You might think it’s pure madness to drive to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland’s biggest tourist spot, on a Saturday just before noon – and during the summer holidays, when it’s swarming with tourists from all over the world. But what if I told you that we did go to Lauterbrunnen, but instead of the traditional crowded tourist attractions, we boarded a bus for only 12 passengers and then a cable car that could hold a maximum of eight passengers? And we arrived at a place that is rightly called the viewing balcony above Lauterbrunnen. It almost sounds like a VIP trip from a fantasy world. But it was reality. Sulwald is exactly the place where crowds of tourists won’t trample you and can enjoy the wild beauty of the Bernese Oberland.
How to get to Lauterbrunnen
By car: From Bern, you can reach Lauterbrunnen by car in about an hour (approx. 70 km). Take the A6 motorway towards Thun, then towards Interlaken and continue on road no. 11 towards Wilderswil and Lauterbrunnen. In Lauterbrunnen, I recommend the Lauterbrunnen parking garage (Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen) right next to the train station, turning left before entering the village.
By train: From Interlaken Ost station, it takes 22 minutes by direct train with Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB) to Lauterbrunnen. Trains run regularly every half hour (x.01 and .31). A one-way ticket costs CHF 7.80, CHF 3.90 with Halbtax.
Post bus to Isenfluh
The post bus from Lauterbrunnen runs very rarely. Therefore, I recommend arriving at the bus stop early, which will give you an advantage when choosing a seat. On that Saturday morning, the minibus was packed to capacity – no wonder, given the beautiful weather for hiking.
The journey by post bus from Lauterbrunnen to the final stop, Isenfluh, Dorf, takes 12 minutes. The bus climbs up a narrow road and passes through a tunnel with a 360-degree bend. A ticket costs CHF 7.80, or CHF 3.90 with a Halbtax card.
Iselfluh Sulwald cable car
Upon arrival in the mountain village of Isenfluh, it is only a few dozen meters to the cable car station. The Isenfluh-Sulwald cable car operates daily from 7:00 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. The cable car runs every 15 minutes, but during busy periods it runs continuously. The small cabin can hold eight people (or one cow). A one-way ticket for adults costs CHF 10, for children CHF 5. GA, Junior-Karte, and Halb-tax Abo cards are not valid here. Holders of the Regional Pass Berner Oberland or Guest Card receive a discount of CHF 2.50 on a one-way ticket.
Sulwald – viewing balcony above Lauterbrunnen
After an adrenaline-filled ride in a very cramped cable car cabin, I recommend calming your nerves, enjoying something tasty, and taking in the views from the terrace of the adjacent restaurant.
Sulwaldstübli at the upper station of the Isenfluh-Sulwald cable car is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the summer season from the beginning of July to the end of October. Before that (May/June), it is always closed on Wednesdays.
Sulwaldflüh viewpoint
If you feel like it, before heading towards Grütschalp, you can take a short detour and visit the Sulwaldflüh viewpoint. It is less than a kilometer away on an asphalt road and offers a beautiful view of Interlaken. There is also a nice place for barbecuing with all the necessary equipment.
After returning to Sulwaldstübli via the same route, we followed the trail towards Chüebodmi. The terrain was slightly sloping at first, but then it began to climb continuously up natural steps, gaining altitude.
Chüebodmi
At the Chüebodmi signpost, the trail splits – if you go right, you’ll keep climbing towards the Lobhornhütte mountain hut. But we turned left and went down towards the pasture.
We crossed a wooden footbridge and continued along the contour line. After a few minutes, we heard a growing roar, and soon we saw its source in the distance – a waterfall on the mountain stream Sousbach.
Sousläger
We arrived at a spot where a footbridge spanned the stream, and my husband couldn’t resist the opportunity to cool off in the water (unfortunately, the photos have been censored 😉 ).
Marcheggwald
At the Sousläger signpost, there were two turnoffs towards Grütschalp. We chose the shorter route, which was half an hour shorter, so we turned left. In this final stage, a peaceful walk through the enchanting Marcheggwald forest awaited us.
Grütschalp
After about eight kilometers, we arrived at the cable car station at Grütschalp, which takes you back to Lauterbrunnen. The four-minute ride costs CHF 9.40 (CHF 4.40 with Halbtax).
Summary
- The route is 8 kilometers long and took us about three hours to complete.
- The route is definitely not suitable for strollers.
- As this is a mountain hiking trail (Bergwanderung), I recommend sturdy shoes and trekking poles.
- Please note that there is no post bus service on the Isenfluh-Linie between 10:35 and 12:05. This means that you should plan your arrival in Lauterbrunnen accordingly.
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