Trip 39, Day 11

Saturday, September 3,2022

Leaving Lauterbrunnen made us realize how short our stay really was, even though we’re just going around to the other side of the mountain to a different valley, 25 minutes away. We would have happily stayed, but the hotel was sold out for the additional two days.

Grindelwald is about two times the population of Lauterbrunnen. Weather in the Alps is so changeable. In Lauterbrunnen this morning, the clouds had descended lower into the valley; it was lightly raining about 11am, but by the time we left the hotel at 11:30, it had stopped (makes walking the 0.4 miles to the train station a lot more pleasant). Tickets are inexpensive at 9 CHF each. Then by the time we left at 12:02, it began drizzling again. But as we made our way around to Zweilütschinen (where we change lines) , there was a lot more sunshine and no rain. Grindelwald, at 1034 meters elevation (3492’) is about 200 meters higher in elevation than Lauterbrunnen on the other side of the valley, but definitely seems higher than that.

Arriving at Grindelwald Bahnhof, you can look out to see the gondola lift that goes from Grindelwald Terminal (the stop just before the train ends) up to Männlichen. So if you took the lift up to Männlichen from Wengen (other side of the mountain, above Lauterbrunnen), you can take the gondola ride down from there to the other side here, at Grindelwald.

Fortunately, it’s not raining in Grindelwald, so the half mile walk through town to our hotel, though uphill, is offset by the views.

We’ve been to Grindelwald once before in 2014 to go to the Pfingsteggbahn and see the lower Grindelwald glacier.

The cable car up has amazing views, but I’m struck today looking at the glacier and seeing how it appears to have recessed so much since we were here in 2014 (didn’t realize it had been so long!).

We walked down the main street far enough that we could see the little chapel church ahead, but since it appears there was a wedding going on, maybe we can go tomorrow.

We did some shopping at the grocery near our hotel and brought something back to enjoy on our balcony. As we walk up the steep incline (not so nearly without suitcases), it’s beginning to drizzle and we made it back before getting wet. We sat on our balcony, the clouds have really closed in and it’s lightly raining. But again, a rainbow!

Not even an hour later, the clouds have lifted, the rain disappeared, and it’s a bright sunny day. Looking out from our balcony to the Pfingsteggbahn and glacier, you’d never even know it had rained.