valley, is stranger: glacial meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau thundering down through a series of corkscrew gorges inside the mountain, lit and reached by a tunnel lift.
On the ledges above the valley sit two car-free villages, Wengen on one side and Mürren on the other, reached by train and cable car.
From Mürren, cable cars climb to the Schilthorn and its revolving summit restaurant, Piz Gloria, which appeared in the Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Tolkien walked here as a young man, and the valley is often said to have inspired Rivendell.
Two or three days, and it is the best base in the Bernese Oberland.
Where to stay
A valley floor village and two car-free villages on the ledges above.
Mürren
Views and quietA car-free village on a cliff ledge facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Wengen
Car-free and skiingThe ledge on the other side: a car-free resort with trains up to Kleine Scheidegg.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 2 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Lauterbrunnen
See Staubbach Falls, which drops almost three hundred metres beside the village. It is free, and a path leads up behind part of the fall.
Go to Trümmelbach Falls, around CHF 16 (about €17), where meltwater from three famous peaks corkscrews down through ten waterfalls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift. It is loud, wet and extraordinary, and open roughly April to November.
Take the cable car to Mürren, a car-free village on a cliff ledge, and walk. The path from Mürren to Gimmelwald is one of the most beautiful short walks in the Alps.
Go up the Schilthorn, at 2,970 metres, to Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant from the Bond film, with a view of more than two hundred peaks. It is expensive; check the webcam.
The Mürren via ferrata to Gimmelwald is a protected cliff route with cables and a suspension bridge, for those with a head for heights and proper equipment.
Walk the valley floor itself, flat and lined with waterfalls, which is free.
Free things
Free things to do in Lauterbrunnen
Staubbach Falls is free.
The valley floor walk, past waterfall after waterfall, is free and flat.
The hiking trails between Mürren, Gimmelwald and Wengen are free — only the cable cars and trains cost.
Walking down from Mürren to Gimmelwald and on to the valley floor saves a cable car ride and is beautiful.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Lauterbrunnen
Expensive and limited. A main is CHF 28 to 45 (about €30–48), higher in the car-free villages.
Rösti, fondue and raclette dominate.
There is a Coop in Lauterbrunnen, and self-catering is the norm for budget travellers — buy supplies before going up to Mürren or Wengen, where shops are small and pricier.
A beer is CHF 7 to 10 (about €7.50–10.50).
Nightlife
Going out in Lauterbrunnen
Very quiet. A handful of hotel bars and a pub or two in the valley and the villages.
A beer is CHF 7 to 10.
The evening is spent looking at the cliffs and resting before an early start on the trails.
Getting around
Getting around Lauterbrunnen
Trains from Interlaken Ost reach Lauterbrunnen in about twenty minutes.
From the village, a cable car and a short train climb to Mürren, and a train runs up to Wengen and on to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch. Both villages are car-free.
Buses run up the valley to Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg, where cable cars leave for the Schilthorn.
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the main lines to Wengen and Mürren and discounts the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch.
Costs
What Lauterbrunnen costs
Expensive. Beds are CHF 40 to 80 (about €42–85), a main CHF 28 to 45, and a beer CHF 7 to 10.
A day is €90 to €150 before summits.
The summits cost the most: the Schilthorn and the Jungfraujoch are both expensive at full price, and passes help.
The waterfalls and the trails are free, which makes a walking trip here reasonable.
Safety
Staying safe in Lauterbrunnen
The valley is very safe from crime. The risks are the terrain and the sports practised here.
Lauterbrunnen is one of the most famous BASE jumping sites in the world, where it is legal, and many jumpers have died here. It is a sport for highly experienced parachutists only and is not something to try on a whim.
The cliff paths and via ferrata have real drops. Wear proper footwear, use the right equipment on the via ferrata, and do not go in wet or icy conditions.
Rockfall and falling ice can occur near the cliffs, especially in spring.
Weather changes fast; check forecasts and webcams.
Emergency number is 112, and Swiss mountain rescue, Rega, is 1414.
Day trips from Lauterbrunnen
Car-free villages, a Bond summit and the Top of Europe.
Mürren and Gimmelwald
Car-free cliff-ledge villages with one of the best short walks in the Alps.
Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg
Car-free Wengen, and the pass under the Eiger north face.
Jungfraujoch
The highest railway station in Europe, at 3,454 m.
Grindelwald
Under the Eiger, with the First cliff walk.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Waterfalls at full flow in June, and a World Cup downhill race above.
26 November
Christmas Market
The Lauterbrunnen Christmas Market stretches along the main street of this Swiss village, nestled in a deeply cut valley carved by glaciers, surrounded by…
6 May – 17 Oct
Yoga
Yoga classes are held at the Mürren Palace Hotel in Mürren, Switzerland, in the Body and Mind room. The sessions take place on Wednesdays…
6 May – 14 Oct
Chair Yoga & Stretching
A gentle wellness session featuring chair-based yoga and stretching exercises designed to improve flexibility, mobility, and overall well-being. Participants can enjoy guided movements and…
26 May – 21 Nov
Pilates
Andrea Bichsel leads these twice-weekly Pilates sessions with gentle guidance and an attentive eye for each participant's needs. Her classes focus on building body…
5 Aug – 7 Oct
Historical Village Tour
Mürren opens up on this guided stroll through a car-free Alpine village perched high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. You'll hear stories about the area's…
9 October
Writing Hike: Sensory Hike
Students from the Swiss Literature Institute guide this walk from Mürren to Spielbodenalp, where you'll pause at stations designed to engage your senses of…
Hostels
Where to stay in Lauterbrunnen
A small, popular scene in the valley and at Mürren. Book ahead in summer. Live from Hostelworld.
When to go
June to September for hiking and the waterfalls at full flow. December to April for skiing.
Jan
Skiing at Wengen and Mürren
Feb
Ski season
Mar
Late skiing
Apr
Between seasons
May
Waterfalls swelling with meltwater
Jun
Waterfalls at their fullest
Jul
Peak season
Aug
Busy
Sep
Superb
Oct
Autumn
Nov
Between seasons, Trümmelbach closing
Dec
Ski season
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average valley highs. The waterfalls are at their most dramatic in late spring and early summer, fed by snowmelt.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros — you will pay in Swiss francs, at roughly 1.06 euros to the franc.
Shown in euros for comparison; you pay in Swiss francs. Summit excursions sit in the doing line and cost the most.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Lauterbrunnen travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How many waterfalls are there?
Seventy-two, by the usual count. Staubbach Falls drops almost three hundred metres right beside the village, and Trümmelbach Falls tumbles through ten waterfalls inside the mountain.
What is Trümmelbach Falls?
Meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau glaciers corkscrewing down through ten waterfalls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift and lit inside. About CHF 16 (€17), and open roughly April to November.
Is BASE jumping legal here?
Yes, and Lauterbrunnen is one of the most famous sites in the world for it. It is also extremely dangerous, and many jumpers have died here. It is for highly experienced parachutists only.
What is Piz Gloria?
The revolving restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn, at 2,970 metres, which appeared in the Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The view takes in more than two hundred peaks. It is expensive to reach, so check the webcam first.
Is it a good base?
Among the best in the Bernese Oberland. The car-free villages of Mürren and Wengen, the Schilthorn, the Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald are all within easy reach.
How expensive is it?
Expensive. Beds CHF 40 to 80 (about €42–85), and a day around €90 to €150 before summits. The trails and waterfalls are free.
Did it really inspire Rivendell?
Tolkien walked through the valley as a young man in 1911, and his sketches of Rivendell are often linked to it. It is a popular and plausible connection rather than a documented fact.
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