Grindelwald — the village under the Eiger
Grindelwald is a working Alpine village at 1,034m, in the shadow of the Eiger's north face. The north face rises directly above the village — on a clear day the 1,800m sheer rock wall is simply overwhelming. Grindelwald is the quintessential Swiss Alps village: wooden chalets, flower boxes, mountain railways, cow bells in the distance.
The village itself is walkable in 30–45 minutes. The main street has good cafés and restaurants. The views from the "First" plateau above the village (reachable by gondola) are spectacular — and First is also the start of the First Cliff Walk, a metal boardwalk along the cliffs.
Our honest take on Grindelwald
Grindelwald is one of the few Swiss Alpine villages that genuinely lives up to its reputation. Even on a partial-cloud day, the village atmosphere and the Eiger backdrop are extraordinary. If you want "Swiss village" more than "mountain summit," this is your day.
Lauterbrunnen — the valley of waterfalls
Lauterbrunnen is a narrow valley carved by glaciers, with sheer rock walls rising 300m on both sides. The famous Staubbach Falls drop 297m directly into the village. In total, the Lauterbrunnen valley has 72 waterfalls — making it one of the most dramatic natural valleys in Europe.
J.R.R. Tolkien drew inspiration from Lauterbrunnen for Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings. You can see why — the valley has an almost mythological beauty.
- Staubbach Falls — walk right to the base (10-minute walk from station)
- Trümmelbach Falls — glacial waterfalls inside the cliff face (accessible by lift, 4km from village)
- Village promenade — flat easy walk along the valley floor with waterfall views
Combining via Interlaken
Most tours combine Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen via Interlaken — giving you a natural triangle of Alpine highlights in one day. The standard route is: Zurich → Interlaken → Grindelwald (morning) → Lauterbrunnen (afternoon) → Zurich.
How to combine Grindelwald + Lauterbrunnen in one day
This is easier than it sounds because the railway network connects everything:
- Arrive Grindelwald 10am — explore village, optional First gondola
- Train to Lauterbrunnen via Wengen (~45 minutes)
- Staubbach Falls walk (20 minutes)
- Lunch in the village
- Trümmelbach Falls (optional, 30 minutes + taxi)
- Return to Interlaken and onwards to Zurich
