5 reasons Schynige Platte needs to be top of your bucket list

One of the best things about travelling to Schynige Platte is that the adventure begins before you’ve even reached the summit. Enter: the cogwheel train ride. It’s been trundling passengers from the chocolate box village of Wilderswil up to the tops of these glorious peaks since way back in 1893, and when you get a glimpse of those views, it becomes obvious why the railway has been in operation for so long. Rolling through dense forests and overlooking dainty Alpine meadows, you can soak up every ounce of the unmatched views at this slower, more whimsical pace.

When it comes to show-stopping views, you can’t really beat the magnificence of a mountain range, and the scenes in the Jungfrau Region are up there with some of the most impressive on the planet. Sure, you can appreciate these peaks’ majesty in all their glory by hiking around, but the brand-new Schynige Platte Skywalk offers visitors front-row seats to marvel at the trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau with more clarity than ever before. How? Well, this isn’t just any old walkway – the Skywalk features a sweeping, suspended platform, meaning mountain views are clearer and easier to snap. Oh, and did we mention the stunning views over Lake Thun, too?

While this region is blessed with plenty of beautiful sights to look at, it also manifests in the local traditions and culture that have developed over the generations that Jungfrau has been inhabited. Visitors will be blessed with daily (and more importantly, free) alphorn concerts, which echo over the mountainside in lovely harmony, and there’s plenty of lip-smacking cuisine to fill your boots with, too. Head to the Panorama Restaurant and feast on some fondue, before admiring the sunset at the Mountain Hotel. These mountains are known as ‘the top of Swiss tradition’, after all.

One of the most crucial tips we can offer you is to stop and smell the flowers – literally. Rare wildflowers sprout from abundant meadows along the region’s many paths, but if you want to take an even closer look at the abundance of creatures and flora native to Schynige Platte, head to the Alpine Botanical Garden. It’s home to around 800 different plant species which are native to the high altitude – given it sits almost 2,000 metres above sea level – and entry is included with your cogwheel train ticket.

Easy stroll, Strava-worthy hike, and all kinds of walks in between – there’s a trail primed for you on Schynige Platte, no matter your level of fitness. If you’ve brought your family, make the most of purpose-built Lily’s Puzzle Trail – which has nine stations with games (plus a fun surprise at the Restaurant Schynige Platte) – or the alpine playground. There are also gentle loop trails to traverse for a laid-back jaunt, along with the starting point for the famous, challenging, high-altitude trek towards Faulhorn, Bachalpsee, and Grindelwald-First. Take your pick!

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