Lauterbrunnen is a village in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, with a population of 2290 in 2018. It lies in a dramatic sheer-sided U-shaped valley, with scores of waterfalls - its name means "clear springs" but is often rendered as "loud springs" for their roar in spate. At an elevation of 800 m it's accessible from the lowlands, linked from Interlaken by road in 1834 and by rail in 1890, boosting the tourist trade. Tolkien was 19 when he hiked through in 1911, later to render its landscape as Rivendell. But as the railways wound higher up the mountain, ski tourism followed, leaving Lauterbrunnen as just the place you change trains. It's still a hiking destination in summer, and a budget alternative to the higher resorts.
The Tourist Office is opposite the railway station. It's open W-Su 08:30-12:00, 13:15-17:00.
For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern.
Change at Interlaken Ost for the BOB train - the Berner Oberland-Bahn. Don't get off at Interlaken West, which is town centre.
You need to be in the front portion of the BOB train. This runs every 30 min and takes 20 min via Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen (where the rear portion divides for Grindelwald) to Lauterbrunnen. The last train up is at 23:00. From here there's a cablecar to Grütschalp (for Mürren), the WAB mountain railway to Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch, and a Postbus to Stechelberg for the cable-car to Gimmelwald, Mürren, Birg and the Schilthorn. Eurail passes get you a 25% discount on the BOB and WAB trains but are not in themselves valid for travel beyond Interlaken. A Swiss Travel Pass is valid to Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and Mürren and gets you 50% discount on the WAB trains.
Lauterbrunnen railway station 📍 is north end of the village.
You can get here by road but parking is often congested with visitors to the mountain villages where cars aren't permitted. The multi-storey parking lot by Lauterbrunnen railway station has a minimum of 5 days in winter (Fr. 66) and 3 days in summer. There's a short-stay at Kirchenparkplatz 500 m south near Staubbach waterfall, and another 3 km south for Trümmelbach falls. The car park at Stechelberg cable-car station is Fr. 8 for 12 hours and Fr. 12 for 24.
Lauterbrunnen straggles along Fuhren its main street. You can walk from the station to Staubbach Falls, and by a longer hike to Trümmelbach.
KuBus 141 runs every 30 min from Lauterbrunnen station to Trümmelbach and Stechelberg (15 min), for the Schilthorn cable-car. The last bus is around midnight, connecting with the last cable-car to Mürren.
Bus 142 runs from Lauterbrunnen to Isenfluh on the northwest slopes, where you take a cable car to Sulwald (adult Fr. 6.40). There are hiking trails, no ski pistes but a toboggan run back to Isenfluh.
Imboden Bike Rental is on main street 100 m south of the railway station, open daily 09:00-18:00.
Skiing: a cross-country or langlauf trail follows the hiking route to Stechelberg, see below. The valley floor has no Alpine downhill skiing, you have to ride up to Mürren or Wengen, which is why accommodation down here is much cheaper.
Hiking: there are many hikes in the mountains above, but several trails start from the valley floor.
Wengwald and Wengen are reached by a trail west from town centre. You can ride back from either on the WAB train.
To Trümmelbach Falls, follow the ratty main road until it swings left at Hotel Horner, then take the side lane by Staubbach Falls. Stay on this quieter side until the trail branches east at Buchen, crossing a footbridge to the main road and Falls entrance.
Stechelberg is reached by continuing south on the lane at Buchen instead of branching for Trümmelbach. Falls cascade on either side as the valley walls close in: very scenic, and you may have it to yourself as it's not on the tourist circuit.
Tanzbödeli, meaning the dance-floor, is a glacial cirque, a little plateau overlooking the south end of the valley. Ascend either along the shoulder of the mountain from Stechelberg or by the steep route from Gimmelwald, 6 km each way.
For Oberhornsee you start on the same trail from Stechelberg but tend to the left / east side of the valley, ascending to a scenic small lake, 8.3 km.
Skydive Switzerland operate from the heliport 1 km south of town, year-round weather permitting. They offer training, jumps for the experienced, and "tandems" (Fr. 450) suitable for tourists. Their helicopters ascend to 4000 m / 13,000 ft, which gives you a 45 sec freefall descent then a five-minute canopy ride.
The Co-op by the station is open M-F 08:00-18:30, Sa 08:00-17:00.
Along main street are Stefan von Allmen Bakery, Base Cafe, Food Point Kebab, Oberland within the hotel, Flavours Cafe, Airtime Cafe, and Schützen within that hotel.
As of Feb 2022, the town has 4G from all Swiss carriers, extending the length of the valley from Interlaken to Gimmelwald. 5G is creeping its way up the valley but has not yet reached Lauterbrunnen.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division