All the resorts of the Bernese Oberland have so much to offer. They provide a diverse landscape from the mountainous regions above the Lauterbrunnen Valley to the lakeside splendours and medieval towns on Lake Thun.
The North Face of the Eiger, first conquered in 1938, is one of the world’s most difficult mountain climbs. In an extraordinary feat of engineering, the Swiss have built a cog railway line with a seven metre tunnel through the Eiger, with viewing stations from where you can watch climbers making their assault on the North Face.
To get there take the Jungfrau Railway, which connects to many resorts including Interlaken, Wengen and Grindelwald. This spectacular cog railway travels from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, and is the highest railroad station in Europe at 3,454 metres above sea level. The views along the route to the Männlichen, the magnificent Eiger’s Sea of Ice, and the entire Bernese Oberland are breathtaking. Once there don’t miss the viewing platforms to see the dramatic Aletsch glacier, an ice palace filled with beautifully carved ice sculptures and the highest post office in Europe. Any Swiss train journey from the Glacier Express to routes bordering the lakes are a scenic delight and guarantee punctuality, smoothness and efficiency.
Festivals, activities from boat rides to paragliding, and historical tours all give the resorts from Wilderswil and Mürren to Kandersteg their unique character. But what all the Bernese Oberland resorts share is some of the most spectacular and dramatic scenery in the world. No wonder many of these destinations have provided the backdrop to the jaw dropping exploits of James Bond. In Mürren don’t miss the 007 Walk of Fame and James Bond 007 breakfast buffet in the 360 degree revolving restaurant at Piz Gloria at the top of the Schilthorn cable car. For walkers it is paradise personified with over 500 km of walking trails in the Jungfrau region alone.
There are many superb viewing platforms throughout the region including sights such as glaciers and lakes. A new platform at the top of the Harder Kulm looks out over Lake Thun, Brienz and Interlaken. The scenery is superlative. You just need to draw back the curtains or step outside to see many of the world’s most beautiful mountains.
Weather
Summers in the Bernese Oberland are consistently warm in mid-summer with mostly blue skies. The valleys are a vibrant green with colour everywhere. In the towns the balconies of hotels and chalets and every spare space is filled with geraniums and summer bedding plants. In the valley expect highs of 20-24°C in July and August. If you are planning to take a cable car up to higher altitudes, be prepared for cooler and changing temperatures. Nights are generally cooler.
