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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for walking; Dec–Mar for snow
- Avoid
- Nov and late Apr–May (lifts and huts on reduced schedules)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 70–110 excl. bed · Mid CHF 110–180 excl. bed · High CHF 180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Air rescue (Rega) 1414 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a mountain hut | CHF 4–6 |
| Plate of rösti or soup with bread | CHF 16–26 |
| Alpkäse cheese, 200 g from a farm | CHF 8–14 |
| Beer in the hostel bar | CHF 5–8 |
| Cable car Gimmelwald–Mürren, one way | CHF 8–12 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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
Typical fares
- 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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Car-free cliff hamlet above the Lauterbrunnen valley
- Schilthornbahn cable car from Stechelberg
- Alpine cheese and yoghurt from local farms
- Mountain Hostel and small chalet pensions
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mürren | Cable car one stop up, or walk the lane about 30 min uphill | 15–40 min |
| Lauterbrunnen | Cable car to Stechelberg, then Postbus | About 45 min |
| Schilthorn summit | Cable car via Mürren and Birg | About 1 h up |
| Wengen | Cable car and bus to Lauterbrunnen, then WAB train | About 1.5 h |
| Grindelwald | Via Lauterbrunnen and Zweilütschinen, or over Kleine Scheidegg | 2–2.5 h |
| Interlaken | Cable car, Postbus and BOB train | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGROO-tsi |
| Thank you | Merci vielmalMER-si FEEL-mal |
| How much is it? | Was choschtet das?vas KHOSH-tet das |
| One ticket to Mürren, please | Ei Billett uf Mürren, bitteeye BIL-let oof MÜR-ren, BIT-te |
| Can I pay by card? | Cha i mit Karte zahle?kha ee mit KAR-te TSA-le |
| Where is the cable car? | Wo isch d'Luftseilbahn?vo ish LOOFT-zyle-bahn |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gimmelwald yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Car-free cliff hamlet above the Lauterbrunnen valley
- Schilthornbahn cable car from Stechelberg
- Alpine cheese and yoghurt from local farms
- Mountain Hostel and small chalet pensions
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gimmelwald village site: www.gimmelwald.ch
- Schilthornbahn (cable car operator): schilthornbahn20xx.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Gimmelwald, revision 5287861 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287861
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gimmelwald
Uf die Adrässe, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the village; most are in Bern, with consulates in Zurich and Geneva. US citizens: the embassy is in Bern.
No shops or cash machine in the village: bring food, cash and any medicine from Lauterbrunnen or Mürren.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gimmelwald). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.