Description
Wengen is a beautiful, car-free village bursting with traditional Swiss Alpine charm. The village is perched on the sloping mountainside underneath the towering Jungfrau peak, directly opposite Mürren. The resort of Wengen is a firm favourite for many, often featuring in lists of ‘most favourite resorts.’ Year on year many guests return to the area to enjoy the skiing as well as admire the stunning views. With such breath-taking views of the infamous trio of Swiss peaks, the Jungfrau, the Eiger and Mönch, surrounding the village, it is easy to see why.
Wengen is ideally placed in the centre between Mürren and Grindelwald. Grindelwald and Wengen share the same ski area so are seamlessly linked. Whereas Mürren is slightly more challenging to get to.
The ski area of Wengen and Grindelwald are ideal for children and intermediates with everything within easy access of the villages, especially Wengen. Even the beginner area of Wengen is located just a short walk from the tourist office in the centre of the village. Stretching above the village are the two main ski areas, the Kleine Scheidegg, reached by cog railway from Wengen to Wengeneralp, and Männlichen, accessed by cable car from the village. The ski area is mostly suited to beginners and intermediates, however there is still a few pisted blacks and quite a bit of off-piste for more advanced skiers to have a play about it. More advanced skiers also tend to head over to Mürren for a few days, where the variety of challenging slopes is much greater.
Many families find Wengen an attractive resort which meets a lot of their needs. The resort has a wonderful quintessential Swiss charm, with just one winding main street and a quiet atmosphere. The village is also very safe for children as it is practically vehicle-free, except for the occasional electric hotel taxi.
The village of Wengen has a long history, first founded in the 1890s. Originally it was developed to be a summer destination on the new train line up to the Jungfraujoch. It was not intended to be a ski resort until British visitors persuaded the train company to run through the winter so that people could ski down the slopes. This was considered a breakthrough for downhill skiing as there were no ski lifts at the time
Getting There
Unless you have booked a package holiday where the travel is all sorted for you, you may want to think about how you are going to get to and from the resort. Wengen is tucked away in the Alps with limited access by train. This does effect the best ways to travel.
Fly
The most common way to get to the resort is to fly. There are four local airports to Wengen:
Bern- 102km- 1hr25
Zurich- 144km- 1hr45
Basel- 162km- 1hr55
Geneva- 234km- 2hrs30
During the winter season (December – April) there are a huge number of flights available into all of these airports. Basel and Bern are the smallest with very few direct flights from the UK. Travelling to either of these airports would mean getting a connecting flight from another European airport. Zurich and Geneva are busier airports with more UK flights landing there. They also offer a wide range of UK departure airports as well as greater choice of flight times throughout the day.
Although Geneva is slightly further away, this is thoroughfare for skiers travelling to the French Alps. This means that the airport is more geared up towards catering for them.
Transfers from the Airport
Unlike many other resorts, car transfers will not be able to take you all the way up to the resort due to the no-vehicle policy in operation in Wengen. There is physically no road up in the winter to the village. Everyone has to get the local train from Lauterbrunnen.
However there are several transfer companies who offer shared and private transfers to Lauterbrunnen. It is worth checking transfer arrangements before booking your flights, especially if you want a shared transfer as these as less regular.
Which transfer company you use will depend on your group size, flight times and budget. It is also worth considering how much luggage you have as this will also impact the size of the vehicle you will need. If you are unsure as to what the best size and type of vehicle is the best suited to you, then contacting the transfer company directly will help. Here are a few ideas of the type of companies out there and what they offer:
Happy Bus offer private transfers to Lauterbrunnen all year round from Geneva airport. They are also happy to operate transfers from Bern, Basel and Zurich airports on request.
Sun Transfersprovide private transfers to Lauterbrunnen from all the airports above. They also sometimes have shared transfers going on the busier weekends. So it is worth contacting them directly to check.
Alps2Alps offer private transfers to Lauterbrunnen from all major Swiss airports. On peak dates they might have a shared transfer going to Lauterbrunnen too.
Ski-Lifts offer private and shared transfers from Zurich, Basel and Geneva airports.
Train Transfers
The Swiss train network is world-renowned for its efficiency and comfort. For this reason, many people choose to use the train instead of taking a road transfer to Swiss mountain resorts. Both Geneva and Zurich airports have direct rail connections within their airports. From both these airports you head straight to Bern, change to Interlaken Ost, then take the train to Laubterbrunnen and finally collect the train up to Wengen.
Taking the train to and from the resort can be longer, however the views are wonderful and the journey is very relaxing.
Train
There is not a direct Eurostar service from the UK to Wengen. To get the train to Wengen, it would take approximately 8 hours and involved 5 changes. The first leg of the journey takes you to Paris on the Eurostar, then change station to the Gare de Lyon to head to Bern. From here go to Spiez, after this head to Interlaken Ost. From Interlaken Ost take the train to Lauterbrunnen and finally take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen.
Drive
Many people choose to drive to the Alps. It is a longer journey from the UK to Switzerland than it is to the French Alps though. If you are coming from the UK, you can either take the channel tunnel or head to the ferry. The euro tunnel departs approximately every 15 minutes from Folkestone and takes 35 minutes. Prices start from £90 each way. You can book your crossing online at - https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/home/.
The ferry runs from Dover to Calais with with P&O ferries, this can be reserved at http://www.poferries.com/en/portal. The Dover to Calais service operates up to 23 times each day and takes 90 minutes.
On arrival in France remember to drive on the right hand side of the road. It is important to note that there are several tolls on route down to the Alps, the prices depend on which section of road you use.
European travel/vehicle requirements are very strict and on-spot fines can be issued if you don’t have: headlight converters, GB sticker, warning triangle, spare bulbs, high viz vests for each passenger in the car and breathalysers.
In certain weather conditions, the roads may become snowy and icy and although local municipalities are very good and keeping the roads clear, it can be dangerous so it is important to take extra care and attention when driving. It is a legal requirement in France to carry snow chains in your vehicle or police will refuse you access to certain roads. When driving in these conditions, slow down when you encounter any snow, use high gears to avoid wheel spin, and keep moving when driving up an incline on snow.
You cannot drive all the way to the resort. You have to leave the car at Lauterbrunnen and take the cog railway on the last section of the journey into Wengen. There is a covered car park at Lauterbrunnen or there is another uncovered car park if it gets full. When deciding if it is worth driving out to resort, it is important to remember that you will not need the car when you arrive in Wengen as it is a vehicle free resort.
When to Go
Wengen is a popular resort with a high rate of returning visitors. The resort does get busier during the peak times which can cause some queues to form especially at the main cable car to Grindelwald. Even though the cable car is quicker, it is possible to reach the same area via the typically quieter cog railway. Queues have been alleviated over the past few years with the installation of faster chairlifts. If you are travelling during peak periods of the year, it is advisable to avoid trying to get on any lifts at the same time as ski school.
The whole of the Jungfrau ski area has a fantastic snow record. However most of the slopes in and around the immediate vicinity of Wengen are below 2000m. This has made some of the more frequented runs quite vulnerable. The resort has been consciously tackling this by adding snow-making facilities to these vulnerable slopes. With more than 60% of the slopes in the Kleine Scheidegg- Männlichen area now covered by these facilities, which many have commented on the effectiveness of the machines.
The resort of Wengen is open all year round. During the winter month’s people do travel to the resort for skiing, but they also travel to the resort to admire the view, experience the hiking around the area and also on tours to go to the top of the Jungfraujoch. The tours and hiking visitors are more common in the summer months, but do not be surprised to find the odd non-skier on the cog railway heading up from Interlaken to admire the scenery and experience the resort in the winter.
Where to Stay
Wengen is a small village, not having grown very much since its initial development in the late 19th century. The village is made up of one main street boasting Victoriana styled hotels and Swiss chalet shops. The cog railway from Lauterbrunnen is the only access into the village but there are 2 ways to get out of the village and up to the ski area.
Getting around the village is very easy with everything within walking distance. The only thing to watch out for when choosing accommodation is that the resort is on quite a steep hill. There are no buses so walking to and from the lifts has to be considered. However there is a wide range of accommodation all over the village so you do not have to walk very far with skies if you do not want to.
There is a wide selection of hotels and self-catering apartment options. Although Swiss resorts have a reputation for being on the pricier side, there are options that will save you money, regardless of group size.
Getting around
Despite the large size of the ski area, the village of Wengen itself, is small. There is just one main street on which all the accommodation, restaurants and bars stemming off this. The cog railway and the cable car also stem off this street. This makes getting around very easy and simple. The only complication being that the street is on quite a steep slope so you have to be careful where you book accommodation as you will have to carry equipment around or rent a locker near to one of the 2 main lifts. Here are the main options for getting around Wengen:
Rail
There is no public transport in the area with the village centre being a vehicle free zone. The main way up to the resort is via the railway station in Lauterbrunnen. This is also the best way and most efficient way of getting around the area, if you are wanting to do some sightseeing. Trains lead down to Interlaken and up to the neighbouring village of Mürren.
Ski Lifts
The combined ski area of Wengen and Grindelwald is formed from 27 ski lifts, built around the cog mountain railway. The cog railway and the giant cable car are the main points of access, transporting guests from Wengen up the mountain. The network of lifts is remarkably effective with the Jungfrau lift system transporting up to 47000 people up the mountain per hour.
Taxis and Buses
There are neither of these options in Wengen as it is a vehicle free area. However many of the hotels do offer an electric taxi service. This is especially useful for arrival and departure as it saves lugging cases around the resort. This is arranged directly with the hotel.
On Foot
This is the easiest and quickest way to get around the village. It is the most common form of transport with nearly all visitors choosing to leisurely enjoy the view as they make their way around the village. The village is on a steep hill, but this has been taken into account with ski lockers being available at both major lifts to save carrying equipment around.
The walking area might be slightly icy due to the snow and high altitude so it is advisable to wear sturdy and sensible shoes with a good grip. If you are unsure or nervous about this then ice-grips are available to buy at many outdoor shops. These just add another layer of grip.