Winter hiking in Grindelwald, Switzerland: a photo gallery

To read a fun story about my ambition to reach the Top of Europe attraction while snow hiking around Grindelwald, go HERE.

View from the mountainside of The Eiger, near Grindelwald Switzerland looking east towards even more snow capped Alpine peaks. In the foreground is a Swiss Chalet covered in marshmallowy snow. — View of the Swiss Alps as seen from the train platform at Eigergletscher, on the way to Top of Europe attraction. Near Grindelwald.

I was in Switzerland about 20 years ago and our aging relatives Rosie and Renee toured us all around the country. We stopped through Grindelwald briefly and I vowed I’d always return to the Alps when I could spend more time wandering in the mountains. Well that day finally came in January 2019 and the following is a photo gallery inspired by winter hiking in Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Following the family crest leads to winter hiking in the Swiss Alps: a bit of background

Newly freed up from leaving the corporate world after 25 years, I set out on an adventure to Europe in December 2018 and kicked off a year of travels all over the world. Mindful of my heritage, I spent a great deal of time in Ireland in the ancestral lands of my mom’s family, in rich, damp velvety Donegal, which is a county in the farthest NW corner of the island. The next stop of my journey took me to Switzerland and to Biel/Bienne to visit some relatives. Biel is located in the Bern canton, which is known for speaking a mix of languages, including French and German and is also the home of some famous watch makers like Rolex.

The Kessi family originates in the Biel area, although I’m told that centuries ago the patriarch, Jakobi Kessi, relocated from Northern Italy, which is probably why it sounds a bit Italian. Even though my Swiss forefather emigrated to the US in the 1840’s, our family still has a connection to relations living in this area. Since the brith rate in Switzerland has been in decline for years, there aren’t many Kessi’s left, but I had the chance to visit a few remaining cousins and then pointed to the mountains for a winter wonderland getaway.

The Swiss Alps, in particular the Bernese Oberland, cover many possibilities for a charming mountain experience, winter or summer. I focused on Grindelwald because I stopped in once upon a time and loved the vibe and the ease of transportation to/from the area. My cousin Antionette and her husband Beit were kind enough to drive me to the mountain resort area in the middle of a blizzard, which took about 2 hours. The train system back to Zurich Airport was super efficient and lasted about 3 hours, with a few connections, door-to-door.

The main train statin in downtown Grindelwald. The blue and yellow regional train looks ready to head to Interlaken as passengers wheel their luggage to board. A woman in the foreground glances up and the large map of the mountain terrain and train information monitors. The ground is snowy and mountain peaks with blue sky in the background. — The main train station in Grindelwald is the hub for rail service to Interlaken (train shown) as well as narrow gauge service to Top of Europe and other ski areas along the way.

Grindelwald is central in the country: the lay of the land

The map below displays Switzerland, and the green dot indicates the location of Grindelwald relative to the country. The purple points are for perspective: Zurich Airport is about 3 hours away by train, Interlaken is a famous stop in the mountain country and a convenient transportation hub for play in the Alps. Geneva is just for reference and Biel is special to me because of the family crest.

Grindelwald, Switzerland

The Switzerland in my mind: winter hiking made better by one snowy night

We arrived to a blustery winter storm blanketing the town with marshmallowy white. Since this was my first snow of the year it was very exciting and perfect for the images in my mind of what winter in the Alps represented. My hotel (highly recommend) was on the Main Street in town and provided a very cozy place to gaze out the window as the blizzard feverishly covered the resort town. It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized I had a spectacular view of The Eiger (13,000ft) and a valley below.

Blizzard flurry of snow covers the Main Street of downtown Grindelwald. This view shows a ski rental shoppe displaying their items with endless dots of snow falling. — Snow in Grindelwald? Why yes. Blizzard conditions blanket the Main Street of town, including this equipment rental shoppe.

View from a hotel room at Hotel Spinne looking past a table with fruit and books to the balcony table with two bottles of wine just beneath the rail with four inches of snow. In the background is the base of Eiger (13,000ft). — Morning wake up from a room at Hotel Spinne in Grindelwald, Switzerland looking toward the base of Eiger (13,000ft) and a snowy deck railing.

View from Hotel Spinne in Grindelwald, Switzerland towards the dramatic snow covered Eiger (13,000) feet. The sky is a mix of bright blue with a swirl of fluffy white clouds. — View from my balcony at Hotel Spinne in the downtown of Grindelwald, Switzerland. The view is of The Eiger (13,000ft) and Monch (13,475ft).

Grindelwald is prepared for visitors: a bustling town with all the amenities

The nucleus of the town provides everything for visitors; a great grocery store, equipment rental shops, restaurants, bars and in particular a charming cafe with outside seating facing the street, with protection from the snow by a covered porch area. The breakfast at my hotel was outstanding, with all my European favorites like Nutella on everything, fantastic cheeses and dense rye bread. Food otherwise in the town is good enough but won’t probably win any awards. Since foreign wine and spirits are levied high tariffs, adult beverages can be disproportionately expensive. I suggest sticking with Swiss beer and/or wine.

Snack Bar Kreuz & Post is a street side cafe with bistro chairs and tables covered with red tablecloths facing the snowy street. In the distance a man in a Canada goose parka smokes a cigarette and looks on. There is a cafe latte at the table in the foreground with a fluffy milky foam on top of the drink. — Snack-Bar Kreuz&Post is a great street side cafe to sit an watch it all go by. They have heaters and cozy blankets available too. In the heart of Grindelwald downtown.

Some might call Grindelwald touristy, but I appreciated the variety of services available and the walkability of the town. Of course, there were abundant places to purchase trinkets and post cards (I still send them as a nod back to a bygone era of romance in travel), but the Swiss aesthetic created a scene that didn’t detract from the feeling that this is a special place with magical mountains alive in alpine spirit. I also appreciated the attempt for a number of the shops to feature hand craft items from local artists.

A colorful restaurant in traditional Swiss architecture style with bright yellow eaves and walls contrasting to greens shutters and red timbers. This shot is an night and the bright streetlights shine on the snow covered road. — Downtown Grindelwald at night is charming, aglow with bright colored Swiss style restaurants and inns amongst snow covered streets.

A souvenir from Grindelwald, Switzerland, this red painted cow is cut from wood and has a pattered black collar around the cow with a little brass bell. The ears are black plastic and tail made from burlap twine. — It’s not all made in China. This miniature hand-painted Swiss cow was created by a local Grindelwald artist. There are a variety of sizes and this local, hand-crafted art was on display in a number of shops.

Winter recreation in the thick of the Swiss Alps: so many options

Grindelwald is strategically situated near the valley floor, surrounded on all sides by mountains, and 5 peaks reach heights around 13,000 ft, including the most famous Jungfrau (13,652ft). The benefit of this arrangement is that visitors have access to a variety of mountains and terrain and can utilize several different approaches to get to the winter recreation fun. This Wengen Trail Map helps display all the options. Day one had me on a gondola from the town up towards Swartzhorn ski area. From the Grindelwald First drop-off I hiked all day in the snow, ending up on the outskirts of town; about 9 miles in all.

The mountain has many activities available beyond the obvious skiing/snowboarding. The third stop on the Gondola from town is known as Grindelwald First and in this area there is a mechanical marvel that models soaring like an eagle, known as First Flyer as well as a gridded metal walk that hovers the side of a huge chunk of mountain known as First Cliff Walk by Tissot. It’s also possible to rent toboggans and snow hike along well groomed and marked trails. As a hiker I found myself in relative solitude.

Since I was on an extended trip, hiking boots were not practical, but I strapped gators to my Asolo hiking shoes, donned ski pants and was on my way with no problems. This was a great solution to traveling light while also experiencing a variety of hiking conditions throughout Europe in winter.

View of the sun shining over the top of an alpine peak near Grindelwald, Switzerland as the ski gondola pulls up the mountain. Below the gondalas are snow covered fir trees and uneven snowy terrain. — View from the gondola on the way from downtown Grindelwald to First stop. The sun is peaking over Eiger (13,330ft).

First Cliff Walk by Tissot is a dramatic metal decking that hugs the side of a jagged rocky peak near the ski gondola stop. — First Cliff Walk by Tissot, which is right off the First gondola lift stop near Grindelwald, Switzerland.

View from a ski trail overlooking groomed ski runs with snow covered chalets leading down the mountain. In the background are the dramatic Alpine peaks of Schreckfeld and Schrekhorn. The clouds surround the peaks in a dramatic way that opens to some patches of blue sky. — View from Schreckfeld ski area towards Schreckhorn (13,380ft) and Wetterhorn (12,113ft).

Lighted dusted fir trees open up to jagged dramatic alpine peaks, covered in snow and surrounded by mystical clouds. — Alpine view from the ski gondola traveling from downtown Grindelwald (Switzerland) toward Schrekfeld stop.

Ski path used by hikers, cross-country skiers or toboggans. The rolling hills lead up to the end point of the Gondola ski lift with blue sky and puffy clouds in the sky above. — The ski trails coming off of the First ski lift stop heading down to Schreckfeld. The trails are used by cross-country skiers, toboggans and hikers.

The day was brilliant, with moments of bright sun amidst a blue sky and other more brooding points with swirling clouds wrapping around the highest mountain peaks. The trails were well groomed in most places, but opportunity to frolic in the fresh power presented itself on a number of occasions. Every so often, after a hour or so of winding my way around various winter obstacles, a chalet would pop up serving all things hot, cozy and potentially boozy. Most places were open but it seems the mountain services cater more to summer-time hikers.

A Swiss chalet near Grindelwald in the Alpine recreation area. The bronze colored walls of the building are shuttered and an expansive wood pile tucks efficiently under the wrap around deck. It's a snowy scene with a groomed trail to the right and crisp blue sky above. — Shuttered chalet in the ski area near Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Walking up upon a Swiss barn with stacked wood pile and a mountainside restaurant inn in the far distance. All under the rocky peak of Eiger. — A welcome sight after a few miles of snow hiking. Gasthauses and Inns seems to be dispersed all over the mountain. This is under the shadow of Eiger (13,000ft) near Grindelwald, Switzerland.

A tight little blue hatchback vehicle with chains on the wheels sits in a deeply snowy car park, the owner likely out snow shoeing or hiking. In the background are high alpine peaks. This is near Grindelwald Switzerland in a snowy winter scape. — Signs of life! A snow drenched car park near the snow shoe trails and ski runs around Grindelwald, in the Swiss Alps. Wetterhorn (12,113ft) hovers above in the background.

Grindelwald knows how to GO: Swiss engineering has winter recreation covered

The next day I worked my way over to the other side of the recreation area, which requires taking an amazing narrow gauge train straight up the mountain towards the alpine hub of Kleine Schienegg, where more hotels, restaurants and outdoor options exist and you can change trains to head up to Top of Europe attraction. It didn’t look like the hotels were open – probably more of summer location to base for some great alpine hikes. I’d come back in the summer for sure.

A shiny green and yellow painted Swiss train in the rail connection hub of Kleine Scheidigg. The narrow gauge rails are popping up through the snow as well as several electric power lines, driving the rails. — The multi-purpose transit hub/ alpine resort of Kleine Scheidegg operates rail lines in many directions, one being toward the tourist feature Top of Europe.

View from the narrow gauge rail train leading up to Top of Europe tourist attraction. Two asian tourists peer out the window of the train to a dramatic landscape of jagged Alpine peaks. — The view from the narrow gauge rail train heading from Kleine Sheidigg to Top of Europe. Near Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps.

View from the rail platform at Eigergletscher looking out towards numerous snow covered alpine peaks. In the foreground are three snow-covered Swiss chalets the hovered on the side of a steep ski slope. — View from the Eigergletscher rail platform, which is a stop on the way to Top of Europe attraction near Grindelwald.

Winter wonderland getaway: in closing

I traveled to this area mid-week just after the New Year rush settled down, so there was plenty of space for me to feel as if I had my own private mountain to explore. Although I’ve heard it can get down right packed with people during busy holidays and in the summer, the raw and powerful beauty seems to distract from everything else. Grindelwald offers a lot to do, variety of terrain and an access to stunning beauty, no matter where you are. A day trip from Interlaken is easily doable, and the lift tickets cover everything in the area (bus, tram, rail, gondola.)

My winter wonderland getaway in Grindelwald did amazing things for my spirit, and writing about it now I can still smell the dry air with hints of fir and feel the light snowflakes hit my nose. The taste of Nutella on rye bread while looking out the dining room window at dramatic Eiger. Snow angels in two feet of powder off a trail with what seemed like no one around for miles. Sipping cocoa on a birch picnic table outside a simple mountain-side cafe while a soft wind whispered around my face. And perhaps most importantly, the space. The space to wander, physically in the snow and in my mind, heart and spirit. The space to let ideas and feelings soar.