Grindelwald - the ski resort of Switzerland - the best in its region. It is also called the "Village of Glaciers." Local entertainment will interest any tourist, and the landscapes will not leave you indifferent. The article tells how to get to the popular resort, what routes you can try there, and reviews of tourists.
Where is the resort located?
The ski resort Grindelwald is located in Switzerland (Bernese Alps). It is considered the largest and best in its region. The ride height reaches 3300 meters.
The tourist resort is located in the area of three peaks:
- Monch ("Minh") - a height of four thousand ninety nine meters;
- Eiger ("Aiger") - three thousand nine hundred seventy meters high;
- Jungfrau ("Jungfrau") - rushed up four thousand one hundred fifty eight meters.
The only drawback of Grindelwald is its remoteness from large cities: Zurich is located at a distance of 195 km, and 205 km are separated from Geneva.
Near the resort there are small alpine towns of traditional architecture - Wengen and Murren.
Those who have never been to Grindelwald, Switzerland should definitely visit it. In addition to being a great resort, where the whole family is actively spending time, you can relax with your soul after seeing the beauty of the local landscape. Advertising in such places is not needed. Due to its good location and developed tourist infrastructure, Grindelwald is on the list of the elite organization The Best of the Alps.
Who is the resort for? What is in the territory?
The Grindelwald resort is suitable for families with children, inexperienced and intermediate skiers, freeriders and tourists, as well as lovers of restaurants and extraordinary landscapes. There is no spa resort, and nightlife is not abundant.
Sledding enthusiasts will also find entertainment here. Around the resort there are multiple toboggan runs of varying difficulty. A cable car will help you climb the mountain.
In general, in the resort are:
- more than fifty tracks running on a flat surface;
- sledding routes;
- forty-nine lifts;
- the difference in altitude on the routes is from one to almost three kilometers;
- Hiking trails
- routes for toboggans.
For the convenience of skiing, slopes and lifts in Grindelwald (Switzerland) are located as close as possible.
There are also special conditions - children under six are allowed to ride for free with an adult accompanying person (documenting the child’s age and having received a ski pass at the box office), young people under twenty are given a twenty percent discount, and older people (after sixty two years) - ten percent.
The resort is also proud of its developed tourist infrastructure, including a kindergarten and a ski school for children.
Grindelwald, Switzerland - how to get there?
You can get to the popular resort by car, taxi, hotel bus or public transport with transfers.
First, tourists need to fly to Zurich airport. From here you can order a taxi that will bring directly to Grindelwald, but the cost of such a trip is very high.
Many hotels provide meeting and transfer services. For an additional fee, visitors are expected at the exit from the airport and delivered directly to the room.
To use public transport you need to take the Genève-Aéroport or Brig train and get to the city of Bern. Then - transfer to the train to Interlaken Ost (final stop). And then by train to Grindelwald from platform 2B. The total travel time is about 3 hours.
The resort can also be reached from Geneva Airport. The journey will take approximately 4 hours. Take the train in the direction of St. Gallen or Luzern to the city of Bern. Next by train to Interlaken Ost, then to Grindelwald.
By road to the destination you can get from:
- Basel, distance - one hundred seventy-five kilometers;
- Geneva, a distance of two hundred and five kilometers;
- Zurich, passing Bern and Interlaken, and having traveled about ninety kilometers.
You can get around in Grindelwald by bus. There are railway stations: one in the center - with the name Grindelwald, and the second - on the way to the top of Kleine Scheidegg, in the Grund valley.
What is a must visit?
The opening of the ski resort takes place in November, and say goodbye to tourists in April.
It is especially beautiful here on New Year and Christmas holidays. The main street along which Grindelwald (Switzerland) is located, at this time shines with colorful bright illumination, decorations are hung all over its length. Favorite places of tourists add electricity: excellent restaurants with excellently prepared food, an abundance of boutiques and hotels.
All this is supported by the owners in their favorite Swiss style - a chalet. Items are made of wood, the tradition is carefully preserved.
Once in the resort, you should definitely do three things:
- slide off the cold snowy slopes;
- climb the highest local peak - Jungfrau;
- listen to the concert of the great Richard Wagner - a native of local.
Interesting activities in the winter are:
- World Snow Festival - held in January. At this time, artists from around the world are carving sculptures from snow blocks provided by the organizers.
- World Championship Velogemel (Snowbiking) - held annually in February, giving uniqueness to the alpine village.
- Snowpenair, an open-air snow music festival, is held in March at the close of the season on Klein Schneidegg.
Ski area and surrounding area
You can ski and sled in Grindelwald (Switzerland) on both sides of the valley. The territory includes blue, red and black tracks with a total length of 213 km. There are 51 of them, the height difference is 1937 m. By the level of difficulty, the tracks were divided almost evenly: 20% - difficult, 50% - medium-difficult, and 30% - for beginners.
For cross-country skiing enthusiasts, 34 km of flat trails are available. Lighting at night was carried out only to some of them.
The resort has over 80 km of hiking trails and 6 tracks 57 km long for tobogganing.
For fans of thrills, a new attraction is opened - First Flyer - it allows you to fly 800 meters down, at a speed of up to 80 km / h. This is a kind of safe "bungee".
In the region of neighboring Wengen, the World Cup is annually held on the famous black Lauberhorn track. Its length is 4454 m. The track is distinguished by insidious slopes and turns closer to the finish line.
Reviews about Grindelwald
Many tourists who have visited a heavenly place dream of returning here. They leave positive reviews about Grindelwald in Switzerland and highlight the following points:
- tourists are attracted by picturesque alpine landscapes, which are organically complemented by mountain villages;
- vast ski area, which is equipped with tracks of varying difficulty;
- the presence of a glacier enables year-round skiing;
- created conditions for relaxing with the family and training beginners;
- the atmosphere immerses tourists in a winter fairy tale;
- hotels of different levels, any tourists can choose suitable conditions for their rest.
But there are also negative points that are mentioned in the reviews:
- the road from Geneva or Zurich takes a lot of time; tourists would like to get there faster;
- ski areas are torn among themselves, and there are no ways to connect them, that is, starting a vacation in one zone, it is difficult to move to another;
- due to competition interesting tracks are often closed;
- large queues for lifts;
- few luxury hotels.
Despite the negative aspects, tourists consider Grindelwald a great place to relax.
List of hotels in Grindelwald (Switzerland)
In Grindelwald, about 270 hotels of various price categories are presented to the attention of tourists. Among the top five are the following (listed in descending order of rating):
- Gletschergarten Hotel Grindelwald - Located near popular attractions, Free Internet access is available on site. Comfortable country-style rooms, excellent cuisine - everything you need for a good rest. The train station is about twenty minutes from the hotel, and just a few minutes by car will take you to the nearby cities of Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen.
- Belvedere Swiss Quality Hotel - one of the oldest hotels, opened in 1904. It offers vacationers free internet, a jacuzzi, a Finnish sauna, a pool and a sports center. The rooms offer beautiful views of the Eiger Mountain. The restaurant serves not only international but also local cuisine.
- Aspen Alpine Lifestyle Hotel - operating since 2007, a classic Swiss chalet style, located a stone's throw from hiking trails. Multinational cuisine, views of the different slopes, hydromassage in the open air - all this will delight visitors to the hotel.
- Hotel Eiger - sheltered in the very center of the resort, it offers wonderful views of the icy peaks of the mountains. A few minutes walk away separates the hotel from the railway, numerous shops and the cable car. The sports center offers coach services, provides a cocoon sauna with the addition of aromatic herbs and needles, massages and spa treatments. Guests will also enjoy the evening with live folk music. It has been hosting tourists since 2002.
- Eiger Selfness Hotel - operating since 1962, located near the train station, which makes it easy to get to various attractions. Each room has a minibar and satellite TV for viewing on a modern flat-screen TV. Bars and restaurants are located nearby.
So, the resort of Grindelwald is the best place to stay in Switzerland. It is famous not only for its picturesque landscapes, but also for events. Also, for all visitors, a variety of routes, restaurants and entertainment are provided. Having visited the resort once, tourists dream of returning here again.