A mom of 4 sharing my complete guide to the Bernese Overland Region in Switzerland. Including Lauterbrunnen, Jungfraujoch, Mürren, Wengen, Gimmewald and Trümmelbach Falls.
There are trips you plan and trips that plan you. Our week in Lauterbrunnen was the latter. We’ve seen the valley in photographs a hundred times. But nothing quite prepares you for arriving in person. Especially with four kids in tow. And Switzerland is even more beautiful than the internet led you to believe.
We spent five nights in the Bernese Oberland in early August. It was the first leg of a two-week Europe trip. So if you’ve been considering Switzerland with your family and wondering whether it’s worth it — it is. Completely. Unreservedly. It is.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Getting There
We flew into Zurich (ZRH) on a direct flight from Los Angeles. From the airport we took the train directly to Lauterbrunnen. So forget the rental car. No stress. And no navigating Swiss mountain roads on jet-lagged eyes. The Swiss rail system is extraordinary. Clean, punctual, and genuinely scenic from the first kilometer. It’s also completely doable with children, luggage, and baby gear included.
Practical note: Consider purchasing a half fare pass in advance at sbb.ch. Add your children at the time of purchase and they travel free the entire trip. Because with six people the savings add up quickly. The Swiss Travel Pass is also worth considering if you plan to use mountain transport during your stay.
Where We Stayed
Friends of ours own a hotel in the region, Oberland Hotel. We visited the region years ago on a couples trip. And we’ve been dying to bring the kids ever since. Set right in the heart of the valley with balcony views that stop you in your tracks. The hotel is warm, beautifully run, and genuinely family-friendly. But without being a resort-style theme park about it.
Lauterbrunnen village itself is also the perfect base. Small enough to feel intimate. Yet well-connected enough to reach everything in the region within 30 minutes.
What I Packed
You can read the entire edit here
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What We Did: Five Days in the Bernese Oberland Region
The Lauterbrunnen Valley Itself
Don’t underestimate simply being in Lauterbrunnen. The valley floor has 72 waterfalls. Seventy-two. And they’re visible from various points as you make your way through. Staubbachfall drops 297 meters directly above the village. It’s one of the tallest free-falling waterfalls in Europe. But skip the hike up — the crowds aren’t worth it. Because there are plenty of other beautiful, less crowded views.
Our favorite way to explore was by bike. The valley gets busy once the trains arrive, so get out early. There are bike rental outposts throughout the valley. You can rent by the hour, half day, or full day. We biked to Trümmelbach Falls on our first morning. Then continued our way to Gimmelwald by cable car.
Evenings in the valley are magical. The light changes every few minutes as the sun drops behind the cliffs. Meanwhile the air cools quickly. And the sound of the waterfalls carries across everything. There is nowhere else quite like it at golden hour.
Trümmelbach Falls
Trümmelbach Falls was one of the most unexpected experiences of the whole trip. It’s a series of ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain. You take a lift carved into the rock face. Then walk through tunnels while the Eiger’s meltwater thunders past you. Twenty thousand liters per second.
It’s loud, dramatic, and completely unlike any waterfall experience you’ve ever had. And the kids thought it was one of the coolest things in Switzerland. They weren’t wrong.
It’s just outside Lauterbrunnen — so it makes for an easy half-morning excursion. You can even bike there. One note: children four and under are not permitted inside. But don’t stress. Because my favorite café in the valley is right outside. The perfect excuse to sit and wait with a coffee.
running shorts // tee // SPF 50 anorak // hiking boots
Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe
If you do one thing in Switzerland, do this. At 3,454 meters, the Jungfraujoch is the highest railway station in Europe. And the journey up runs through tunnels carved directly into the mountain. There is nothing else quite like it.
At the top you’ll find the Aletsch Glacier. It’s Europe’s largest, and it spreads out in every direction in a landscape that feels genuinely otherworldly.
Book tickets well in advance at jungfrau.ch because early morning departures sell out fast. Go on the first train if you can. But be warned — clouds build by afternoon and visibility drops quickly.
Männlichen & Kleine Scheidegg — The Classic Ridge Walk
This is the Bernese Oberland at its most cinematic. Take the cable car from Wengen up to Männlichen. Then walk the ridge to Kleine Scheidegg with the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau directly in front of you. The entire walk.
It’s approximately three miles and mostly flat. So it’s completely manageable with older children. I wore my 20 month old the whole way.
The views are staggering. There’s a famous bench at Männlichen summit worth finding. Sit with the three great north faces directly ahead of you. The Eiger’s north face — one of the most notorious climbs in the world — is right there. So sit for a moment and let it land.
From Kleine Scheidegg you can train back down to Lauterbrunnen. Or continue to Grindelwald for lunch. You can also do this walk after visiting Jungfraujoch — simply take the cable car back down to Wengen from Männlichen on your way.
Mürren & Gimmelwald — The Car-Free Villages
Mürren is where people fall in love with Switzerland and never quite recover. It sits on a clifftop with no road access and no cars. Just flower boxes, mountain views, and the sound of cowbells. And it’s the Switzerland of your imagination made real.
Take the cable car from Stechelberg up to Gimmelwald first. It’s a tiny hamlet that feels like a secret. Then continue up to Mürren. Walk the village slowly. Have lunch at one of the terraced restaurants with the Jungfrau directly in front of you. And let yourself slow down completely.
Gimmelwald has a quality of quiet that feels genuinely rare. The kind of place that recalibrates something in you.
Additionally, if you have littles, don’t miss the Allmendhubelplayground. Take the funicular up and let them run. Because it’s one of the most beautiful playgrounds I’ve ever seen.
Jeans // Sneakers // Crossbody bag // tank // gingham set // basket bag // flats
Interlaken — A Perfect Afternoon Off the Mountain
Not every day in Switzerland needs to be a summit. We spent one afternoon in Interlaken and it was one of the most relaxed days of the trip. Interlaken sits between two lakes at the foot of the Bernese Oberland. And it’s easily reached by train from Lauterbrunnen.
We rented stand-up paddleboards from the Neuehouse. It’s accessible from the train station via a short bus ride. So we spent an hour on the water with the mountains reflected all around us. Simple and completely perfect.
Lunch at the Neuehouse followed. Then we wandered the town at our own pace. We stopped into the gift shop for the Swiss souvenirs the kids had been lobbying for since day one. And then a chocolate shop. Which requires no further explanation.
Practical Notes for Families
**Getting around:** The valley is served by trains, buses, cable cars, and gondolas. A Swiss Travel Pass or Half Pass covers most of it and is excellent value for a
multi-day stay. Children under 16 travel free with an adult traveling with a travel pas
**The Jungfraujoch:** Book early, go early, bring warm layers. It’s worth every penny.
**Packing for the valley:** Comfortable walking shoes are essential. The cobblestones and mountain paths are everywhere. A lightweight rain jacket, a
warm layer, and hiking boots will serve you better than anything else.
**With a baby:** Switzerland is more manageable with a little one than you might expect. The trains have space for strollers, the cable cars are roomy, the
valley walks are mostly flat and playgrounds are around every corner. Trümmelbach and Männlichen are both doable with a baby carrier.
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