Holidays in Wilderswil

The sleepy Bernese village of Wilderswil is a world away from its lively neighbour of Interlaken, but still shares its warm welcome and sense of adventure

The village of Wilderswil perches between the green Bödeli plain to the north and the mountains of the Bernese Oberland behind. The train station marks the start of the famed railway that zigzags through mountain meadows to the Alpine gardens and mountaintop trails of the Schynige Platte, home to one of the highest railway stations in Switzerland. Plus, Interlaken and the turquoise lakes of Brienz and Thun are just a few minutes’ train journey away. The wooden chalets and flower-bedecked inns of Wilderswil are a great place to return to after a day’s walking.

The Alpine beauty of the Schynige Platte

See that splash of scarlet against the emerald foothills? That’s the 19th-Century cog railway that creeps up to the Schynige Platte mountain ridge in just under an hour, all the while offering some of the best views across the mountains of Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch. At Schynige Platte, you can wander rocky paths to the chime of cowbells and meander around the petite plants of the high-altitude botanical garden. There’s also a restaurant, where you can settle down on the suntrap terrace with a strudel or glass of Riesling. If you fancy a longer hike, the route from Schynige Platte to the top of the First gondola in Grindelwald is one of the best - catch the gondola down into Grindelwald and then return by train.  

Chilled Wilderswil

For most people visiting Wilderswil, it’s a case of all eyes on the railway – but stay here, and you’ll realise why this sleepy village makes a great alternative to neighbouring Interlaken. Wooden chalets date back to the 17th century and old stübli restaurants serve mountain fare in cosy surroundings. Walking trails head in all directions from the village, wander to the edge of town to explore the ruins of the once-grand Unspunnun Castle, which peeks out from between the trees or head to the edge of Lake Brienz and follow the water-line to Iseltwald - here you can hop on a ferry back to Bönigen, or in the other direction to Giessbach where there's an impressive waterfall walk.

Interlaken: the city between two lakes

Interlaken lies just north of Wilderswil, between the luminous turquoise lakes of Lakes Thun and Brienz. It spreads itself over two sides of the glacier-cold river, with the old town square of Unterseen on one side and parks, railway stations and ferry jetties on the other. This is where you can hop on cruises that smooth past vertiginous vineyards, mountains and shoreline castles. Adrenalin activities like rafting, canyoning and paragliding are Interlaken’s speciality; it’s a rare day that you don’t see paragliders surfing the air currents above.

Sky-high rail routes

You could spend weeks exploring the rail routes of this region, and luckily, Wilderswil's location makes this really easy. Trains run between remote mountaintops, valleys, lakes and to cities like the riverside university city of Basel. We recommend putting the alpine villages of Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren at the top of your to-visit list, which connect you to some of the most scenic railways in the world, including the sky-high Jungfraujoch. The Brienzer Rothorn is a good one too – especially for the chance to try the sausages cooked on the steam engine.

Why book a summer holiday in Wilderswil with Inghams?

At Inghams, we do walking holidays differently. With no fixed itinerary, you have more time in your destination and the freedom to walk as much or as little as you like, discovering some of the Bernese Oberland's best walking routes and activities at your own pace.

With over 85 years of outdoor travel experience, our holiday packages to Wilderswil include flights, transfers, and accommodation, so you can relax and leave the small details to us. Our experts can help you choose the best holiday for you, and our team overseas can give you the inside scoop on how to spend your time away with us.

Added value

Half price rail, bus and boat travel with the Swiss Half Fare Card (worth over £100 per person)

Free Travel on Swiss Transport Network for children up to 15 years incl.

Hotels in Wilderswil

  • from£749pp
  • @accommodation.PropertyRating

    3 Rating

    We rate all of our accommodation based on their facilities, service level, character and customer feedback. Our ratings may vary from the official star rating.

  • 46 rooms
Hotel Baeren, Wilderswil - Example Standard Double Room

Hotel Bären is the epitome of 'Swissness' - you'll enjoy Swiss wine, Swiss cooking, Swiss cheese, and Swiss hospitality. A traditional Bernese Inn in a great location for exploring. It's 10 minutes to the train station and there's a bus stop 100 metres away.

  • from£739pp
  • @accommodation.PropertyRating

    3 Rating

    We rate all of our accommodation based on their facilities, service level, character and customer feedback. Our ratings may vary from the official star rating.

  • 31 rooms
Hotel Alpenblick, Wildersil - Typical Standard Double Room

On the edge of Wilderswil, the traditional Hotel Alpenblick offers a quiet escape and Michelin-starred cuisine. Surrounded by rolling alpine meadows, there are gentle walking trails on your doorstep and the ruins of Unspunnen Castle nearby.

Swiss Half Fare Card & resort card

The Swiss transport network is an excellent combination of trains, mountain railways, cable-cars, boats and buses that make it a pleasure to get around and explore at your own pace. 

Swiss Half Fare Card included for all Inghams guests

The Swiss Half Fare Card is included in the price of your holiday and is sent to you as part of your rail transfer tickets. This card can be used around Switzerland for up to 50% discount on various modes of transport - so make sure you keep it with you. It also gives free travel to children from 6 to 15 years old, when accompanied by a parent with the Family Card.

Free Resort Card

The free 'Wilderswil/Interlaken Resort Card' is provided by your hotel on arrival and gives you:

• Free use of local buses in Wilderswil, Interlaken and to surrounding villages such as Iseltwald and Beatenbucht
• Free entrance to casino in Interlaken
• Free travel on some nearby trains. See map for valid routes
• Free entrance to village museum and guided weekly walks in Bönigen

Switzerland's excellent public transport network of mountain railways, cable-cars, steam boats and buses makes it a pleasure to explore the sights, at your own pace.

Travel passes

In addition to the Half Fare Card you may wish to purchase other travel passes depending on your holiday plans, such as the Jungfrau Travel Pass or the Bernese Oberland Pass - you can add this to your holiday at the time of booking.

Jungfrau Travel Pass - prebookable

Enjoy three to eight consecutive days travel on trains, cable-cars, gondolas and boats within the Jungfrau region including:

  • Männlichen gondola (Wengen to Männlichen and Männlichen to Grindelwald Terminus)
  • Wengeneralp Railway (Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg and Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald)
  • Jungfrau Railway (Kleine Scheidegg to Eigergletscher)
  • Wengeneralp Railway (Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg and Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen)
  • Lauterbrunnen to Mürren railway (Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and Grütschalp to Winteregg and Mürren)
  • Grindelwald First gondola
  • Schynige Platte Railway (Wilderswil to Schnige Platte)
  • Harder Kulm Railway (Interlaken to Harder Kulm)
  • Trains between Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken Ost
  • Passes from 5 days validity onward include boats on Lakes Thun & Lake Brienz and trains between Interlaken Ost, Interlaken West and Brienz allowing for round trips by boat and train on Lake Brienz.

A supplement applies for going up to the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe and the Schilthorn. The Jungfrau Travel Pass will get you a discount on the Jungfraujoch fee.

Please note that Family Cards are not valid with the Jungfrau Travel Pass and children must have the Jungfrau Junior Travel Card. 

Bernese Oberland Pass - prebookable

The Bernese Oberland Pass is a great option if you're staying longer than seven days and/or are wanting to travel a bit further afield than the routes on the Jungfrau Travel Pass. It includes:

  • Travel by train, bus and boat throughout the Bernese Oberland
  • Travel on over 25 mountain cable cars
  • Boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
  • Discounts at various partner locations

Supplements apply to get to the top of the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. 

Things to do
  • Alpine Garden
  • Hiking
  • Excursions by rail
  • Lake cruises
  • Cycling
  • Museum
  • Walking

Wilderswil holidays are perfectly placed for an amazing choice of excursions using the local trains, boats and cable-cars. Take the rack railway into the mountains to visit Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren, with connections to the Jungfraujoch or the Schilthorn, or the little mountain railway to Schynige Platte to explore the fabulous alpine garden. People on holidays in Wilderswil can also reach neighbouring Interlaken by a short bus or train journey or a leisurely half hour stroll.

Other things to do in and around Wilderswil

  • Starting point for mountain railway up to Schynige Platte alpine garden ( mountain railway starts from 1 July )
  • One of the best viewpoints for the Jungfrau massif
  • ‘Old Mill’ village museum with display of local history and crafts
  • Visit the ruins of Unspunnen castle, or the nearby Gsteig castle
  • Excellent transport links to Grindelwald, or Lauterbrunnen for access to Wengen and Mürren
  • Performances of the ‘William Tell’ open-air play, with a cast of 250 actors and live animals, take place Jun-Aug
  • Heimwehfluh vintage funicular with toboggan run and model railway exhibition at summit
Excursions

Pre-book your excursions online or give us a call

Jungfraujoch - ‘Top of Europe’

A ‘must-see’ for all visitors is the ultimate rail journey through the Eiger, and up to Europe’s highest railway station at 3,454m, for breathtaking views including the 14km-long Aletsch glacier and the ‘Ice Palace’.

Schynige Platte, plus alpine garden(railway starts on 1 July)

Take the charming cogwheel railway up to Schynige Platte at 2000m, and visit the wonderful Alpine garden with some 600 different Swiss alpine plants including Edelweiss, Enzian.

Great value travel passes

The Swiss transport network is an excellent combination of trains, mountain railways, cable-cars, boats and buses that make it a pleasure to get around and explore at your own pace. 

Swiss Half Fare Card included for all Inghams guests

The Swiss Half Fare Card is included in the price of your holiday, and is sent to you as part of your rail transfer tickets. This card can be used around Switzerland for discounts on various modes of transport so make sure you keep it with you.

In addition to the Half Fare card you may wish to purchase other travel passes depending on your holiday plans, such as the Jungfrau Travel Pass or the Bernese Oberland Pass - you can add this to your holiday at the time of booking.

Jungfrau Travel Pass - prebookable

Enjoy three to eight consecutive days travel on trains, cable-cars, gondolas and boats within the Jungfrau region including:

  • Männlichen gondola (Wengen to Männlichen and Männlichen to Grindelwald Terminus)
  • Wengeneralp Railway (Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg and Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald)
  • Jungfrau Railway (Kleine Scheidegg to Eigergletscher)
  • Wengeneralp Railway (Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg and Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen)
  • Lauterbrunnen to Mürren railway (Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and Grütschalp to Winteregg and Mürren)
  • Grindelwald First gondola
  • Schynige Platte Railway (Wilderswil to Schnige Platte)
  • Harder Kulm Railway (Interlaken to Harder Kulm)
  • Trains between Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken Ost
  • Passes from 5 days validity onward include boats on Lakes Thun & Lake Brienz and trains between Interlaken Ost, Interlaken West and Brienz allowing for round trips by boat and train on Lake Brienz.

A supplement applies for going up to the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe and the Schilthorn. The Jungfrau Travel Pass will get you a discount on the Jungfraujoch fee.

Please note that Family Cards are not valid with the Jungfrau Travel Pass and children must have the Jungfrau Junior Travel Card. 

Bernese Oberland Pass - prebookable

The Bernese Oberland Pass is a great option if you're staying longer than seven days and/or are wanting to travel a bit further afield than the routes on the Jungfrau Travel Pass. It includes:

  • Travel by train, bus and boat throughout the Bernese Oberland
  • Travel on over 25 mountain cable cars
  • Boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
  • Discounts at various partner locations

Supplements apply to get to the top of the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. 

Bookable locally

Many more options available locally through your Representative including:

Fun Package: First Flyer / Glider & Trottibike / Mountain Cart 

Swiss Food and Culture Tour - from only Sfr20 per person - Exclusive to Inghams

Prices include Travel Card discount. Please note that we act at all times as selling agent for the suppliers of activities & excursions.

Walking

Easy There is an excellent selection of easy walks in and around Wilderswil passing by the village’s historical landmarks, including the ‘Burgenweg’ from the village centre to the Unspunnen castle ruins dating back to the middle ages. Or try the themed trail from resort along the Lütchine river to Zweilütschinen with interesting information points explaining the local flora and fauna along the way.

Moderate The surrounding mountains offer a multitude of more adventurous walks, with the Schynige Platte being a popular starting point. Try the roundtrip from the summit to Oberberghorn for great views (approx. 1¼hrs).

Slightly challenging With excellent transport links and free buses to Interlaken, the walking and hiking terrain of the Jungfrau region is also within easy reach for day trips.

 

Good to know

Walking trails: Over 500km of walking trails and easy access to neighbouring villages and lifts

Terrain: Diverse terrain from flat valley floors and lakeside walks to towering 4000m peaks of the Jungfrau

Best time to go: end of May to mid October. It can get hot in July and August but heading up the lifts is a great way to cool off

Recommended for: Walkers of all abilities, nature, sightseeing, activities

Fly into: Geneva or Zurich (approx. 2 hours)

Transfer time: approx. 2 hours 45 mins (from Zurich) or 3 hour (from Geneva) by train (journey will require changes of train)

Rep service: In resort (rep is based in Interlaken but visits Wilderswil)

Resort card: Swiss Half Fare Card included for all hotels - a range of travel passes are available to pre-book

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