27 May 2023.
It was with some reluctance that we stayed in Wengen this trip. As our plans were made only a few days in advance, finding a suitable apartment in one of the three villages boiled down to only a few choices that we could gulp and swallow the price on.
Wengen’s Main Street: a few shops and restaurants along with several hotels, nestled beneath the Jungfrau.
Luckily, the apartment is comfortable and has all we need: dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer, and, most importantly, a Nespresso machine. It is also quiet since the village is car-free and each morning we wake to birdsong. We are immune to the hourly tolling of the church bells nearby as we fall into bed very tired from the day’s activities.
Our reluctance to stay in Wengen stemmed from the need to ride the train down and up from the Lauterbrunnen station every day. While it is less than 20 minutes each way, it does add to travel times when going to Interlaken, Grindelwald, Mürren and beyond. It is, however, a stunningly beautiful ride and, after all, what else do we have to do?
I took this photo of Lauterbrunnen from the train on our way back to Wengen yesterday.
On the plus side, we have gotten to know Wengen just a bit better. Prior trips had us passing through on the way to-or-from the Männlichen cable car. We had eaten a couple of meals here and years ago Ric once bought a wool hiking hat that still makes every trip. In the past we’ve taken in the view from the church and enjoyed two walks — Mönchblick and Staubbachbänkli — that we wrote about in our book Walking in Switzerland’s Berner Oberland. Our temporary residency has led us to “discover” two more lovely walks as well as the fabulous Restaurant Maya Caprice and we have come to appreciate the silence of this car-free zone.
Same waterfall, viewed from Hunneflue, above Wengen after a 25 minute walk.
We still love Lauterbrunnen and our happy home at James’ and Michele’s apartment, where we will pass a month again this fall. Wengen will also be on our list for a few outings in the fall.
For those visiting the area, be certain to stop at the Wengen Tourism Office next to the cable car station and pick up the Dorfplan, which is a little map of the village showing several very easy to moderate walks to viewpoints. These require no transportation and are lovely at any time of day with ever-changing lighting on the magnificent views. They will take you to corners of Wengen the casual visitor misses entirely as the majority are focused on the village center and getting up the mountains by train or cable car. Most of the paths are paved and many have lighting so that evening walks are feasible.
No wonder we come back so often. There is always something new for the easy-hiker to discover.
Girovaga 
Awesome to read…the “Valley” and its area is our favorite place!! Thanks for sharing:) Take care…
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Belatedly I am finally caught up on your blog. What a treat…and a feast for the eyes. Your photos are gorgeous- I know the subject helps- but still! I know where to turn to for great suggestions when and if I make it to these regions someday:) I will definitely be in England- hopefully Switzerland! Thank you for inviting vicarious travel!
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So happy to have you along for the ride, Maria! Thank you!
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It is always fun to see the pictures of your travels. Love the wood cravings and unique garden.
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Thank you! Even though we’ve been here so many times (a ridiculous number of nights; more than 120 over the years!) we are still charmed,
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What glorious weather you’re having! Your spectacular photos are certainly enticing.
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You have been very lucky! Only one really grim day in Switzerland. Sun is out in Dublin today, too. Regarding the photos, it’s hard to take a bad one in the Jungfrau Region: such a spectacular setting!
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I haven’t been in Wengen in many years. I loved Switzerland, but my husband was not at all charmed by it. He preferred the Dolomites, so we visited them more often. I couldn’t object to that, as they are stunning.
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We do love the Dolomites, as you know, but the Swiss transportation system is so amazing! If only we had the food of Italy here! 😉 And actually, we now have two great options for Italian food and we’ve found a good Thai place, as well. Can’t eat rösti and sausages every day. 😳
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We stayed in Wengen for a week last September and LOVED it. Perfection!
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It is a lovely village. It was particularly quiet these past days because Männlichen did not open until today.
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That is a stunning photo you took. So what town do you usually like to stay in? We hope to spend some time there someday soon.
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Hi Tammy. We usually stay in Lauterbrunnen because it is in the valley and it is easier to travel to both sides (Wengen & Mürren) as well as out to Interlaken and Grindelwald without added transportation time.
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Oh my goodness! These views take one’s breath away. And I love the carvings. Any restaurant with the word Caprice in it sounds good to me!
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I actually cannot believe you’ve never come here, but you guys are more drawn to the sea, I think.
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