• v Bernese Oberland

Grindel­wald Wengen

Skiing in Grindelwald Wengen – A complete guide to the Swiss ski resort

Ski resort figures

Slopes

158

of slopes

ski pass

65

Day ski pass for adult

Slope difficulty

63

of blue slopes

Blue slope

71

of red slopes

Piste rouge

24

of black and yellow slopes

Black slope

Altitude

1034

village

2320

peak

Snow cover

65

of the ski resort is snow-sure

Ski map

See

Slope conditions

See

Grindelwald Wenge ski resort

Dramatic landscapes and quaint villages

Skiing in Grindelwald Wengen takes place in a James Bond style movie setting. The breathtaking rock faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks overlook the ski region. Beginners and intermediate skiers are going to love the moderately steep ski slopes. Some of the long and varied slopes follow the cog railway line from the top of the mountains, wind through the forests and end in villages. Non-skiers will easily get around thanks to the trains that connect the villages, the peaks and the winter hiking trails.

At the foot of the impressive north face of the Eiger, the lively village of Grindelwald (1’000m) and its 19th century wooden chalets are a classic of the Swiss Alps. Two ski areas in the region are accessible from the village: the smaller but excellent Grindelwald-First ski area and the main area of Kleine Scheidegg, which is also connected to Wengen.

Standing on a sunny terrace, Wengen (1’200m) is a peaceful village of traditional chalets and large Victorian-style hotels. The view over the U-shaped valley of Lauterbrunnen will fascinate the skier hungry for picture-postcard landscapes. The village awakens from its winter slumber once a year, when professionals and the general public flock to the very famous Lauberhorn ski competition.

Arrival of the train and tracks at Kleine Scheidegg
Chalet in Grindelwald
Freeride at Kleine Scheidegg
Village of Grindelwald
Aletsch Glacier
View from Grindelwald-First
Wengen village and view of Lauterbrunnen
Wengen village

Videos of snow-covered mountains in Wengen
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Video by Thomas Brinkman

Our review of the skiing area

Winter paradise for intermediate skiers

Grindelwald Wengen consists of two distinct ski areas: Grindelwald-First (50 km of slopes, only accessible from Grindelwald) and Kleine Scheidegg (100 km of slopes, accessible from Grindelwald or Wengen). Both areas are a top destination for beginners and intermediate skiers, but lack a bit of challenge for advanced skiers.

Kleine Scheidegg / Männlichen

Fairly easy red slopes make up the major part of the ski area. They are located mainly on the Grindelwald side, starting from the ridge that separates the two sides of the ski area. Several runs lead through a variety of landscapes directly into the villages of Wengen and Grindelwald.

Experienced skiers will have more fun trying out the black run on the Kleine Scheidegg side. This is where the famous Lauberhorn World Cup downhill race takes place, which runs 4.2 kilometres down to Wengen. The run is open to the general public after the event, which is always held in mid-January.

There are several ways to get to the ski area: To Männlichen: the gondola lift from Grindelwald Grund (30 min) or the cable car from Wengen (16 min). To Kleine Scheidegg: by cogwheel train from Grindelwald (32 min) or from Wengen (25 min).

Photo: Jungfrau Region

Beginners

The region has everything to please beginner skiers. Both villages have learning areas close to the centre as well as high up (Männlichen, Kleine Scheidegg) and blue runs easily accessible to all.

Snowpark

Grindelwald-First has a snowpark (White Element near Bärgelegg) with rails, kickers, bagjumps and a 130 m halfpipe.

Photo: Jungfrau Region

Grindelwald-First

The Grindelwald-First ski area is smaller. However, it offers beautiful sunny intermediate slopes and the best views in the region. It can only be reached via a gondola lift (24 min) from Grindelwald. A good reason to stay in Grindelwald instead of Wengen. If the snow cover permits, the highest points of the ski region offer long, beautiful descents down into the valley through forests and pastures.

Snow cover

As most of the slopes are located between 1’600 and 2’300m above sea level, snow cover is usually good throughout the season but not guaranteed in early and late season. At a relatively low altitude, the valley runs to Grindelwald (1’000m) and Wengen (1’200m) are the most affected. The ski esort boasts an extensive network of snow machines in case (about 65% of the area).

Ski pass prices

The Grindelwald Wengen ski pass (CHF 65) includes the ski areas of Grindelwald-First and Kleine Scheidegg, while the Jungfrau Region Sport pass (CHF 74) also includes the ski resort of Mürren-Schilthorn and the train journey from Interlaken. Every Saturday, up to three children can ski for free if accompanied by an adult.

Connections between ski areas

The villages and mountains of the region are easily accessible and extremely well connected by a efficient train network. Check the timetables, however, as travel times in the mountains can be longer than you think and the trains are sometimes crowded. In Grindelwald, a ski bus connects Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald-First every 15 minutes.

Photo: Jungfrau Region

Photo: Jungfrau Region

Mürren-Schilthorn

This is Agent 007’s ski area. This is indeed where the famous James Bond ski chase was filmed in 1969 for “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service“. The slopes will appeal to intermediate skiers, although their level of difficulty is higher than in the rest of the region. Beware of the distances: from Wengen, reaching the area requires a train and a cable car ride.

Getting to Grindelwald Wengen

Location and access

Grindelwald and Wengen lie in two separate valleys in the Jungfrau region (Bernese Oberland). They draw crowds all year round to visit the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. Most of these tourists are only passing through for the day and return to the city of Interlaken or the elsewhere in the country in the evening.

The big plus of this region is its accessibility from Bern, whether by car (1h15) or train (1h30).

The majority of travellers will arrive in Interlaken via the motorway. From there exit and follow Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen. The valley splits in two further on, turn left to reach Grindelwald or continue straight on to Wengen.

Grindelwald
Grindelwald can be reached by car. Please ask your hotel when making your reservation about the availability of parking spaces, as public car parks in Grindelwald are expensive. The daily charge for parking in the “Parkhaus Eiger” or “Parkhaus Sportzentrum” car park is CHF 25 per day. There is an open car park near the Grindelwald-First lifts with a limited number of spaces for CHF 20 per day and another one at the Grindelwald-Grund railway station for CHF 6 per day.

Wengen
Wengen is a car-free village. Don’t try to reach the village even with a GPS system. It will guide you on a small mountain road that is closed to the public. Instead, drive to the “Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen” car park. It costs 17 frs per day and offers discounts as of 2 continuous days. From there, you can reach the train station directly by lift. Then take the train to Wengen (12 min. / 6.80 CHF per journey for an adult, runs every 30 minutes).

Driving distance to Grindelwald

From
Travel time
Lausanne
2h15
Fribourg
1h30
Berne
1h
Geneva-Airport
2h30
Zurich-Airport
2h15
Lyon
4h15
Paris
6h45

The villages of Grindelwald and Wengen can be reached by train and are very well connected to the national SBB network.

Grindelwald

  • From anywhere in Switzerland take the InterCity trains to Interlaken-Ost station.
  • From there change to the regional train in the direction of Grindelwald.
  • Get off at Grindelwald station, which is in the centre of the village.
  • To reach the Kleine Scheidegg ski region directly, change to the train in the direction of Kleine Scheidegg.
  • To reach the Grindelwald-First gondola lift, you will have to walk 10 minutes or take a bus (4 min.).

Total journey time from Interlaken-Ost: 35 minutes.
Price of single ticket per adult without reduction: CHF 12.00.

Distance by train to Grindelwald

From
Travel time
Changes
Lausanne
3h
2 x
Fribourg
2h
2 x
Berne
1h35
1 x
Geneva-Airport
3h50
2 x
Zurich-Airport
3h
2 x
Lyon
5h30
3 x
Paris
5h45
2 x

SBB train timetable

Wengen

  • From anywhere in Switzerland take the InterCity trains to Interlaken-Ost station.
  • From there change to the regional train in the direction of Lauterbrunnen.
  • In Lauterbrunnen, change for the train to Wengen.
  • Get off in Wengen to reach the village centre.
  • To reach the Kleine Scheidegg ski area directly, stay on the train.

Total journey time from Interlaken-Ost: 45 minutes.
Single ticket price per adult without reduction: CHF 15.00

Luggage
If you are travelling with bulky luggage and ski equipment: SBB can transport your luggage or skis from Switzerland’s major cities and airports for CHF 12 per piece of luggage per journey. You can then collect them at Grindelwald and Wengen railway stations. Please note, however, that there is a two-day delay between the handover of your luggage and its arrival at your destination. Ask at an SBB station counter well in advance.

The nearest international airports are Zurich and Basel (about 2 hours by car or 3 hours by train) and Geneva (about 3 hours by car or 3 hours 30 minutes by train).

Geneva and Zurich airports have their own railway stations connected to the national network. From Basel airport, it is necessary to take a bus to reach the “Basel SBB” train station in the city centre.

In any case, you must first go to Bern station and then change trains to Interlaken-Ost. Then follow the instructions under “Arriving by train”.

The two train stations of Grindelwald (Grindelwald and Grindelwald-Grund) are connected by a train to Kleine Scheidegg, the top of the ski area. A network of public bus connects the train stations to the various parts of the village and the ski lifts. In winter, a ski bus runs every 15 minutes between the ski areas of Grindelwald-First and Kleine Scheidegg.

Wengen is a relatively compact village and can be easily visited on foot.

Hotels in Grindewald Wengen

The best hotels of the ski resort

The quaint charm of the local hotellerie will please to the nostalgic of the Belle Époque. Many of the hotels are family-run and provide a warm welcome and stunning views of the mountains. A few hotels in Grindelwald offer a more contemporary setting.

Grindelwald

Berghaus Grindelwaldblick

  • Gastronomy
  • Ski-in Ski-out
  • With a view

Located right in the middle of Kleine Scheidegg's slopes (2 100 m), this hostel has simple and clean dorm rooms. You can also expect splendid views of the peaks and a restaurant with mountain specialities.

Located right in the middle of Kleine Scheidegg's slopes (2 100 m), this hostel has simple and clean dorm rooms. You can also expect splendid views of the peaks and a restaurant with mountain specialities.

Dorm / Room

CHF 45 à CHF 90

Grindelwald

Hotel Alpenblick

  • Budget
  • Laid-back
  • With a view

This affordable hotel in Grindelwald has simple and clean rooms, as well as a lively bar and restaurant with a friendly atmosphere.

This affordable hotel in Grindelwald has simple and clean rooms, as well as a lively bar and restaurant with a friendly atmosphere.

per night per room

CHF 100 à CHF 135

Grindelwald

Berghaus Bort

  • Mountain interior
  • Ski-in Ski-out
  • With a view

This cosy hotel is located on the slopes of Grindelwald First's ski area. It has a splendid view of the mountains and modern rooms. Only accessible by cable car.

This cosy hotel is located on the slopes of Grindelwald First's ski area. It has a splendid view of the mountains and modern rooms. Only accessible by cable car.

per night per room

CHF 150 à CHF 180

Wengen

Sunstar Hotel Wengen

  • Ski-in Ski-out

This hotel is well located in the centre of the village, opposite the cable car. It has a swimming pool, hammam and sauna area.

This hotel is well located in the centre of the village, opposite the cable car. It has a swimming pool, hammam and sauna area.

per night per room

CHF 180 à CHF 235

Grindelwald

Hotel Gletschergarten

  • Traditional

This hotel offers a cosy mountain atmosphere with exposed wooden beams and ceilings. While single rooms are modern, luxury rooms exude a more traditional flair. 5 min. walk from the Grindelwald-First gondola lift.

This hotel offers a cosy mountain atmosphere with exposed wooden beams and ceilings. While single rooms are modern, luxury rooms exude a more traditional flair. 5 min. walk from the Grindelwald-First gondola lift.

per night per room

CHF 200 à CHF 250

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