Lauterbrunnen Valley is a bucket list destination that truly has to be seen to be believed! Like something out of a fairytale, this beautiful valley has soaring cliffs, snow-capped peaks, gushing waterfalls, and lush green meadows.
There is so much to do in and around the valley. We have been bringing our kids here since they were tiny babies, and now we have our favourite activities and itineraries down to perfection; a mix of scenic stuff for the parents and fun stuff for the kids.
These are our must- sees, top tips, and advice for visiting the Latuerbrunnen Valley with kids:
Waterfalls
Lauterbrunnen is known as the valley of 72 waterfalls- waterfalls are a must-see when visiting this magical place!
Stubbach Falls
The most famous is Stubbach Falls, located right at the start of the path through the valley, a 5 minute walk from the main Lauterbrunnen car park.
There is a bench and viewpoint at the bottom of the falls, where you can see the cascading water tumbling down from a height of 300 metres. It’s really lovely, especially when the sun creates rainbows in the mist.
You can walk the uphill path to get closer to the water at a higher viewpoint, but to be honest ( especially with kids), I wouldn’t bother – it’s a steep walk, busy and normally a queue to get to the end section to take a photo, and head back down. I wasn’t that impressed with the view from the higher up viewpoint, considering the walk up there and preferred the effect of Stubbach Falls from the ground, anyway. We’ve also found better places to get up close to a waterfall.
Trummelbach Falls
This incredible waterfall is an amazing experience, and if you can, we highly recommend this one.
It is located mid way down the Lauterbrunnen Valley. You can drive there or take the bike/ pedestrian path through the valley.
Bear in mind, kids under 4 years old are not allowed to enter due to the dangerous conditions – it’s loud, wet and slippy, and dark in places. It’s something to consider if you are planning on visiting with people who have any additional needs or mobility problems too.
There is a lift inside the mountain that takes you to view the highest 3 waterfalls, and you can walk down to the bottom viewing the other 7 on the way down ( or get the lift again if required).
The viewing platforms are inside the mountain, and on platforms attached to the side of the mountain, giving a unique perspective of the 20,000 litres of water per second that thunder down the narrow ravines and crevasses, creating amazing waterfalls, funnels and rainbows in the mist.
It is deafeningly loud, and the spray of the water on the rocks makes it a bit slippy, so take care. The waterfalls are mostly located inside the mountain, so it feels a bit like a cave type of experience, although the views of the valley from the top when you exit the lift are incredible.
It’s a really unique experience, and unlike any other waterfall I have seen before- it is truly humbling to see the power of nature and the force of the water.
We took our boys at 6 and 4, the 6 year old loved it, the 4 year old was a bit apprehensive but we held on to him tight- he did seem impressed but it was quite loud for him so we took him around quickly.
Mountain Villages
There are two stunning villages high in the mountains overlooking the valley. There is Murren, accessible by gondola from Stechelberg Station at the end of the lauterbrunnen Valley, or Wengen, accesible by cableway from Lauterbrunnen Town itself at the start of the valley.
Both of these mountain villages are car free, have stunning mountain views, and fabulous playgrounds, with activity trails and child friendly walks to explore.
Murren
Murren can be found on a plateu above the southern end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
There are two options to get to Murren. Take the cable car from Lauterunnen town to Grutschalp, and then a train to Murren; or make your way to Stechelberg, via car or bike, and take the Shilthorn gondola up. We normally take the gondola from Stechelberg.
Take the gondola from Stechelberg to Murren, if you like, stopping at the tiny but beautiful hamlet of Gimmelwald on the way. The stops on the Shilthorn gondola are:
Stechelberg – Gimmelwald – Murren – Birg – Piz Gloria/ Shilthorn.
The higher you go, the more costly the ticket, so be sure to specify Murren as the destination. ( More about piz Gloria in the section below if you wanted to add it on)
Murren has lots of nice souvenir and mountain wear shops to browse, with lots of cafes and eateries to choose from.
The higher you go in the mountains, the more everything costs, so we tend to bring a picnic and just buy things like coffees and ice creams while out and about.
The village is gorgeous, with views of the mountain peaks looming large and so close. It really is spectacular. This pretty village has traditional wooden chalets with window boxes full of flowers in the summer; it’s a very pretty place to wander and take it all in.
Murren is also the home of a fantastic large playground called Allemendhubel. From Murren you have to take a short funicular train (CHF 14 – you can add the funicular ticket to the trip at Stechelberg ticket office if you want, or pay for it separately at the station before boarding).
The playground has loads of equipment, tunnels, a water play area, an alpine flower trail, a cafe and restaurant, and, of course, beautiful panoramic mountain views.
Murren and the Allmendhubel Flower Park is a favourite day out of ours in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Wengen
Wengen is located at the Northern end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, on the East side.
It’s a beautiful, quaint and traditional Swiss mountain village. Like Murren, it is car free, which adds to the charm, and the wooden chalets and summer flowers everywhere make it a delightful place for a walk.
From Wengen centre, take the cable car up to Mannlichen Play Area. It’s only a 5 minute ride up. The play area has a cafe, a restaurant, and a giant cow!
From Mannlichen Play Area, you can complete a 3.5 k down hill Lieselotte trail if you wish (it is not suitable for strollers). The trail has adventure stations along the route, all based around the character Lieselotte the Cow.
The Leiselotte trail ends at Holenstein, where there is a great woodland play area ( with zip lines!), a picnic area, but no cafe at this end. You can get the gondola back to Mannlichen and then down to Wengen.
Piz Gloria/ Shilthorn
At the southern end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley is the Stechelberg – Piz Gloria Gondola and the Shilthorn Mountain. The peak is a massive 2970m above sea level and you can get a ticket right the way to the top, stopping off at various stations on the way.
Stechelberg – Gimmelwald – Murren – Birg – Piz Gloria/ Shilthorn.
A number of times, we have taken the ride all the way up to the top to enjoy the amazing views, cafe, restaurant, and shop. Other times, we have just travelled to Murren and on to the Amendhubbel Park.
Gimmelwald
The first stop on the Stechelberg gondola. The tiny mountain hamlet is full of Swiss charm and is absolutely delightful! There are a couple of tiny stalls outside people’s homes, an honesty shop, and a hostel serving pizza and beers.
It’s a really small place, but a lovely walk through the ‘main street’ that will take you all of 5 minutes and leads to a lovely viewpoint of dramatic mountains and the valley below. There is a small play area with swings and a slide when you get off the gondola, better suited to small children, but our kids were entertained for a while on the swings!
Murren
The next stop is the lovely Murren that was mentioned further up this post; an absolutely delightful village and a great stop off.
We visit Murren as a stop off onnthe way upmto Piz Gloria, but if we want to gonto Allemendhubel Play area as weel, we do Murren with Allemendhubel Playground as a seperate trip so we aren’t too rushed.
Birg
Birg is the second to last stop in this gondola line. The main attraction here is the Birg Thrill Walk, which is a panoramic walkway suspended on the cliff edge with an observation platform, glass floor, and rope bridge ( with a safety net).
Shilthorn
At the top of the mountain, the last stop has really amazing views of peaks of the Bernese Oberland – I really felt like we were on top of the world, like summiting a mountain without any of the climb!
There is an extensive wrap around viewing platform, cafe, and restaurant and gift shop located at the top. It is heavily James Bond themed, including the toilets, which is quite amusing! It was a filming location for the film “On her Majesty’s Secret Service”.
It’s very impressive at the top, and we really enjoyed the magnificent views but honestly it was very expensive and the kids got bored quickly, there isn’t that much for them up there, especially compared to other stations lower down and in the valley nearby. So, it’s just something to bear in mind. If getting to the very top is important to you, then it will be worth it, as there’s no denying it is spectacular.
Go on a bike ride
There is a paved trail from Lauterbrunnen town, heading south to Stechelberg, which is 4.3 k on flat terrain. You see the odd service vehicle along here, but mainly, it is a car free path that is perfect for bike riding and walking, and it is accessible for all ages and people in wheelchairs.
We love to hire bikes from Lauterbrunnen, usually for half a day as that is all we need to get to Stechelberg and back, with a picnic and stops for ice cream etc. You can ride past Stechelberg, but the paths become steeper and start heading up, turning into mountain biking trails, which aren’t really suitable for us or kids, yet!
Whizzing along the path with the soaring cliffs on each side and waterfalls spilling over in the distance make this a beautiful, easy and fun bike ride for families.
If you prefer to walk it, then there is a bus back to Lauterbrunnen from Stechelberg if you don’t want to do both ways.
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