With the summer holidays coming to a close, it’s high time to make the most of the late summer sun or look ahead to next summer, and the Alps are a great place for children to explore. Here in the Jungfrau Region families are well catered for and there are some great activities to ensure children have a fantastic time in the mountains.
Here are our top activities for children around Wengen and Mϋrren….
Lieselotteweg
This is a new theme trail starting from the top station of the gondola on Männlichen, reached by cable car
from Wengen. The total hiking time is 1.5 hours. Lieselotte the cow, is a character from a children’s book in Switzerland. She has gone on an adventure from her home village and arrived in the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. This new trail follows Lieselotte and her friends the chickens, on their first hike in the Alps. There are many exciting things to discover along the way – search for the rock crystal, play the alphorns, milk the cows and discover the marmottes. At the same time you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature and take a break at the picnic spot or the forest play area. Pick up a map from the cable car station and visit all 13 posts on the route, where you can collect a stamp at each to show you have completed the trail. Great fun for children – and also young at heart adults!
Öpfelchϋechliweg
Translated to the Apple Fritter Trail, this theme trail combines fascinating facts on fruit with spectacular scenery. Did you know, for example, that in Switzerland each person eats around 20kg of apples every year? The hiking trail leads from Holenstein, the mid station of the Männlichen gondola, and takes around 1.5 hours. It leads through alpine meadows and forests with 7 information posts along the way. Pick up a flyer at the gondola station to collect stamps at each of the posts. For the grand finale of your hike, stop off at the Bergrestaurant Brandegg and sample the house speciality of apple fritters with vanilla sauce, believed by many to be the best in the world!
Allmendhubel Flower Park
Opened in summer 2014, this children’s adventure playground transports you to a fantasy world of giant alpine flowers, grass and oversized insects. Fly with the butterflies, explore a marmot burrow or try your hand at milking a cow and cheese making. The playground is situated above Mϋrren and is reached with the Allmendhubel funicular railway. With the sunny terrace of the restaurant and the starting point for many hikes there is plenty to do here.
From Summer 2016 you will also be able to return to Mϋrren at high speed with downhill carts following the 4km bobsleigh run featured in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service!
Children’s Adventure Trail
Starting from the top of the Allmendhubel funicular railway above Mϋrren, this adventure trail leads you back to Mϋrren in around 1 hour. Fun and action along the way is guaranteed with 2 playgrounds offering balance beams, tunnels, tree houses, swings and slides.
For a more relaxing day for all the family, try one of the open air swimming pools – there is one in Wengen and another in Lauterbrunnen. In Wengen, another must do activity is the Lauberhorn mini golf – 18 holes themed around the World Cup downhill ski race held in Wengen each January.
Blog by Alison Davies, Resort Manager in Wengen.