Start planning your winter escape in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland

It happens every year at around this time. The leaves brown and crisp on branch ends, spiralling groundward when a gust blows through. The air brings on a cool bite as soon as the sun disappears behind a cloud or sinks below the horizon. The smell of woodsmoke and damp hangs above country cottages.

As summers turns to autumn and then on to winter, our mindset too begins to change. Even if we don’t take it as seriously as bears do, there is a natural tendency to bunker down and hibernate for the winter. It certainly becomes harder to go for a quick stroll when faced with biting wind and rain, and personally, I know the salads of summer suddenly don’t seem as appetising as a hearty warm stew.

However, we have a few advantages over bears and hedgehogs when it comes to the depths of winter. Firstly, we’ve given up trying to forage for berries (which don’t grow so well in the snow), and we can eat well right through winter. Secondly, thanks to warm houses and quality kit, we can stay warm whether we’re inside reading a book or outside exploring the silent snowy landscapes. Finally, and most importantly, we’ve realized how much fun can be had by strapping on a pair of skis, crampons, or snowshoes, and heading up into the gleaming white mountains.

So, instead of enduring another winter and thinking about the adventures that can be had once the temperature calls for t-shirts again, it’s time to start planning to make the most of this season by spending time in a place that’s perfectly suited for winter fun. Naturally, Switzerland is one of the most obvious choices, and in particular, we reckon the Jungfrau Region, dominated by high-alpine views, has got the goods: first-class skiing, winter hiking for every ability, and all the cultural experiences and cosy comforts to make for a truly unforgettable winter escape.

Here, you can spend a day on the slopes, trying your hand at traditional sledging, or exploring the snow-covered forests on foot, before relaxing by a log fire with a steaming fondue pot in front of you. These are some of the stand-out experiences and activities that make this area of Switzerland the ideal destination for winter adventures.

Skiing in the Jungfrau Region

With over 211km of beautifully groomed slopes, the Jungfrau Ski Region packs a whole lot into its three ski areas: varied runs, ski cross courses, world-class infrastructure, spectacular scenery, and the guarantee of snow. Whether you’re dreaming of taking on the longest ski World Cup course in the world yourself or want to ease into winter sports for yourself, you’ll find it here.

Grindelwald-Wengen

The largest of the Jungfrau Region’s ski areas, Grindelwald-Wengen boasts 103km of slopes along with 21 lifts to get you to your next run. And between the modern Grindelwald Terminal with its direct railway connection, the gondola cableway to the mountain of Männlichen, and the Eiger Express tri-cable gondola to the Eiger Glacier, every awe-inspiring corner of the area is easily accessible.

It’s here that the International Lauberhorn Ski Races are held each year in mid-January, which has been pitting extraordinary athletes against each other for almost 100 years and is a truly remarkable spectacle for ski-based feats. Even better, once the races are over, you have the chance to take on the course yourself.

Highlights include the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, while the Männlichen allows you to soak in panoramic views of the mighty mountains that define the Jungfrau Region: the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau itself.

Grindelwald-First

Within 25 minutes of leaving Grindelwald on the gondola cableway, you’ll reach the summit of the Grindelwald-First skiing area, where 56km of perfectly groomed slopes await you along with a snowpark making it the ideal choice for snowboarding and freeskiing. This area also offers plenty of activities away from the slopes, including the First Cliff Walk, a steel walkway suspended off cliffs rising high above the alpine meadows below, ending with a 45-metre-long footbridge that takes you right out into the abyss.

Along with all the opportunities for skiing, make sure to check out the 5.6m-high halfpipe in the snowpark, the Big Pintenfritz, one of the longest sledding runs in Europe, and the First Flyer zipline, which can hurtle you through the air of the alpine landscape with speeds up to 52mph.

Mürren-Schilthorn

This area offers big views, big thrills, and big rewards. With the slopes extending as far up as the lofty summit of the Schilthorn at 2,790m, Mürren-Schilthorn is the highest skiing area in the Bernese Alps, and thanks to the reliability of the snow, it usually remains open until the end of April.

If you’re looking to raise your pulse, this is the place to be. You can try your hand at the steepest piste in the region, the Direttissima slope, which reaches a grade of 88%, guaranteeing a rush of adrenaline. It’s here that you’ll also find the Piz Gloria rotating restaurant atop the Schilthorn, as featured in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and after dining there, you can even follow in Bond’s tracks on the slopes. To make it even easier to access the area, there’s the state-of-the-art cable car called the Schilthornbarn, which features the steepest section of any cable car in the world.

More winter sports to try

You don’t have to be an expert skier to enjoy the pleasures of winter in the Jungfrau Region. Not only are there beginner slopes and courses for adults and children, you can also try snowboarding at the multiple snowparks, which offer the chance to try out new techniques or practice your aerial skills on a snowboard or skis.

Sledging also offers a fun way to get out on the snow. Check out the 11km-long Big Pintenfritz, one of the longest sledge runs in Europe, which begins from a height of 2,681m, and you can experience a Grindelwald classic: the velogemel. This sledge is modelled after a bicycle, and offers a unique way to experience the slopes. Some sledging runs are even open after dark, so you can slide your way down the mountainside under the starry alpine sky, right on to your restaurant reservation.

Stunning winter hikes

The crunch through the freshly frozen snow as you take your first steps outside in the morning. A silent snow-clad forest, undisturbed apart from the occasional zig-zag of animal tracks. The winter alpine landscape transforms any walk into an adventure, and it proves that you don’t need a pair of skis to experience the magic of Switzerland in winter.

Just as it does in warmer months, the Jungfrau Region offers spectacular hiking trails that are excellently well-maintained throughout winter. Wander across snow-covered meadows with views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks, explore car-free alpine villages, and enjoy moving at a pace that suits you. These winter hiking trails are carefully designed and maintained to offer stress-free winter walking without the need for special safety kit, and are frequently waymarked with pink signs, so it’s easy to stay on track.

There are trails that are suitable for everyone, and you don’t need technical gear or experience hiking in alpine conditions to enjoy most of them. Throw on your jacket, lace up your hiking boots, and head out to explore the wonder of the Alps in winter.

Männlichen to Holenstein

The beauty of this easy stroll from the Männlichen mountain station down to Holenstein is that it’s accessible for everyone, but doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to dramatic alpine views. To begin the hike, the gondola cableway takes you from
Grindelwald Terminal up to Männlichen, the 18-minute journey serving as a taster for the scenery that you’ll be enjoying for the next two hours.

From the top of the cableway, the trail slowly descends, offering panoramas of the wall of mountains that surrounds you along with the villages and lakes in the valleys below. Halfway down the route, you can enjoy a warm drink and bite to eat at the Skibar Läger, so there’s no need to bring a packed lunch. Once you’ve had a break and watched the clouds nestle in the couloirs and peaks of the surrounding mountains, the trail gently descends on the well-maintained path back down to Holenstein, where you can take the gondola back down to Grindelwald or continue there on foot if you’ve still got energy to burn.

Distance: 5.9km

Time to hike: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Grade: Easy

More info and route: Click here

Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg

This hike offers similar views of the soaring peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, but also features slightly more involved walking. Again, a quick gondola ride takes you up to the station on the Männlichen before the trail meanders over fields blanketed in snow, through pine forests sweetened by the smell of damp sap, and down towards the Kleine Scheidegg mountain pass, the famous north face of the Eiger towering overhead. From here, you can dine in one of the restaurants or take the railway back down to Grindelwald or beyond.

There’s plenty of options to extend this hike, too. You can pair it with the short trail up to the Männlichen summit at the start of the hike, or once you’ve reached Kliene Schiedegg, you can continue walking on the winter hiking trail to the Eigergletscher station. You could even top the hike off with a speedy sledge run on the Eiger Run, a quick and exciting way to get from Kliene Scheidegg to Alpiglen station.

Distance: 6km

Time to hike: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Grade: Easy

More info and route: Click here

More to explore

There’s a whole network of specially-designed winter hiking trails for you to explore across the Jungfrau Region. If you’re after a challenging hike that offers everything that makes the region special, check out the 10.1km First-Bachalpsee-Faulhorn-Bussalp trail. It combines a gondola ride with a hike up to the classic alpine hotel Faulhorn with staggering views of peaks like the Wetterhorn and Scheckhorn, before a sledge ride all the way back down. You can even combine it with the exciting First Cliff Walk with its suspension bridge and steel walkways for the ultimate winter alpine hiking experience.

There’s also plenty of shorter walks of less than an hour which take you to spectacular viewpoints and observation points of the region’s highlights like the Eiger’s north face. Thanks to the meticulous public transport network, you can easily access these short walks on gondola cableways, railways, and buses from all around the Jungfrau Region.

Cultural delights to experience

While the Jungfrau Region does offer opportunities for night skiing and sledging, part of the charm of any winter break is relaxing in the warmth of a restaurant or bundling up in warm clothes and strolling around glittering alpine villages once the sun goes down. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of things to do away from the slopes and trails, and between the world-class gastronomy and thrilling and quirky international events, there’s no chance of boredom.

International Lauberhorn Race

It’s hard to beat the spectacle of the International Lauberhorn Race. This historic race, part of the Ski World Cup, features the longest downhill course in the world, with skiers approaching speeds of 100mph. With the backdrop of the surrounding peaks and terrain features like the Hundschopf, a 40m jump over a rock nose, and the tunnel which passes under a railway viaduct, it’s an awe-inspiring display of skill, athleticism, and courage.

As one of the best-attended winter sports events in the world, the region is alive with energy and excitement, and with sideshows like the aerobatic display by the Swiss Air Force, it’s an excellent time to visit.

World Snow Festival

What started as an impromptu snow sculpture has developed into the internationally renowned World Snow Festival competition, where teams from all over the world come to Grindewald to showcase their ability to bend snow to their will.

Over five days, teams will work on their sculptures in squares across the village, and you’ll be able to watch them carefully carve and form their chosen designs from a three-metre-high block of snow. The chosen theme for next year is ‘myths and legends’, so expect to see plenty of dragons, trolls, and demons from traditional folk stories from cultures around the world.

Once the sculptures are completed, the teams judge each other based on topicality, originality, and skill, and you can vote as well to help decide the winner. There’s plenty of tough competition so it won’t be easy to choose the best, but it is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or evening in Grindelwald. For more information, itineraries, hiking routes, and passes, visit jungfrauregion.swiss. 

Eat and stay

Of course, there’s no point visiting anywhere without trying the local cuisine. Naturally, the traditional fare of the Jungfrau Region is ideally suited to cold winter nights: try decadent pots of fondue at Fondue Stubli and savour wood-fired barbecued meats at BG’s Grill.

Or, simply make the most of the longer nights with good food and good company in welcoming restaurants like BaseCamp or Barry’s.

If you’re after unique accommodation, check out Grindellodge, which offers a fusion of Swiss and Japanese hospitality, or the Eiger Mountain and Soul Resort, designed for pure pampering. For the classic alpine experience, choose one of the traditionally styled hotels like the Boutique Hotel Glacier, Hotel Bergwelt, or Hotel Fiescherblick.