Bernese Oberland - Day 2 - Wengen

After the heavy rain last night, and a forecast for rain today, we were thrilled to see blue skies this morning. After our breakfast buffet, we drug our bags downstairs to reception for transport to Wengen, our home for the next two nights. We decided if it wasn’t raining we would take the trail from Murren to Lauterbrunnen today. It’s not a long trail but it is steeply downhill. 

It is a decline of 2,785’ over a distance of  3.6 miles. That’s dropping an avg of 774’ per mile. We were very slow with always at least one hiking pole in front.

Stopping on the way out of town to fill the water bottles. 

This tree stump is where all the posing for photographs was going on so we decided we’d join the show 🤣. 

The Lauterbrunnen valley, just majestic!

Bistorta

Headed to Lauterbrunnen 

Perennial cornflower

Roundheaded rampion

Perfect Christmas trees

The trail started off on the road leading out of Murren that followed alongside the railroad tracks. 

We crossed over the tracks and onto a dirt trail through the forest. 

More bugleweed

There were seven deck-like bridges that went across areas of previous mudslides

And the first of many waterfalls. 

If every day in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland is epic, this day certainly qualifies. The word for the day is WATERFALL.  

This little valley in the Swiss Alps has no less than 72 thundering waterfalls, some of which are several hundred meters high. We saw at least 10 of them on this one trail and experienced the king of all the waterfalls from crossing the Staubbach River which becomes the most impressive, and much photographed of all the falls. 

Shortly I will post the falls from the bottom. 

Mudslide 

The trail is very wet and rocky. We are being most cautious. 

Great masterwort

Peach leaved bellflower

A couple of old abandoned huts

Trail markings 

The village of Wengen where we’ll spend the next two nights

Walking down into Lauterbrunnen

Quintessential Swiss chalet

Reaching the bottom of the falls, remember we were well above the top of what you see. 

Unusual marigolds

Flower boxes everywhere 

Jo Anne found a place serving raclette so that’s what she had for lunch. They didn’t have anything on the menu for me. 

Lauterbrunnen is pretty spectacular on its own, but the star of the show is the Staubbach waterfall. At 297 meters, plunging from a vertical cliff wall, it’s just about the first thing you notice when you arrive in Lauterbrunnen.

Staubbach is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe and possibly one of the most beautiful if you ask me.

The impressive thing about this waterfall is that the water is free-falling off the cliffs and sends clouds of mists into the air. On a windy day, the flowing mist is almost lost in the wind before it reaches the rocks below.

Anywhere you go in Lauterbrunnen you always hear the hypnotising sound of water rushing down the rocks. The air is moist, but fresh and crisp like after a heavy rainfall. It smells like flowers sky diving through the summer air.

In German, Lauterbrunnen means: “Loud Springs”, and the name is spot on.

Lauterbrunnen’s thunderous waterfalls and dramatic cliffs have inspired many great writers and poets, such as J.R.R. Tolkien who got the inspiration for Rivendell during a hike from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen.

Those of you who are Sherlock Holmes fans know that it’s also the waterfalls where Holmes has his presumed mortal combat with his archenemy Professor Moriarty (at Reichenbach Falls). 

And, let’s not forget the 1969 James Bond movie which was filmed in Lauterbrunnen.

We left Lauterbrunnen by train heading to Wengen. 

Photos from the train

The mountain on the right is the one we walked down. 

Wondered where the falls landed and finally saw the river as we left in the train. 

Once in Wengen, we checked into Hotel Schoenegg. Our luggage was transferred by our previous hotel and delivered to our room. We settled into our room and our balcony had some of the best mountain views. Hotel Schoenegg dates from 1903 and was fully renovated in 2012.

Water and apple cake for us (actually for Jo Anne). 

Our balcony 

Terrible view of a glacier from our balcony 😁

This is my lunch/supper. Jo Anne is having the apple cake with Swiss made ice cream. 

After lunch Jo Anne took advantage of a massage water bed for about an hour. I sat watching the rain with a cup of tea. 

The rain has come in

It was an unforgettable and epic Swiss day.

Stats

Steps - 22,237

Miles - 9.1

Elev loss - 2,785’

Desire one thing; God's presence. And you will be less driven by all those phony desires that matter not at all. Walter Brueggemann