When you think of Switzerland in summer what comes to mind? For me, it’s stunning green valleys surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The sound of cows in the meadows. It is cute wooden homes decorated with flowers. Grindelwald is a postcard perfect town. Located in the Bernese Oberland area, it epitomises the Swiss summer dream! And there is no shortage of things to do in Grindelwald in summer. Winning!
We stayed in Grindelwald for 2 nights in August, and as soon as we got there I wished we were staying longer. We were blessed with the end of the European heatwave, meaning the days were sunny and glorious. The key thing to do in Grindelwald in summer is to take advantage of all the hiking trails. You could easily spend a week here taking off on various routes. Given our short stay we decided to do the most popular trail, the hike to Lake Bachalpsee.
Hiking Lake Bachalpsee
One of the most popular things to do in Grindelwald in summer is getting up to Lake Bachalpsee. To start the hike we took the cable car up from the town of Grindelwald to Grindelwald First. The journey takes about 25 minutes and costs 60 Swiss Francs (approx. $85AUD) for a return trip. We were able to buy our tickets from our hotel to beat the queue.
The cable car in itself is a wonderful experience as you’re surrounded by the most amazing views. You’re transported up higher and higher in complete silence. From Grindelwald First we set off on the path to Lake Bachalpsee. The signs say it takes 50 minutes to get there. It took us about 1.5 hours because we were continually stopping to take in the views.
It’s hard to convey the beauty of the hike. It’s like all your senses have come alive at once and you’re struck in absolute awe. We were surrounded by snow capped mountains. The north face of the Eiger dominates the skyline.
We would come across the local herds of mountain goats and cows and the constant ringing of their bells. These moments were so Swiss. We joked that the only thing that could make it moreso, is if Roger Federer turned up munching on a Toblerone!
Arriving at the lake, I was struck by how peaceful it was. There were over 100 people sitting around enjoying the scenery. We took up a spot and devoured our pre-packed picnic lunch we purchased at a bakery beforehand. We spent about an hour here resting and admiring the views. It’s hard to leave these type of scenes. We reluctantly headed back on the same path to Grindelwald First.
Grindelwald First cliff walk
Just outside the Grindelwald First cable car station you’ll find the Tissot Grindelwald First cliff walk. This is an absolute must-do! It’s not for the faint-hearted but offers incredible views as you follow the path that wraps around a cliff face. Looking down might give you a bit of a shock, so keep your eyes up if you’re not so good with heights.
What goes up, must come down. So once we were done, we enjoyed the cable car trip back down to Grindelwald.
Our room with a view
Our stay in Grindelwald was all the better because of our charming hotel. Hotel Gletschergarten is a family run hotel that is quintessentially alpine. We loved relaxing on our balcony with gorgeous mountain views. The breakfasts were delicious and included in the stay too!
Grindelwald town
The town itself is super cute and our sunset strolls down the main street were stunning. It’s much quieter in the evenings once the day-trippers depart. Our favourite meal was at a small family-run restaurant called Onkel Tom’s Hutte, which served delicious oven-baked pizzas.
After a wonderful stay I was happy that our Swiss mountain holiday was not over yet. We then set off for a drive to see the one and only Matterhorn in Zermatt! You can read about our top 5 things to do in Zermatt here.
Have you got any other tips for things to do in Grindelwald in summer?
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