Gimmelwald BE 1367m

Gimmelwald is a small, pretty and absolutely "real Swiss" village in the Bernese Oberland. You can only reach it by cable car which is already an adventure worth going for.

Enjoy the car free region with its unbelievably fresh air and stunning views!

Stay for a few days to refresh far away from loud cities and crowds of people. Enjoy hiking, climbing, sun bathing and pure nature.

Many Alp-aholics say 'if heaven isn’ what it’s cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmelwald!

Hostel

How to get to Gimmelwald

Public Transport: Direct trains run daily from numerous European cities to Interlaken Ost. From here, take the train direction Lauterbrunnen, change to the bus to Stechelberg and from there you take the cable car to Gimmelwald. (From Interlaken Ost you reach Gimmelwald in only 55 min!) Round-trip ticket Interlaken Ost-Gimmelwald costs 32.00 Sfr. (26.00 Sfr. with Eurail and free with Swiss Pass).
For train connections check: www.rail.ch

By car: National roads (Autobahnen) lead from Basel, Geneva or Zürich via Bern to Spiez. From here, well constructed national and cantonal roads lead via Interlaken to Stechelberg. There is a big parking right by the cable car station.

What to do in Gimmelwald

- visit the Schilthorn mountain
- hiking and rock climbing
- skiing
- visit the Trümmelbach falls which are close by
- enjoy the spectacular scenery around the village

See below for more details.

Different hikes for you

Gimmelwald - Schilthorn

Up: via Sprutz - Spielbodenalp - Rotstockhutte
Back down: via Grauseeli - Schitalp - Spielbodenalp

If you have only one day, and it's a sunny one, you have to make it to the top of Schilthorn. If you think you can't handle the climb (Close to 5 hours on average, counting lunch breaks and photo stops on the way) we highly recommend to take a gondola, even though it's somewhat expensive. You can perhaps come back down by yourselves and save money on that.
For many people the views from the top of Schilthorn is the best natural scenery they will see in their lifetime. Do not climb Schilthorn on a cloudy day! You won't see anything but a white wall of clouds. Also, please start hiking early. It often happens that clouds roll in out of nowhere by mid-afternoon.
The rotating Piz Gloria restaurant on top of Schilthorn is not as expensive as one would expect for the location: Good place to get some ice cream. Check out the Touristorama underneath the restaurant with it's beautiful slide show covering all seasons and activities in the area, and scenes from the James Bond movie 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' filmed at Schilthorn.

Gimmelwald - Oberhornsee Lake

Up: via Im Tal - Tanzbodeli - Hotel Obersteinberg
Back down: via Hotel Obersteinberg - Hotel Tschingelhorn

The Oberhornsee hike takes you into a different branch of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It is not visible from Gimmelwald and thus enticing. Also, unlike the top of the mountain, this glacier lake is not visible from a distance. The first half of the hike is exhausting (see Gimmelwald-Tanzbodeli description) but then the path is flat and even downhill until you reach Hotel Obersteinberg - a good place to stop for some drinks and rest for a while.
Just in case you are wondering, all supplies to this mountain hotel are delivered either by mules or helicopters. From Obersteinberg it's about an hour hike to Oberhornsee. The water is always barely above freezing. Swim at your own risk. The Oberhornsee hike offers probably the best chance to see a roaming steinbock.

Gimmelwald - Bietenhorn

via Murren - Schilthornhutte

If you feel like tackling the only 'blue' (read: difficult) trail on the Murren-Schilthorn area hiking map, then this hike is for you. There is a book to sign once you reach the top, and you can see everyone who had been there before you in the past couple of decades.
The views are nearly identical to Schilthorn views as Bietenhorn is the adjacent mountain. Stop by Schilthornhutte on the way back and ask for Kaffee fertig (coffee with Schnaps) and a chocolate bar. Ummm, good!

Half day hikes

Gimmelwald - Tanzbodeli

This hike starts rather innocently - a leasurely walk downhill on Gimmelwald's main road. However, what follows is probably one of the steepest stretches in the Gimmelwald hiking vicinity: an exhausting climb for about an hour and a half.
What's more, there will be no water on the way. So be sure to take enough with you. You will get thirsty!
The reward for your sweat is a breathtaking panorama of the Alps. Wherever you look "WOW" is the way to describe it.

Gimmelwald - Chilchbalm

One of the easiest hikes: it leads you from Gimmelwald to the end of the Lautenbrunnen Valley. There you reach a point from where you can only continue with mountainclimbing equipment. The mountains are in your face and the views are excellent! One-way is about 1 hr. 10 min. at a leasurely pace, and the path doesn't have any significant uphill stretches.
This hike is also good on a rainy day. There is a small cave with a fireplace near Chilchbalm where one can find cover from a downpour. (Don't expect wood to be there. Look for wood before you hike to the cave).

Gimmelwald - Sprutz - Spielbodenalp - Bryndli

A great hike on any day and each point can be a final destination. Sprutz waterfall is about 40 minutes up the hill from Gimmelwald. A good place to relax, have lunch and read a book in the woods.
15 minutes further up is the Spielbodenalp hut. Climbing up for another 40 minutes will bring you to the top of Bryndli with a wonderful panorama of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

Rainy day hikes

Gimmelwald - Trummelbach Falls

Trummelbach Falls are located down in the Lauterbrunnen Valley between Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg.
They are a series of inside-the-mountain waterfalls. It's about a two-hour hike downhill or flat from Gimmelwald.
You always have the option to take the cable car down or on the way back up.
The Trummelbach alone drains the mighty glacier defiles of Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau: up to 20.000 litres of water per second. It is the only glacier-waterfalls inside the mountain and still accessible. It's a worthy excursion on a rainy or cloudy day.