Is this place the best-kept secret in the Jungfrau Region? We think so, and today we’re gonna show you why!
But before we tell you about this hush-hush spot, let’s give you a little context and see if you can guess where we are first.
This lovely place is perched on a mountainside with views of Schynige Platte, the valley leading to Grindelwald, Männlichen, Wengen, the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen Valley, and even the Soustal Valley leading up to the Schilthorn.
In fact, it’s kind of amazing that this hidden gem is smack dab in the middle of the Jungfrau region, yet very few tourists actually come here.
For comparison, in 2023:
- More than 1 million travelers went to Jungfraujoch
- More than 840,000 guests went up to Grindelwald First
- And the Harderbahn traveled up and down between Interlaken and Harder Kulm more than 825,000 times!
…But this place has a cable car that can transport just 8 people at a time, or 1 cow, as they say in their marketing.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. If we haven’t met, we’re Jana and Brett, and we help you travel Switzerland with confidence. And we actually live right here in the Jungfrau Region near Interlaken, which is how we discovered this secret spot that we’re gonna show you today.
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So here’s what’s coming:
- Obviously, we’ll tell you where we are and show you what you can do up here, like riding in a tiny cable car, visiting an alpine hut, and eating fresh mountain cheese.
- We’ll share how to get here, where to eat, and the best hikes for any ability level.
- Then we’ll end with a fun adventure that we haven’t seen anywhere else in the Jungfrau Region, so stay tuned till the end.
Any guesses about where this place is? If not, give us a drum roll please…
Actually, before we tell you where we are, let’s explain how to get here…because, ya know, suspense makes everything more fun!
How to reach this secret spot
From Lauterbrunnen, board bus 142 across the street from the Stefan von Allmen bakery, and ride for 12 minutes up to the traditional mountain village of Isenfluh (1085 meters). It’s important to note that this bus only runs about 7-9 times daily, and there’s often at least an hour, and sometimes 2 or 3 hours, between departures.
If you have a car, you can also drive and park up at Isenfluh, which would give you a lot more flexibility and a lot less worry about bus times.
Once you’re in Isenfluh, you’ve made it to the “armchair of the Bernese Oberland.” And yes, that’s its actual nickname because of its location. There are cliffs leading up to it and surrounding it, making an armchair-like shape. And there are 2 noteworthy things here to show you before we head to our final destination.
First, is the Hotel Restaurant Waldrand next to the cable car station. Of course it’s beautiful and a nice quiet place to enjoy a meal or spend a night on your vacation. There are also a few other guesthouses nearby as well.
Second is this farm fridge. Both Isenfluh and where we’re going next are basically small farming communities, which means these farm fridges are well stocked with local specialties.
But now, it’s time for a 5-minute ride on that tiny cable car I mentioned earlier — the one that holds up to 8 people or 1 cow at a time.
This mini cable car has been in service since 1975. It runs year-round every 15 minutes from 7:00am to 6:15pm. Like most places, they will run more frequently if it’s super busy and it may also close due to bad weather. On a previous trip, Brett shared the ride with a farmer who keeps his cows up the mountain!
Okay, we can’t keep the secret to ourselves any longer.
…Welcome to Sulwald (1520 meters)! Let’s explore everything you can do up here above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and then we’ll talk about the transportation costs and which train passes cover the journey.
Restaurant Sulwald Stübli
First up is Restaurant Sulwald Stübli. As you can see, their terrace has some of the most stunning views!
In addition to it’s amazing location, this restaurant serves full meals, snacks, and drinks starting at 9am whenever the cable car is running. But as always, double check the opening times before you visit, because they do close in between seasons.
We ordered the house speciality of Tyrolean dumplings — and they were amazing! (We first had this in the Südtirol region of northern Italy, and were so happy to see them on the menu here as well!)
But here’s what makes Sulwald Stübli even more special — there is no electricity or plumbing! So everything is cooked from scratch over gas and their building is heated by wood, yet they are a full service restaurant. That blows my mind and somehow makes this experience even more memorable.
Hiking at Sulwald, Switzerland
Now that we’ve filled up our bellies, it’s time for a hike. And you have a few options from Sulwald.
First, is the easy 20 to 30 minute walk to the Sulwald Viewpoint and back. It’s a stroller- and wheelchair-friendly path, except for the staircase at the very end. And this viewpoint definitely delivers since you can see Wilderswil, Interlaken, Harder Kulm, and Schynige Platte.
Next is the hike to Grütschalp. There are actually a few different trails between Sulwald and Grütschalp, but all of them are around 5 to 6 kilometers long and take about 2 hours. And of course they are absolutely beautiful too! Not to mention that this hike is a great way to visit both Sulwald and Mürren in one day, since you could hop on the train when you arrive in Grütschalp to continue to Mürren. And these trails even make it easier to get back down the mountain since transportation runs more frequently from Grütschalp to Lauterbrunnen than from Sulwald to Lauterbrunnen.
But if we had to pick just one hike to recommend, it’s the trail to the Lobhorn Hut. You follow an old alpine road from Sulwald to Chüebodmi. Then you can take a short detour to visit the peaceful Sulsseeli alpine lake and waterfalls before reaching the hut. The trail is marked at just under 3 kilometers, 1 hour and 20 minutes one-way, with 440 meters of elevation gain.
The Lobhorn Hut
Welcome to the Lobhorn Hut! Once again, these views with minimal crowds are just breathtaking. I mean, look at this picture spot! This is seriously one of my favorite views in the entire region
But before we sit down in the restaurant, we want to mention 2 more trail options if you’re a serious hiker. And by serious, we mean that you’re wanting to connect your boots to the trail for more than 5 or 6 hours.
You can hike from here to the Lobhörner, which is a super cool rock formation.
And the other is one of my all-time favorite hikes in the Jungfrau Region, the Bällehöchst! Start by riding a Postbus from Wilderswil to Saxeten, hiking up through the forest, crossing an alp, and then climbing the final ridge to the Bällehöchst, where absolutely stunning 360 degree views award you for your efforts. Then, descend from there to the Lobhorn Hut where we are now, and finally down to Sulwald.
I know it seems like we just ate in Sulwald, but we can’t resist stopping here at the Lobhorn Hut! Plus, we hiked uphill, so we earned a few more calories, right?? This is a rustic alpine hut, and they have dorm beds and a restaurant, but the services are limited. For example, they have no electricity other than a bit of solar power, they cook on a woodstove, and have outhouses.
In fact, you should definitely take a bathroom break here just to see the view through the door of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks!
And with that kind of simplicity in mind, you’ll want to bring cash to pay for your order. They serve local specialties like Sulsalp cheese, but are particularly known for their hazelnut cake and homemade sirops, so we ordered both!
One awesome item on their menu is the fondue backpack. It’s exactly what it sounds like: everything you need to enjoy fondue outside! You pick up the pack and instructions here, find a nice spot to enjoy it, pack everything including your garbage back inside, and return it to the hut. You need to reserve this at least a day in advance, but it might just be the most special meal of your entire Swiss vacation!
By the way, the hikes and activities that we’re sharing in this video are mainly for the summer season, but you can also come in the winter for winter hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, and — if you’re into extreme sports — even ice climbing on a waterfall!
Clearly it’s way too hot for sledding right now, but we are going to take an adventurous ride down the exact route you’d sled on in the winter…
But before that, let’s show you some views from our hike back down to Sulwald while we explain what you need to know about tickets and train passes.
Ticket Prices and Train Passes to Sulwald, Switzerland
A one-way bus ticket from Lauterbrunnen to Isenfluh costs 7.80 CHF full price, or 3.90 CHF with the Half Fare Card. This ride is free with the Berner Oberland Pass or Swiss Travel Pass.
The cable car from Isenfluh to Sulwald costs 16 CHF roundtrip or 10 CHF one-way. If you’re traveling with the Berner Oberland Pass, then it’s 13 CHF round trip or 8 CHF one-way. Kids are half price. Otherwise, there are no discounts available, not even with the Half Fare Card.
Surprisingly, there is one pass that fully covers the bus ride and cable car, and that’s the little known Mürren-Schilthorn Holiday Pass. But because of its limited coverage, you should only consider it in rare circumstances where you’ll visit the Schilthorn at least twice.
Alright, enough with numbers — it’s time for some adrenaline!
Monster Scooters from Sulwald to Isenfluh, Switzerland
We’ve done this activity one other time in Zermatt (which was honestly a total disaster because most of the path was made of giant gravel — no seriously, they’re not worth trying there), but we’ve never seen them here in the Jungfrau Region. They’re called Monster Scooters, and they’re similar to the trottibikes at Grindelwald First, but check out these giant tires!!
You rent the scooter and helmet from the Isenfluh station, then ride up with them in the cable car. Bounce and glide 4km down the well-maintained forest roads on those massive tires.
We loved this! We stopped about halfway down to see the impressive Sulzbach waterfall.
Sulwald is such an amazing hidden gem in the Jungfrau Region! Another lesser-known spot that we love is Pfingstegg. So check that out next to learn more about Pfingstegg, or find our favorite recommendations in our Swiss Travel Guides, and we’ll see you in Switzerland!