Travelling to Switzerland was a dream come true for both of us. After working for months, we landed amidst snow-capped Swiss Alps, green pastures, scenic landscapes, serene lakes, wooden cottages, picturesque bridges, magical surroundings took us by refreshing surprise. Switzerland has all the nature’s beauty one could ask. As it’s said, sometimes unplanned trips are the best ones you ever had. We planned to visit Jungfrau but ended up in a quaint village Grindelwald due to weather. Grindelwald is one of the most picturesque and secluded places in the world.
We stayed in Lauterbrunnen, another scenic village in the valley and we took the train from Lauterbrunnen to reach Grindelwald. The train ride was mesmerising. The time we get off the train, the small village left us speechless with the Bernese swiss alps, the greenery, the serenity, wooden chalets, beautiful streets and clear view of Eiger mountain peak. We highly recommend you guys to either stay in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen and explore both the villages.
Click here to find out why you should stay in Lauterbrunnen Valley.
How to Reach Grindelwald?
You can reach Grindelwald either by train or by road. We opted for the train ride. It is the easiest and cost-effective way to travel across Switzerland. We took the train from Lauterbrunnen to Zweilütschinen 129-Y and then took another train from Zweilütschinen to Grindelwald 97-Y. It was a 30 minutes journey overall.
There are so many things to do in Grindelwald. We started walking down the street and reach the place which offers the most stunning view of Eiger mountain peak.
Then, we saw the board for Grindelwald First Mountain, so we decided to take the cable car.
How to reach Grindelwald First?
To reach Grindelwald First, walk to Grindelwald Base Station, which is approximately 10 min walk from Town Centre.
From there, you can visit Grindelwald First via a cable car which would take 25 minutes. The cable car starts at 8:30 Am.
Tickets Information
The tickets for Cable car from Grindelwald to First costs 64 CHF(round trip), but if you have Swiss Travel Pass, then the ticket price is 32 CHF. The price for all the adventure activities like first mountain cart, first flyer, first glider etc. varies. You can buy tickets online. Also, you can book a full package of adventure activities in 99 CHF. If you choose to do either 1 or 2 activities then better buy your tickets on the go.
You can find all the information about Grindelwald First tickets and can also book your tickets from here.
We bought our ticket and got a 50% discount because of our Swiss HalfFare Travel Pass. Also, we bought our tickets for the mountain cart in Schreckfeld. You can collect your ticket from the machine outside the Grindelwald Base station.
Things to do in Grindelwald First
There is plenty to see and do on the First mountain, one of the most beautiful areas in the Jungfrau region.
1. Astonishing views from Grindlewald First Gondola Ride
The gondola ride to Grindelwald First offers the most phenomenal views. The gondola has 3stops from the valley station to Grindelwald-First at 2,168 metres above sea level. The three stations for the gondola are First, Bort and Schreckfeld.The summit charms travellers with breathtaking panoramas of the north face of the Eiger mountain peak.
Believe us when you reach the top, you are going to see the most beautiful alpine panoramic scenery you have ever seen in your life.
Tip- We recommend you to reach the top first and then make stops at Bort and Schreckfeld for the adventure activities. Also, start in the morning so that you get a full day for the adventure activities and hiking
Our gondola ride to First was surprising due to weather and the altitude changing. The first ascend till Brot offered the serene lush green landscapes, the sound of cowbells, clear sky and majestic pine trees. As we moved to our second station Schreckfeld, the weather got changed, and we could see the Eiger mountain peeking from behind the clouds. The scenery was just incredible.
When we reached the top, there was nothing visible to us because of cloudy weather, but within 2-3 minutes, clouds started to move, and we got to see the most amazing panoramic view of Swiss Alps from the First mountain. The moment was memorable as we thought we might not get to see anything from the top, but suddenly the weather got cleared, and we saw the Eiger mountain.
2. Grindelwald First Cliff Walk
Grindelwald First Cliff Walk by Tissot is the most popular thing to do in First. It is free of cost and requires no equipment. Even if you are there for a short time, you must try the Cliff Walk. It is the best Cliff walk in Switzerland.
Cliff walk is a metal pathway swinging along the mountain cliff of First mountain. It has a glass panel at the extreme end of the pathway. The people with the fear of heights might feel intimidated because the valley can be seen down from the metal and glass pathway.
We started our Cliff walk and, it was a little scary at first because of the wind and unclear weather. We reached the end of Cliff walk in 15 minutes and, there was a queue for getting the pictures. Unfortunately, the weather changed again, and by the time we reached the end of the cliff walk, it was cloudy.
3. Experience the adventure activities in Grindelwald First
Grindelwald is also known as Top of adventure as it offers many adventure activities.
a. First flyer is also flight attraction. It is a zipline with one person chair
b. First Glider is the zipline experience which will give you the bird's eye view. It is an 800-metre-long flight route at a speed up to 83 km/h.
c. First mountain cart is an adaption of go-karting and sledging. It travels down the mountain on almost any terrain and is safe.
d. Trottibike inherits its design from a scooter and bicycle. Its a scooter bike with no seat and pedals. You can stand on the wide footboard and roll along the slopes.
We had a limited time, so we decided to choose mountain cart as it was a new and different experience. We rented our mountain carts from Schreckfeld station. The route from Schreckfeld to Bort station was beautiful. We clicked pictures of the scenery and the cows on the way. The scenery was picturesque.
Although one incident happened with one of us on the mountain cart, the overall experience was great. We lost control of the mountain cart and fell off the cart. The mountain cart got stuck at the edge of the mountain, but luckily nothing happened to us. We somehow managed to get our mountain cart and descend to the next station.
Our advice to everyone is to be very careful with mountain carts and wear helmets.
4. Hike to Bachalspee
Bachalspee lake is one of the most popular places to visit in Grindelwald. The reflection of Swiss Alps in the glacial water of Bachalspee lake is fascinating. The lake can be reached in 50 minutes from Grindelwald -First. The hike to the lake is the most beautiful hikes in Grindelwald.
After the small mishap with our mountain cart, we finally reached to next station, Bort. One of us was slightly injured so we need to take some rest. We sat in the lush green grass to rest for a while. Also, we made a few calls to our friends to show them Swiss Alps. After some time we started our descend to Grindelwald.
The whole day was full of adventure and with the best panoramic views of Swiss Alps. We roam around the village for a while before taking our train to Interlaken.
General Information
Best time to visit- All year
For adventure activities – April to October
For winter activities (Skiing) – November to March
Time Required- 4 to 8 hours
Suitable For – Individuals, couples, families, groups
We highly recommend a day trip to Grindelwald First. If you are a traveller looking for serenity and adventure at the same time you are going to love this place.
To sum up things to do in Grindelwald, here is a small travel reel.
Keep travelling!
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