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Major city · Switzerland

Gimmelwald

Stay 1–2 nights for quiet and valley views, or visit as a 2-hour stop between Stechelberg and Mürren; skip if you want shops or nightlife.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CHF
Best months
Jun–Sep for walking; Dec–Mar for snow
avoid Nov and late Apr–May (lifts and huts on reduced schedules)
Airports
ZRH · BSL · GVA
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
  • Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.

Gimmelwald is a car-free hamlet of about 130 people on a cliff above the Lauterbrunnen valley, reached only by cable car or on foot. There are no shops, no through road and a handful of beds, so it works as a quiet base for walkers or a short stop on the way up to Mürren. Book beds early in summer.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Gimmelwald, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee in a mountain hutCHF 4–6
  • BeerBeer in the hostel barCHF 5–8
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCHF 45
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per roomCHF 170
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per roomCHF 220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CHF 80 · Mid CHF 140 · High CHF 240

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Car-free cliff hamlet above the Lauterbrunnen valleySchilthornbahn cable car from StechelbergAlpine cheese and yoghurt from local farmsMountain Hostel and small chalet pensions
Airports
ZRH Zurich Airport (Train to Interlaken Ost, then BOB to Lauterbrunnen and Postbus to Stechelberg; about 3.5–4 h) · BSL Basel-Mulhouse (Longer rail route via Bern; about 4.5 h) · GVA Geneva Airport (Rail via Bern to Interlaken Ost; about 4.5–5 h)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Gimmelwald: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

1°C

−6°C

10 rd

Feb

2°C

−6°C

9 rd

Mar

5°C

−4°C

11 rd

Apr

9°C

−1°C

12 rd

May

14°C

3°C

14 rd

Jun

17°C

6°C

14 rd

Jul

19°C

8°C

13 rd

Aug

19°C

8°C

13 rd

Sep

15°C

5°C

11 rd

Oct

11°C

2°C

10 rd

Nov

5°C

−3°C

10 rd

Dec

2°C

−5°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot only. The lane to Mürren takes about 30 min uphill and is pushchair-friendly; steeper short cuts cross its zigzags. The cable car links Stechelberg, Gimmelwald, Mürren, Birg and the Schilthorn.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mürren

go

Door to door: 15–40 min

Cable car one stop up, or walk the lane about 30 min uphill

Shops, sports hire and the railway station; the village sits at the north end, the cable car at the south.

Lauterbrunnen

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Cable car to Stechelberg, then Postbus

Staubbach Falls at the south edge; Trümmelbach Falls are inside the mountain on the same bus route.

Schilthorn summit

caution

Door to door: About 1 h up

Cable car via Mürren and Birg

Only worth the fare on a clear day; check the summit webcam before buying.

Wengengo

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Cable car and bus to Lauterbrunnen, then WAB train

Car-free village on the way to Kleine Scheidegg.

Grindelwaldgo

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Via Lauterbrunnen and Zweilütschinen, or over Kleine Scheidegg

A full day out rather than a quick hop.

Interlakengo

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Cable car, Postbus and BOB train

Use it for lake boats, bigger shops and onward trains.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Village core (Kirchestatt / Nidrimatten)

All beds sit 150 m above the cable-car station; walk up with bags, no cars.

Mürren (3 km uphill)

Use Mürren for shops, more beds and the railway if Gimmelwald is full.

Stechelberg (valley floor)

Cheaper and road-accessible, but you ride the cable car up each day.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CHF 70–110 excl. bed
Mid
CHF 110–180 excl. bed
High
CHF 180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 2 nights × CHF 170CHF 340
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CHF 140CHF 560
Schilthornbahn Stechelberg–Gimmelwald, one way2 × CHF 8CHF 16
Postbus Lauterbrunnen–Stechelberg, one way2 × CHF 5CHF 10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CHF 20CHF 40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCHF 97
Trip total≈ CHF 266 per person per day, bed includedCHF 1,063≈ US$1,400

Pension and guesthouse doubles quoted around CHF 120–190

2026 estimate in Swiss francs; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee in a mountain hutCHF 4–6
Plate of rösti or soup with breadCHF 16–26
Alpkäse cheese, 200 g from a farmMade in summer onlyCHF 8–14
Beer in the hostel barCHF 5–8
Cable car Gimmelwald–Mürren, one wayCHF 8–12
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe for a mountain hamlet; the real risks are steep wet paths, fast weather changes and cable-car or bus last departures. Tell someone your route and carry the Rega number 1414 (≈ US$1,800).
  • No shops, no cash machine and no pharmacy in the village; buy food and supplies in Mürren or Lauterbrunnen.
  • A new Schilthornbahn line bypassing Gimmelwald was planned to open in 2025: confirm which station serves the village before you travel.
  • Last connections from Interlaken leave around 23:00 and are sometimes replaced by buses; check the day's timetable.
  • Restaurant service at the hostel and pension needs booking, especially in winter when hours are shorter.

Emergency numbers

Police
117
Ambulance
144
Fire
118
Air rescue (Rega)
1414
European emergency
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

GimmelwaldGimmelwald

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Uf die Adrässe, bitteTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police117
  • Ambulance144
  • Air rescue (Rega)1414
  • European emergency112

Embassy

No embassies in the village; most are in Bern, with consulates in Zurich and Geneva. US citizens: the embassy is in Bern.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Stechelberg → Gimmelwald, cable car: about CHF 8, 5 min
  • Lauterbrunnen → Stechelberg, Postbus: about CHF 5, 15 min
  • Interlaken Ost → Lauterbrunnen, BOB train: about CHF 8–10, 20 min

Say or show

  • Grüezi — Hello (GROO-tsi)
  • Merci vielmal — Thank you (MER-si FEEL-mal)
  • Was choschtet das? — How much is it? (vas KHOSH-tet das)
  • Ei Billett uf Mürren, bitte — One ticket to Mürren, please (eye BIL-let oof MÜR-ren, BIT-te)
  • Cha i mit Karte zahle? — Can I pay by card? (kha ee mit KAR-te TSA-le)
  • Wo isch d'Luftseilbahn? — Where is the cable car? (vo ish LOOFT-zyle-bahn)

No shops or cash machine in the village: bring food, cash and any medicine from Lauterbrunnen or Mürren.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Gimmelwald. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for walking; Dec–Mar for snow · avoid Nov and late Apr–May (lifts and huts on reduced schedules) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ZRH, BSL and GVA: last Postbus and cable-car departures field-checked, taxi fallback from Lauterbrunnen, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: village lane, Mürren path, Stechelberg descent, Allmendhubel.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Schilthornbahn, Trümmelbach Falls, Staubbach Falls) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Switzerland

Sources