A contender for the most scenic hike in Switzerland!

Statistics

1 - 2

hrs

222

m

223

m

10

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

That headline takes some justification, but this hike more than lives up to the hype! It starts and finishes at the Schynige Platte station, which is reached via a slow but breathtakingly beautiful train ride up from the little village of Wilderswil.

This hike is short and can easily be done in one day starting and finishing on the train, but it's even better if you treat yourself to a night at the Schynige Platte "mountain refuge" (it's a hotel by any real standards) and then complete this hike at sunrise.

You'll see the sun appear and gradually light the famous peaks of the Bernese Oberland and begin to fill the valleys which house the lakes of Thun and Brienz - all of which provides a spectacle well worth getting up early for.

Whether you start at sunrise or a little later in the day, the first job is to climb onto the summit of Daube, from where you're looking directly down on Interlaken and the lakes either side of it.

If you'd always wondered where the famous town got its name - seeing it nestled right between 2 lakes should clear the mystery up! The view to the south is no less spectacular and perhaps even more so - the legendary north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau are all lined up next to each other and look impossibly high and intimidating.

Stare at them for as long as you are able - you'll find yourself picking out features and shadows for hours if you can spare the time. Carry on hiking north-east on a steep and rocky path down to a col and then hike up to a couple of ladders which lead easily - albeit in quite an exposed position - to the summit of the Oberberghorn.

The view is equally spectacular as from Daube, and another prolonged spell of staring at mountains is recommended! When you're eventually ready to descend, head down the ladders and then follow a gorgeous traverse path back to the Schynige Platte alpine garden, and then further on down to the train.