Wengen
in Bernese Oberland

Wengen sits on a sun-facing shelf above the Lauterbrunnen valley, car-free and quietly magnificent. The Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau form one of the great mountain panoramas in the Alps, and the Jungfraujoch railway runs straight through the rock from the village to the highest station in Europe. In winter the Lauberhorn downhill is the longest and oldest World Cup race on the circuit. In summer the meadows are full of wildflowers and the hiking is exceptional. It is the kind of place that turns a long weekend into a very long one.

how long to go for

a weekend, a long weekend, a week

when to go

december, january, february, march, june, july, august

holidays

swiss National Day (1 Aug), Christmas Day (25 Dec), New Year (1 Jan), Ascension Day (variable)

how to get there

fly in to Zurich or Geneva, take the train to Interlaken, then the rack railway up to Wengen. No cars allowed beyond Lauterbrunnen.

how to get around

on foot, by train, by ski

nice to know

Leave the car in Lauterbrunnen. Wengen is entirely car-free and all the better for it.

local language

german (swiss)

currency

swiss franc

in an emergency

call 112