A WEEKEND IN WENGEN – Switzerland
No roads lead to Wengen, one of the largest mountain resorts in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.
One chugs up there by a mountain train, for in this summer and winter resort, perched on a sunny, sheltered terrace at the foot of the Jungfrau, cars are banned. The once sleepy farming village is located a 15-minute train ride away from Lauterbrunnen which is linked by motorway and train to Interlaken.
Spreadeagled at an altitude of 1,300 m, Wengen has a population of approximately 1,050 souls. With a spectrum of more than 30 hotels and around 600 apartments, it is a picturesque resort totally dedicated to tourism.
Despite its minuscule size, there’s plenty to do here—walking, hiking, mountain climbing, swimming, tennis, fishing, etc. There are 500 km of well-maintained signposted walks as well as opportunities to swim, play tennis and golf, skate on an artificial ice rink and embark on excursions to nearby mountains and waterfalls.
Wengen has been a winter sport venue since 1909 and has a good network of ski runs and ice rinks. There are opportunities for to bagganing, curling, ice hockey, hang gliding, and any number of adventurous pursuits. For the uninitiated, there is a Swiss Ski and Snowboard School with about 50 qualified instructors, with classes for beginners and advanced skiers as well.
In car-free Wengen’s cheerful streets, modernity and tradition blend in a fondue-like mixture. Mountains with names as timeless as themselves—Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau—hover protectively over a community whose roots are in the Middle Ages.
In summer the air tingles and is perfumed with the fragrance of wild flowers and in winter, the snow-clad slopes echo to the lusty cries of skiers. You can round off your stay at this alpine village, caught in an icy time warp, with trips to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe; by cable car to Mannlichen (2,230 m) or to the highest revolving restaurant in the world at Schilthorn (2,970 m); the Trummelback waterfalls, Murren, Grindelwald and the limpid lakes of Thun and Brienz.