Bernese Oberland

z Festivals & Events
In late January, artists get chipping at the
World Snow Festival to create extraordinary
ice sculptures. SnowpenAir (www
.snowpenair.ch) rocks Kleine Scheidegg in late
March with a star-studded concert line-up.
Schwingen (Swiss Sumo-style wrestling),
stone-throwing and other Alpine endeavours
enliven Grosse Scheidegg in July, while
the 90km Eiger Bike Challenge (www.eiger
bike.ch) races over hill and dale in August.
4 Sleeping
Grindelwald brims with characterful B&Bs
and holiday chalets. Pick up a list at the tourist
offi ce, or log onto www.wir-grindelwalder
.ch for a wide selection of holiday apartments.
Nearly everywhere closes in April and
from mid-October to mid-December. Local
buses, tourist offi ce guided walks and
entry to the sports centre are free with the
Guest Card.
oGletschergarten HOTEL $$
(%033 853 17 21; www.hotel-gletschergarten.ch;
Dorfstrasse; s Sfr120-150, d Sfr230-300; pi) The
sweet Breitenstein family make you feel at
home in their rustic timber chalet, brimming
with heirlooms from landscape paintings
to snapshots of Elsbeth’s grandfather
who had 12 children (those were the days…).
Decked out in pine and fl owery fabrics,
the rooms have balconies facing Unterer
Gletscher at the front and Wetterhorn (best
for sunset) at the back.
Hotel Bodmi HOTEL $$
(%033 853 12 20; www.bodmi.ch; Terrassenweg;
s/d/apt Sfr200/294/392; pi) Wake up to
memorable Eiger views and creamy goat’s
cheese – courtesy of the resident herd – at
this postcard-perfect chalet. Surrounded by
meadows, the hotel sits above First cable
car station and is a great base for summer
hiking and winter skiing. Unwind in the spa
or in the restaurant (mains Sfr25 to Sfr45)
dishing up market-fresh Alpine fare.
Hotel Tschuggen HOTEL $$
(%033 853 17 81; www.tschuggen-grindelwald.ch;
Dorfstrasse 134; s Sfr70-95, d Sfr160-190; pW)
Monika and Robert extend a warm welcome
at this dark-wood chalet in the centre
of town. The light, simple rooms are spotlessly
clean; opt for a south-facing double for
terrifi c Eiger views.
Naturfreundehaus HOSTEL $
(%033 853 13 33; www.naturfreundehaeuser.ch;
Terrassenweg 18; dm Sfr32-37, d Sfr74-84, breakfast
Sfr10; piWc) Vreni and Heinz are your
welcoming hosts at this wood chalet, picturesquely
perched above the village. Creaking
fl oors lead up to cute pine-panelled rooms
with check curtains, including a shoebox
single that’s apparently Switzerland’s smallest.
Try an Eiger coff ee with amaretto or a
homemade mint cordial in the old curiosity
shop of a cafe downstairs. The garden has
wonderful views to Eiger and Wetterhorn.
Gletscherdorf CAMPGROUND $
(%033 853 14 29; www.gletscherdorf.ch; sites per
adult/child Sfr8/4, tent Sfr8-12; W) Open from
May to October, this riverfront campsite
near Pfi ngstegg cable car is among Switzerland’s
most stunning, with awesome views
of Eiger, Wetterhorn and the glinting
Unterer Gletscher. Be aware that the closer
you get to the river, the colder it gets. The
excellent facilities include a common room,
laundry and free wi-fi .
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JUNGFRAU BERNESE OBERLAND REGION FESTIVALS GRINDELWALD & & EVENTS