Mountain railways

The highest railway station in Europe

The pioneering Jungfrau Railway was opened in 1912. The rack railway takes you from the Kleine Scheidegg pass to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454 metres above sea level. 7.3 kilometres of the nine-kilometre route are tunnels, passing through the Eiger and Mönch mountains.

Schilthorn, Birg, Allmendhubel

The journey from the Stechelberg to the Schilthorn via Gimmelwald, Mürren and Birg takes 32 minutes. In 1969, the summit at 2,970 metres above sea level was the filming location for the classic James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. What is now the 360-degree revolving restaurant was the villain Blofeld’s base in the film. It was given the name Piz Gloria, which has stuck to this day.
Another great option  is a trip up the Allmendhubel, Mürren’s local mountain. The Schilthorn cableway also operates the funicular.

To the Alpen tower, and beyond

Bergbahnen Meiringen-Hasliberg runs 14 cable car facilities in the Meiringen-Hasliberg skiing and hiking area. The Alpen tower is a highlight of the area. To get there, first you take the Meiringen-Hasliberg Reuti aerial cableway, then the Hasliberg Reuti-Bidmi-Mägisalp gondola cableway and finally the Mägisalp-Alpen tower gondola cableway to reach the mountain restaurant at 2,250 metres above sea level and boasting an unrivalled 360-degree view. From this point, you can see more than 400 mountain peaks in good weather.

A journey with panoramic views

The Lauterbrunnen-Mürren aerial cableway connects Lauterbrunnen with Mürren. Take the aerial cableway from Lauterbrunnen to the Grütschalp mountain station. There, change to the narrow-gauge railway and travel on to Winteregg or Mürren.

To Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen

The Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) connects Interlaken Ost with Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Usually, two coupled trains travel to Zweilütschinen, where they then separate. One train continues to Lauterbrunnen, while the other goes to Grindelwald.

Fast and modern

The Eiger Express is the most state-of-the-art tricable gondola in the world. In just 15 minutes, it takes you from the terminal in Grindelwald to the Eigergletscher at 2,328 metres above sea level – right to the middle of the incredible skiing area.

The high point of adventure

The centrepiece of the First Railway is the six-seater gondola cableway, which runs from Grindelwald to First via Bort and Schreckfeld. The journey takes around 25 minutes. At the summit, you will find the First Cliff Walk, the First Flyer and the First Glider, to name just a few attractions. In addition to the gondola cableway, the First Railway also includes three chairlifts and two ski lifts.

Eight unique railways

The Gelmer funicular is the steepest open funicular in Europe. The Hospiz gondola takes you to the foot of a dam. The Oberaarbahn takes you from Grimsel Hospiz to the Oberaarsee via the Grimselsee. And at the Reichenbach Waterfall, you can follow  in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes. Grimselwelt has eight railways. Each one is special and unique.

Take a bus to Grindelwald’s most beautiful hiking spots

Let Grindelwald Bus take you on unforgettable mountain journeys through charming Alpine meadows and wildly romantic mountain landscapes, or to the foot of the majestic Wetterhorn. The buses can also take you to the Bussalp sun terrace and viewing platform, to the idyllic Waldspitz with its magnificent mountain scenery or over the Grosse Scheidegg.

Heaven for hikers and skiers

With a length of 6.2 km, the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola cableway was the longest gondola cableway in the world for many years. However, since 1995, this record has belonged to the Rainforest gondola cableway in Australia. In 2019, the old cableway was dismantled and replaced with a new, faster gondola cableway. The 10-seater gondolas offer spectacular views of the impressive mountain landscape. In just 19 minutes, the gondola cableway will take you from Grindelwald Terminal to the Männlichen – to the heart of the hiking and skiing area at 2,225 metres above sea level.

Off the beaten track

The small, almost nostalgic aerial cableway has been in operation since 1975. According to the Isenfluh-Sulwald aerial cableway website, it has room for eight people – or one cow. But don’t worry, you won’t be obliged to compete for space with cows! The original mountain village of Isenfluh lies 1,085 metres above sea level. It sits above Lauterbrunnen and offers amazing views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. It’s definitely off the beaten track – not many tourists come here. From here, you can take the aerial cableway to Sulwald at 1,520 metres above sea level.

Royal Ride

The Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway will take you 2,229.5 metres above sea level in just six minutes. You can even travel in an open-air cabin on the roof if you wish. This spectacular ride is called the Royal Ride. And rightly so, because it will make you feel like royalty.

Toboggan run, Fly-Line and more

Small but perfectly formed is an apt description of Pfingstegg. In summer, you can reach it in under five minutes by aerial cableway from Grindelwald. Pfingstegg boasts a 725-metre-long toboggan run and the Fly-Line.

The high point of tradition

The nostalgic Schynige Platte Railway takes you from Wilderswil to the Schynige Platte. This 7.3 kilometre rack railway climbs 1,420 metres in altitude.

The longest continuous rack railway in the world

The Wengernalp Railway connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Grindelwald with Kleine Scheidegg, which is 2,061 metres above sea level. It covers 19,114 metres, making it the longest continuous rack railway in the world.

Over the Brünig pass

The services run by the Zentralbahn include the Lucerne-Interlaken Express from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost, via the Brünig Pass. This sometimes steep rack railway route boasts views of five lakes in the foothills of the Alps, romantic waterfalls, idyllic streams, charming villages and magnificent mountains