| Family Travels Gimmelwald |
| There is nothing in the world like Lauternbrunnen Valley and the little village of Gimmelwald, clinging to the mountainside. We simply love this part of Switzerland. My husband and I found this little piece of paradise in 1990 and knew that we wanted to share this special place with our children. No words can describe its beauty and simplicity. You just have to go visit and fall in love with this place on your own. |
| Either hike down or take the gondola to the Stechelburg station to the valley floor. Bring a picnic and a camera....you won't believe the view!!! |
| Lauterbrunnen Valley Hike |
| Make sure you stop and visit Trummelbach Falls. The melting glaciers of the Alps over time have carved the falls inside the mountain. You can hear and feel the powerful waterfall of 20,000 liters per second flow and twist through the caverns...you will get damp. Caution...slippery! |
| Local Traffic! |
| Don't forget to sign up or you will go hungry! |
| Walter |
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| The view would have been amazing if I hadn't stared at the floor. I don't do well with heights so I kind of missed the gorgeous ride to the top. Erica, then age 13 |
| Sometimes a memory is so special that as time passes, you wonder if it was real or imagined or just exaggerated, In the long walk down, we anxiously wondered if Gimmelwald had remained unchanged. As it ame into view, there it was. The magic was still there. --Mom |
| I wasn't quite sure where the town was. We strolled through the fifteen houses clinging to the mountain. There were no sounds of modern life, the grass grew high and the windows were iced with flowers. ---Erica, age 13 |
| Sometimes a memory is so special that as time passes, you wonder if it was real or imagined or just exaggerated, In the long walk down, we anxiously wondered if Gimmelwald had remained unchanged. As it came into view, there it was. The magic was still there. --Mom |
| If not for the incredible scenery, I would have complained about the MILES of walking. With every corner we turned, a new expanse of lush green and towering cliffs emerged. Waterfalls danced through the crevices of the cliffs everywhere we glanced. --Erica age 13 |
| Hotel Mittaghorn--or Walter's Gimmelwald tel. 033-855-1658 There are rooms and a attic Hot showers are coin operated. Dinner Optional--but only local choice The View are indescribable. |
| Pictures from our trip to Gimmelwald and Lauterbrunnen in 1990 We have taken this hike three times in the last twenty years. It is always beautiful, peaceful and will fill you with wonder. |
| Near the Gimmelwald gondola station, there was this wonderful playground.... and an even more incredible view. |
| Staying at Walter's in Gimmelwald is truly something special. There are no cars...just local shepherds with their sheep. There are no stores....just a playground that will delight you. There are no restaurants or grocery stores. Dinner is served every night --you must sign up on the board in the morning. There are two choices...chicken or pasta-- served on alternating nights. If you don't like the selection...the next closest meal is a 45 min hike back up the mountain. The rooms are simple, the beds a little lumpy...but the views are spectacular! |
| Dates Visited -- 1990, 2002, 2009 |
| Twenty years later, and Gimmelwald is basicall unchanged. A few new B&B's...but no shops, restaurants or tourists traps....just peace and quiet. ----Mom |
| During this trip, we traveled as a family of three...leaving Erica and Brent at home for a week to finish their summer jobs. Amanda's first choice of spots to revisit was Gimmelwald. We flew into Zurich, spent a night in Interlaken, and drove to Lauterbrunnen. The old funicular has been replaced...so there is a new gondola up. Then you take the cliffside cog train to Murren (pictured left) and hike down to Gimmelwald. We leave suitcased in the car and only bring in a duffel bag what we need for three days. |
| Getting to Gimmelwald is half the fun. You drive in from Interlachen on some of the most twisty, scenic roads in the world. After parking in Lauterbrunnen, you take the funnicular (a elevator type train) to Grutschalp and then a cog wheel train that clings to the side of cliff over to Murren. Then a 45 min hike down into Gimmelwald. (Alternative....drive across Lauterbrunnen Valley to Stechelburg gondola station at its end....take Gondola up to Gimmelwald) |
| Our Itinerary Arrived early from Interlaken...see above. Check into Walters... Day 1--Hike from Allmendhubel and Picnic Relax and Chill Day 2--Jungfrau Day 3 - Lauterbrunnen Hike, Trummelbach Falls. and afternoon trip to Schilthorn |
| From Gimmelwald....Take the gondola up to Murren....then the funicular up to Allmenhubel. Get Rick Steve's books and follow the signs for a great little hike |
| Another Day...Another Hike We take the gondola from Gimmelwald to Stechelberg and spend the morning hiking the valley to Lauterbrunnen. We stop at Trummelbach Falls and a picnic. |
