Lots of travelers rave about Wengen, but it’s a not-so-secret secret that Wengen isn’t exactly our favorite place in the Jungfrau Region. So we’re going to spend two full days here in order to give a fresh answer to the all important question of “Is Wengen really worth the hype?!”
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Travel Switzerland with Confidence
YouTube is full of unending thoughts and opinions, but here’s some context behind ours. We are Jana and Brett, Aplins in the Alps, and we’ve been traveling Switzerland for years and have actually lived near Interlaken since 2023. Now, we’ve stayed overnight in Interlaken, Wilderswil, Grindelwald, and Mürren — but we’ve never actually stayed in Wengen. Probably because when we put together this video comparing seven different places to stay in the Jungfrau Region, Wengen was near the bottom of the bunch in every single category.
However, a bunch of you have told us that you absolutely love Wengen and it’s been three years since we dropped that last video, so clearly it’s time to give it another shot. So we’re going to hunker down here for two full days with the intent of exploring everything that Wengen has to offer.
Good morning from Wengen, Switzerland
We arrived here bright and early this morning to drop off our bags.
We live just 40 minutes away in Interlaken, so we’ve been here many times and I feel like we know the village pretty well. But I’m super hopeful to go exploring and find some lesser-known, quaint hidden gems in this village. But if I’m honest, I think I’m still going to end the weekend with the same opinion I have now. But that’s why we’re here — so let’s get started!
How to reach Wengen, Switzerland
It’s time to set out for our first stop of the day: a cafe, naturally. But first, if you’ve never been to Wengen, how do you get here?
Wengen is a car-free village located at 1274m (4180ft) in elevation, perched just above the Lauterbrunnen valley.
- It’s about three hours from the Zurich Airport, or four hours from the Geneva Airport by train.
- Its central location in the Jungfrau Region means it’s just 12 minutes from Lauterbrunnen, 55 minutes from Grindelwald, and 40 minutes from Interlaken by public transport.
- In fact, Wengen is ultra close to the impressively narrow Lauterbrunnen Valley, which supposedly inspired Rivendell from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
- And it’s just below Männlichen, which is one of the most panoramic viewpoints in the entire region.
- Plus, it’s a stop along the train line to Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe, where you can wander through an ice cave and walk across a glacier.
Best Cafe in Wengen
Naturally, I’m (Brett) on a mission to spare you the suffering of drinking mediocre, overpriced coffee. And according to my research and your input, ToGoKaffeehaus is the best spot in town.
It’s owned by two sisters, Melina and Agustina. And while Melina was making my cappuccino, she said she’s lived here in Wengen for four years and absolutely loves it.
And that although, yes, it can get very busy, she’s always able to find a place off the beaten path to enjoy a mountain view all to herself. And to be honest, that’s been our experience throughout most of the region too. This place is right in the center of town, just across from the tennis courts, which means you won’t be able to miss it.
Village Tour of Wengen, Switzerland
And speaking of location, let’s orient you to the village by showing you around Wengen.
This is a car-free village, which means there are only three ways to get up here: by foot, by train, or by cable car.
The Wengen train station has two platforms, so there’s zero chance you’ll get lost here. Trains go to Lauterbrunnen in one direction and Kleine Scheidegg in the other. In front of the station are some tourist shops and one of the two grocery stores in town. This also leads to the main street Dorfstrasse. Just up this road is the Männlichen cable car station.
Next door to that is the Wengen tourist office and some sports fields. Well, there are fields in the summer and ice rinks in the winter. If you continue walking along the main street, you’ll find the one other grocery store, hotels, restaurants, and plenty of tourist shops, particularly sports stores where you can rent e-bikes and via ferrata kits or sleds, skis, and snowboards in the winter.
Honestly, the shops are really nice and we truly enjoy the architecture of Wengen. However, it kind of feels like it was made for tourists. Like a lot of the restaurants and shops are catering to tourists. For context, I read there are only 1500 permanent residents in Wengen, but more than 5,000 guests per night in the summer and more than 10,000 guests per night in the winter.
Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay here. This is beloved by so many travelers and many of you, too. And we felt the same way about Grindelwald until we stayed there and explored the local spots. So that’s why we’re here. Let’s keep going and see what else we find.
At the end of the main street, you’ll find an amazing viewpoint in front of the church. Clearly, this is the best view in town because you’re staring straight down into the Lauterbrunnen Valley. So when you visit Wengen, you definitely don’t want to miss this spot. Beyond this, there are some quieter local streets along the edges of town. In particular, we really enjoyed the street just above the village because it was so quiet and a nice paved path, which just makes for a great stroll if you’re not up for a hike.
We were also pleasantly surprised by one of the paths just below the church, which featured this killer photo spot.
Is it convenient to stay in Wengen, Switzerland?
Believe it or not, it is almost time to eat lunch. But before we sit down, let’s chat really quickly about how convenient or inconvenient it is to stay in Wengen. The first train of the day from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen departs at 5:04 a.m. and the last train up to Wengen departs Lauterbrunnen at 1:32 a.m. And for most of the day these trains run every 30 minutes.
So even though this is a car-free village, it’s actually pretty hard to get caught in a position where you’d have to hike up or down. So compared to the mountain villages of Mürren and Gimmelwald across the valley, it’s actually a pretty convenient place to stay, just a 13 minute ride up from Lauterbrunnen. Like we mentioned earlier, there are only two grocery stores, but plenty of restaurant options, although only a few really stand out in our opinion.
Lunch in Wengen, Switzerland (and HotelCard discounts!)
One of our main reasons for staying here in Wengen is to find the spots, if they exist, that feel less like you’re in the middle of a tourist town and more like you’re hanging out in a friend’s living room, dining room, or terrace. We used HotelCard to book a discounted room at Hotel Bellevue, and we’re going to eat lunch here in the restaurant because they have fantastic reviews online.
It’s just a 12 minute walk from the train station, or a quick ride if they pick you up in their taxi. Yet we felt like we were secluded in our own private spot on the edge of town, and our room had possibly some of the best views directly down Lauterbrunnen Valley.
If you haven’t heard, HotelCard is a membership platform that offers discounted rates at select hotels in Switzerland. We’ve used it to stay in dozens of places and save an average of over 80 francs per night. If you’re interested, you can use our link to save an additional 30 francs on your annual membership.
We at lunch here at Judy’s Restaurant. Although they have a small lunch menu, our dishes were delicious.
The panoramic terrace was five-star, and amazingly, we were the only people there. Apparently, they’re always fully booked for dinner, but it’s a hidden gem for lunch. And just to clarify, none of this was sponsored. We’re just sharing our honest experience with you.
Afternoon in Wengen, Switzerland: Walks and Views
After lunch, we put our baby down for a nap in the stroller and enjoyed a few minutes in the hot tub. Then we split up to divide and conquer more of Wengen. I (Jana) took our baby to explore the family-friendly spots in town, like a few different playgrounds, the village swimming pool, the marble run, a park, and some farm fridges.
Brett set off on a trail out of the village to the Mönchblick. This viewpoint did not disappoint, although it would have been even better if the clouds weren’t in the way. But the best part might have been passing through different clusters of farms and homes along the way.
Wengen Guest Card
When you stay overnight in Wengen, you’ll get the Wengen Guest Card from your hotel or Airbnb host.
It gives you discounts on activities within the village, such as the ball run, mini golf, or tennis courts, as well as nearby attractions like the ride to Männlichen, the cogwheel train to Schynige Platte, Trümmelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen Valley, and the Ropes Park in Grindelwald. Plus, it even offers reduced admissions to a few castles on Lake Thun.
Although that’s a nice perk, you will still want some sort of train pass for your stay in Wengen. If nothing else, the Swiss Half Fare Card is a great option because it provides a 50% discount on nearly all forms of transportation throughout the entire country, which is much better than the discounts you would receive with the Guest Card.
But this video is about Wengen and not about train passes. So if you want to know more about those, be sure to check out our free Swiss Train Pass Checklist after you finish this video.
Dinner at The Deck (and drinks at Tanne Bar)
After our afternoon activities, we headed to The Deck at Hotel Jungfraublick for dinner, just a ten minute walk from the Wengen train station. We called ahead to reserve a table with a view because I mean, look at this view of the Jungfrau!
We ordered a flammkuchen and a burger, both of which were fantastic. I was so tempted to order the fondue, which looked amazing. It’s what they’re known for, and a lot of the other people at other tables had fondue as well. But our baby has a milk allergy, so I had to save that for next time, which means we’ll be coming back again — good thing we live close by!
After dinner, Brett popped into the Tanne Bar to enjoy a drink from the extensive whiskey list while chatting with the owner, Ronald. And he enjoyed the evening colors on the mountains.
Day 1 in Wengen, Switzerland
All right, we’re wrapping up our first full day in Wengen and while we’re going to hold our final thoughts until tomorrow, I’ve just got to say that we have really enjoyed everything we’ve done today, and tomorrow’s activities might have even more to say about it, since we’re going to enjoy a few more adventures before we check out of our hotel.
Good morning from Wengen
Good morning from Wengen! We just finished a great breakfast in our hotel with some more amazing views, but we saved room in our bellies because now we’re heading to the village bakery.
To be fair, we’ve actually been here multiple times because we can’t resist a local treat. And Bäckerei Konditorei Vincenz is truly the best in town. But I didn’t realize that they use flour from a local mill, which makes me appreciate their products even more. Obviously they have cakes and sweet treats, but they also sell fresh bread, takeaway food, Swiss chocolate, ice cream, and other regional specialties. Brett got a chocolate caramel cookie and absolutely devoured it.
Walks and Trails in Wengen, Switzerland
The nice thing about staying in Wengen, as opposed to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald or Interlaken, is that you’re actually in the mountains. Yesterday we explored the half of the village by our hotel, and so today we’re exploring the other side of the village on some beautiful walks, including cows and goats like you see behind me.
We made a big loop, following portions of the Staubbachbänkli and Mendelsohn themed trails past farms, waterfalls, cute houses with stunning gardens, and of course nice viewpoints. Our turnaround point was right near Innerwengen where the longest downhill ski race in the world — the Lauberhorn — ends.
(And fun fact, Brett is too humble to say so, but for the past two years he has run a race in the snow that literally goes UP this entire race course!)
As we enjoyed the views, we came to the conclusion that Wengen is a great spot for people looking for nature walks instead of hikes. Although don’t be fooled — it’s still quite hilly!
Lunch in Allmend
After finishing back in Wengen, we rode the train up one stop to Allmend to meet friends for lunch at the Bergrestaurant Allmend.
Together we ordered the Alpine Rösti, Cordon Bleu, and a hamburger, while catching up and enjoying the nonstop views from this fantastic, recently-renovated restaurant.
We and our baby have just spent two days exploring Wengen, answering the question: is it worth the hype? Now, you’ll remember that it ranked pretty low compared to every other place in the region, and I’ll admit, I was skeptical that it would get bumped up. So did it?
The answer is no.
It’s still in the same spot in our rankings, but I think we’ve been giving the impression that we don’t really like Wengen, and Wengen is great! It’s just that unfortunately, there are quite a few other spots in the region that we would pick first. But we’re just sharing our opinions, and choosing a place to visit is all about your preferences.
We think Wengen is ideal for travelers who are maybe a little less active, or who want to stay in the mountains, but want really good amenities and nice train connections.
So is Wengen worth the hype? Guess you have to be the judge!
As a local, I’m still not sure if I’ll come up here as often as I go to Mürren or to Grindelwald, but I will say we will keep coming back to Wengen for their special events, which are awesome, like their Cheese Fest or their Mulled Wine Night.
If you’re looking for more things to do near Wengen, read this next to see the best things to do in Lauterbrunnen or read this to see how to spend a day in Männlichen, and we’ll see you in Switzerland — maybe even in Wengen!