starwalker

i’d recommend this place, but with reservations. the main things about Grindelwald is that it’s big, lots of shops, lots of restaurants and accomodations. but that’s also its problem: you get busloads of tourists being dropped off all day long, so it’s not exactly the charming, quiet, Alpine experience people look for when staying in the Jungfrau region. the views from Grindelwald is also rather mediocre; it’s located on the valley floor, so you mostly get to see the sides of mountains (though not to the extent of being overshadowed by cliffs as you’d get in Lauterbrunnen). the funny thing is that Grindelwald heavily advertises its views of the Eiger northface, even though you can get completely unobstructed views of Eiger, Monch, AND Jungfrau from Murren, and Wengen also gets better views of Eiger and Monch. Grindelwald’s main attractions include First (pronounced “fear-st”); summertime Trottibike from Bort is deliriously fun, and wintertime you can sled or ski. the other Alpine excursions would be Jungfraujoch and Mannlichen, though both sites are actually closer/quicker if you start from Wengen. Grindelwald is a fine place to stay, pretty convenient (though it takes longer to reach Interlaken Ost from Grindelwald compared to towns in the Lauterbrunnen Valley side), and a vastly better choice than staying in Interlaken. however, given the option, you’d be better off staying in Wengen or Murren—much more quaint, better views, and faster access to the other towns in the area.

places like Murren and Wengen are much nicer places to stay than Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen (or even worse, Interlaken) when visiting the Jungfrau region; the views are incredible, the towns are more charming, and they are smaller and offer the “mountain experience.” one thing that Murren has over Wengen (which is bigger and more chic) is that you have direct, unobstructed views of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau at all times. sledding in the winter can be done from Allmendhubel (easy runs, but amazingly scenic) or Murren to Gimmelwald; Gimmeln is an option, though i was told you’d have to walk up (ie, no cable cars). hiking from Grutschalp to Murren is breathtaking, about 1.5hrs of meandering through the forest with fantastic views of the snow-covered Alps; during the wintertime, with snow on the ground, you can also sled part of the way.

Wengen is breathtakingly beautiful, located deep in the Jungfrau region. views include the eternally white Breithorn in the backdrop of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. you can see the Eiger from Wengen, and possibly Monch depending on where you are (Jungfrau is hidden from view). because of its location above the Valley floor, it gets a lot of direct sun even in the winter (whereas most of Switzerland tends to be shrouded in cloud during this time of year). i stayed a week in december 2006, and it was an absolute “Winter Wonderland”... freshly fallen snow on trees, majestic white-capped peaks, children with toboggans, and wooden chalets like gingerbread houses. lots of winter hiking can be done (e.g., Monchblick, Staubbachbankli, Hunnenfluh). sledding (or “sledging” as they say here) in the Alps is a blast, runs include Wengernalp above Wengen, Mannlichen to Holenstein (7km of steep hills and hairpin turns), First in Grindelwald, and Murren.

i love Thun (pronounced, “toon”). incredibly picturesque, surrounded by Alps, and with 5 castles in the near vicinity to boot (it’s a must for castle lovers), Thun also has some of the most pleasant Swiss people. they don’t speak much English here, but that only adds to its charm. Schloss Thun offers the best views of the city from its 2 round towers and Schloss Hunegg (a more modern castle, in nearby Hilterfingen) is breathtakingly beautiful. definitely one of the most interesting and pretty places in Switzerland i’ve seen.

very ritzy city. Chateau de Chillon is the highlight for a tourist. the views along lac leman (though to be fair, really for all the cities along the lake) are among the best in Switzerland.

Brig, on paper, looks like a big city, but in reality has a small town feel. interesting architecture, has almost an Italian look. Stockalperschloss should not be missed. the Simplon Museum is interesting (documenting the important Simplon pass between Switzerland and Italy), though only in German.

a cute town with pretty wooden chalets… but probably the most touristy of the Swiss mountain towns i’ve seen. Japanese tourists are everywhere here (similar to Grindelwald). but it doesn’t matter, because the views of the Matterhorn more than make up for it. i’ve seen much of the Swiss alps (including the famous Jungfrau), and honestly, the Matterhorn was the only one that i’ve found to be an emotional experience. in person, it is like something out of a miracle, a spectacle of nature. also, keep your eyes peeled in zermatt, because you might just be talking to an Olympian (i met a Nagano Games medal holder here, she was the owner of a restaurant).

pretty town, with a french flair in its old town. the views along lac leman and the alps are some of the best scenery to be seen in switzerland. a stroll in the early or even late evening is completely relaxing. lots of people here don’t speak much english (since it’s not a major tourist hub), but for me, this added to its charm. the statue of Charlie Chaplin should not be missed, since it stands on one of the best spots on the shoreline. Peyot, the confiserie in the old town, makes chocolate Chaplin shoes that would make for a good story (expensive at 6.5CHF for just a pair though).

Martigny is in French Switzerland and a rather unattractive Swiss town… the old town is not really worth mentioning, it has a very industrial feel to it, and be warned that this town doesn’t see much tourists (so some French is required to get around). there are really only 2 main attractions here: Roman ruins and the Parc de Sculptures (of La Foundation Pierre Gianadda). if you like either of the two, then have a visit. it won’t take more than 3-4 hours to see the interesting sights in Martigny.

it’s a charming, pretty town (which is something you can say about just any Swiss city, really). of course, most tourists come for Mt. Titlis… and that’s a real experience.