8 Fun Things To Do in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland – Amazing Hiking Trails, Paragliding, Mountain Biking, & More!

This is my list of 8 things to do in Lauterbrunnen, an idyllic Swiss village in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. The beautiful village lies at the bottom of a lush valley, surrounded by majestic rock walls. Lauterbrunnen is most famous for its large number of high-altitude waterfalls, cascading downwards from the overhanging valleys above. From the village, I saw the three famous mountains of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Based on my personal experience and research, I have created a list of 8 awesome things to do in Lauterbrunnen below.

1. Staubbach Falls

Can you spot Evan

There are three benches for you to sit and admire the waterfall

Poetry by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 -1832) describing beauty of Staubbach Falls

The inner viewing area was closed off to visitors when we visited. It only opens in Summer

I took this shot at the top of the waterfall using my drone!

Due to its position at the valley bottom, Lauterbrunnen is home to plenty of beautiful waterfalls (72, supposedly).

Staubbach Falls is the most famous waterfall. It is a short 12-minute walk from the Lauterbrunnen train station.

This gorgeous waterfall cascades downwards from a hanging valley 300 metres above Lauterbrunnen.

Visitors can even go up a steep trail to a viewing area behind the falls. This is not an easy trail and you have to go through a tunnel, walk on slippery rock paths, and climb up steep metal stairs.

Unfortunately, when we visited in April, this trail was closed to visitors. It only opens from May to October. You can click here to see the most updated opening dates.

However, it was still a very special experience to see the beautiful waterfall from the ground. The waterfall cascaded from such a high point that it was almost lost in spray by the time it reached the bottom.

The wife and I stood near the bottom of Staubbach Falls for about 15 minutes to revel in its beauty. We also took plenty of pretty pictures.

After that, I flew my drone to capture some awesome aerial footage of Staubbach Falls. I even managed to fly to the top of the waterfall!

I tried flying the drone even higher to see if I could film the snow-capped peaks, but unfortunately the DJI drone has a 500 metres altitude limit.

I only managed to catch a glimpse of the snow peak before the drone started resisting against flying any higher.

2. Hiking

There are two popular hiking trails in Lauterbrunnen.

The first one is an easy 6.7 kilometres hike from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. This flat and wide trail offers great views of the dramatic rock walls, along with a beautiful view of the prominent Breithorn.

You will pass by many pretty waterfalls, with the first one being the famous Staubbach Falls located near the start of the hike. The beautiful glacier fed Trümmelbach Falls is located along the path too.

As it was getting dark by the time we reached Lauterbrunnen, the wife and I didn’t do this hike. We only walked for a short distance along the trail towards the Staubbach Falls.

The second route is a 4.3 kilometres hike from Grütschalp to Mürren. This is an easy hike above the Lauterbrunnen valley, passing through forests and lush grasslands. It runs parallel to the Grütschalp-Murren railway.

You can reach Grütschalp by taking a 7-minute cable car ride from Lauterbrunnen. From Mürren, you can go back by taking a cable car down to Stechelberg, followed by a bus ride to Lauterbrunnen. Or you could take the train back to Grütschalp and and take the cable car again down to Lauterbrunnen.

3. Trümmelbach Falls

The Trümmelbach Falls (German: Trümmelbachfälle) are a series of 10 glacier waterfalls hidden inside a mountain. It is a UNESCO World heritage site.

To get to the falls, visitors need to take a tunnel lift inside the mountain and then walk along slippery rock paths.

Visitors are treated to deafening roars of the majestic waterfalls. You will also get to see impressive rock formations created by the raging waters.

To get to the Trümmelbach Falls, you can either hike for 3.6 kilometres (passing by Staubbach Falls along the way) or take a 10-minute bus ride from Lauterbrunnen.

4. Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking is a popular activity in Lauterbrunnen. It is a wonderful way to explore the beautiful valley.

You can rent your bikes from Imboden Bike, a well-known bike rental company. If you have a low fitness level, there are electric bikes available too.

According to online reviews, the staff are very helpful and will show you suggested routes based on your preferences.

Imboden Bike
Address: Fuhren, 3822 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Directions: 6-minute walk from Lauterbrunnen train station
Website: http://www.imboden-bike.ch
Phone: +41 33 855 2114
Email: info@imboden-bike.ch

5. Paragliding

Paragliding is another popular activity in Switzerland. You will have an amazing experience no matter where you paraglide in Switzerland, but Lauterbrunnen offers you amazing views of its dramatic landscape: rocky precipices, high-altitude waterfalls and snow-capped peaks.

You can book your paragliding adventure with Airtime Paragliding, a reputable company with many good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Incidentally, the wife and I did our paragliding in Interlaken with Paragliding Interlaken. You can read about our full paragliding experience here.

Airtime Paragliding
Address: Fuhren, 3822 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Directions: 6-minute walk from Lauterbrunnen train station
Website: https://airtime-paragliding.ch
Phone / Whatsapp: +41 79 247 8463
Email: info@airtime-paragliding.ch

6. Explore the Village

Walking around Lauterbrunnen with the wife, I really enjoyed the serenity of this small Swiss village.

Because we were on a tight schedule, we didn’t spend a lot of time here.

If you have more time to spare, I recommend taking a short walk around this tranquil village that is dotted with pretty Swiss wooden chalets.

7. Restaurant Weidstuebli

Restaurant Weidstuebli is a traditional Swiss restaurant located at the Camping Jungfrau campsite in Lauterbrunnen.

The restaurant is known for its delicious and affordable Swiss foods. Other than Swiss specialties, it also serves a variety of comfort food.

The wife and I had a wonderful dining experience here. The restaurant had a homey and welcoming vibe that immediately set us at ease once we entered.

The food was excellent and the prices were very affordable (by Swiss standards). This was definitely my favourite restaurant in Switzerland!

Restaurant Weidstuebli
Address: Camping Jungfrau AG, Weid 406, 3822 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Opening Hours: | Mon & Tue: CLOSED | Wed to Sun: 2.30pm – 10pm |
Phone Reservations: +41 33 856 2010
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RestaurantLauterbrunnen
Directions: The restaurant is a 15-minute walk from Lauterbrunnen Station. You will see a bright red “Restaurant” neon sign from afar.

8. Isenfluh & Sulwald

Isenfluh

Cable car up to Sulwald

Isenfluh is a sunny mountain village located about 400 metres above the Lauterbrunnen valley.

This is a very peaceful place that most tourists do not know about. Therefore, it offers a different Swiss experience from the usual tourist attractions. Here you can quietly enjoy fantastic views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.

You can reach Isenfluh by taking the PostBus from Lauterbrunnen. The journey time is about 12 minutes.

For the adrenaline junkies, Isenfluh offers plenty of outdoor activities like hiking, scooter-riding, snowshoe trails, ice climbing and tobogganing.

From Isenfluh, you can take a 5-minute cable car ride up to Sulwald, a hamlet (settlement smaller than a village) that offers knockout views of the three gorgeous alpine peaks.

The cable car is manually operated; you will actually have to open the door manually and press a button for it to start!

There is a small restaurant up on Sulwald, where you can have a meal while enjoying the gorgeous views.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Jungfrau Region Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?