Bernese Oberland reviews

Car-free, snow-sure, pretty little town

• Lovely views and location

• No après-ski to speak of

We had an absolutely wonderful ski holiday in Wengen. Starting in Lauterbrunnen when we boarded the train, we already felt like we were on holiday. No stressing about the car, beacuse you just leave it in the valley. The village is all snow-covered streets and no exhaust from cars. Wengen is quite big but we immediately felt at home. As to the ski area, we found it perfect for advanced skiers, with beautiful views from the slopes amidst a breathtaking landscape. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau are wonderful! Wengen is unparalleled!

• Car-free
• Train
• Lauberhorn

• Pricy

Since not everybody in our group skis (guilty), each year we try to find a ski resort where we can all do our own thing. This time it was Gstaad. At first I was reticent, but it turns the station is less see-and-be-seen and more just plain chic, with the atmosphere still managing to be laid-back. The car-free village centre is a nice touch. My husband found the ski area a little on the modest side, but I personally loved the walking trails that take you between the chalets, and especially the spas - those were definitely worthy of Gstaad's reputation!

• Charming and elegant village
• Your every whim is provided for
• So many spas!

• Limited ski area
• Constant reminders that you're in a jet-set destination when talking to people

Nice town with lots to do, skiing, hiking, sledging. From the town you can reach the ski area with the train or the gondola and then ski into the different villages of the Jungfrau Region.

• Versatile ski resort with a huge kids' area
• Nice views
• Connection with Wengen

• Kinderland Bodmi was a little hard to reach from the general ski area. You can ski out, but not ski in.

I have now been to Wengen 4 times and each year I think about going somewhere different but just can't make the change. This beautiful resort is quiet and free of traffic. There's a nice comfortable train to get up the mountains, so you can enjoy the scenery better. On the slopes there are some nice restaurants and cafes, but the apres-ski is nothing like in Austria, which is not bad thing! In the beautiful ski area there is just about enough for a week's skiing for experience skiers - for beginners it's just paradise for learning to ski. With the backdrop of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger, you couldn't ask for much more - perfect ski resort in my mind.

Vorderlanersbach and Lanersbach are two small villages where there is very little atmosphere. Some restaurants and hotels fand a nice quiet atmosphere. For apres-ski there were a few too many places full of Germans. Eggalm and the skiing in Lanersbach is not suitable for beginners - 1 blue run that might as well be red. The connection to Mayrhofen is also very difficult for beginners. Advanced skiers are well catered for though. I prefer Mayrhofen's atmosphere and the immediate connection to the ski area.

The village of Grindlewald itself is beautiful and very cozy! You have a swimming pool, sports centre, many shops and the people are very pleasant and very friendly! You must go out in the evening as it is even more beautiful than it is during the day. Pretty lighting but especially the unique atmosphere of the village makes it so cozy! Public transport is really great. The bus drivers and train drivers are really friendly and helpful. On the train iit gets pretty busy but if you take it at a reasonable hour (around 8.30am-09.00uur) its not so bad. The gondolas can get pretty packed too! Once on the slopes, you can immediately feel the freedom! The view is phenomenal! You hardly ever have to queue for a ski lift. 10min is probably the max. At lunch you have a choice of restaurants on the slopes or you can simply go to the village of Wengen and enjoy lunch in this pretty resort. The restaurants are typical Swiss and therefore very cozy! You can often ski to your door. The gondolas are a bit busier.

• great toboggan runs
• easy public transport

The skiing in Wengen is mainly for intermediate skiers but you can find more challenging slopes on the Murren side of the valley. The Jungfrau Ski Pass covers Wengen, Murren and Grindelwald so worth paying the extra to have more choice. Super fast cable car right in the centre which takes you up to the top in only 6 minutes to a large plateau with some nice gentle skiing and great views. The resort is lovely and so clean -n in true Swiss style - not sure there are any dogs here - in any case no evidence of them anyway!

Wengen is one of the nicest ski resorts in Switzerland. Such pretty views - seems to always be sunny and looking down over the clouds in the valley (just like the photo on your main page). The village is small enough to be cosy and friendly - there are plenty of apres ski pubs, and the locals are extremely friendly and helpful. A couple of times we needed help with things and we had no problem finding help. Really nice change from French resorts.

• Always sunny
• friendly people

Swiss food and drink is heavenly and the views from the slopes in Grindelwald are just oustanding! Our kids loved it and we could even give them a bit of freedom (they are 12 and 14) and let them ski alone as all the runs finish back in the resort.

• great ski area

Wengen is possibly the prettiest ski resort in the world with views of the Jungfrau and Eiger that will leave you lost for words. the skiing is as varied as one could wish for. For GOOD skiers looking for a challenge, "Oh God" is a run to scare the the pants off any self respectful skier! Take a trip to nearby Murren and visit where On Her Majesty's Secret Service was filmed. Simply super spot.

• So pretty
• Amazing views
• super skiing

• Sorry - none!

There is so much to see and do here - everything is pretty and charming and packed with Swiss character. The choice of skiing is great, you can go in any direction and find superb skiing. The ice falls are really worth visiting too. Lovely romantic place to spend ski holidays with your other half.

• Plenty to do
• Super skiing

As everyone does not ski in our group of friends (including me), every year we try to find a resort where everyone can have a great holiday. And this year it was Gstaad. I was reluctant at first, but the resort is more interesting than it seems at first, and has a great pedestrian area. We spend lots of time (window) shopping in the resort center, where the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. For skiing, my husband thought the area was rather small, but he appreciated the quality of the slopes. With the other non-skiers, we loved the walking trails among the pretty chalets and especially the spas! Gstaad lives up to the reputation of being a world-class, good all-round ski resort.

• Plenty to do for non-skiers
• Nice pedestrian resort centre

• Quite expensive
• Ski area a little limited (for advanced skiers)

From the slopes at Grindelwald, the views are impressive, you are surrounded by the Eiger, Jungfrau, and the impressive Wetterhorn. So you have to force yourself to watch the slope ahead instead of looking at the views! The ski area is divided into two sides, so you can focus on good snow or sunshine, according to how you feel and your level. And there's plenty to do, even without taking the extended ski pass that takes you up to Wengen. The atmosphere is casual, with no frills, friendly apres ski - just perfect for me and my teenage kids.

• Beautiful ski slopes
• Nice traditional ski resort feeling

First holiday alone with my husband for a long time! We decided to brave the long journey to test this famous resort and it turns out its well worth a visit. Everything is done to make people feel at ease. The night life is absolutely insane though so choose your accommodation carefully or you might not sleep well! Even though the resort is a bit glitzy, we still felt at home. The small downside is perhaps the cost but then compared to some resorts in France, it was worth making the effort. We may come back in some time. I think we might be hooked!

• Great for mixed groups
• The ski area

• Long journey
• A bit expensive

We chose this resort as the wife is expecting so couldn't ski with me. We had an amazing holiday, watching the world go by in the cafes and walking along the many, lovely hiking paths. I managed get in some top skiing without feeling like I was leaving Sally out of it.

• Great hiking circuit
• Good apres ski

• Sometimes the glamour gets a bit much!