The Best Places to Stay in the Bernese Oberland, A Definitive Guide

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Off to the Berner Oberland?

The Bernese Oberland, or Berner Oberland in German, is one of Switzerland’s most iconic destinations. With incredible scenery, unbelievable hiking, biking, and skiing, it's no wonder the region is regularly considered one of Switzerland’s best for travelers and adventure seekers.

With so much to see and do in the Berner Oberland, it can be a real challenge to plan your trip. Beyond figuring out what you want to see and do, you also have to figure out the best way to get there (usually without a car), and the best place to call home while you do it.

While we typically cover the what to do and how to get there part extensively on this Blog (see our 5 best hikes in the Jungfrau Region) this week we offer our top picks for a home base when traveling to the Berner Oberland.

No matter where you stay, you are in for a treat. With excellent public transit you can easily day trip from one end of the region to the other with relative ease. That said, depending on your interests, some destinations are more convenient than others. This week we are going to try to cover as many of them as we can!

Whether you are looking for the best views, the best connections, or the most adventure at your doorstep, we have you covered.

Thanks for joining us!

Jump straight to a destination using the link below or keep reading to see them all!

Best All-Around - Interlaken and Unterseen

Best of the Jungfrau - Mürren

Best for Mountain Journeys - Grindelwald

Best for Adventures at Your Doorstep - Kandersteg

Best for Regional Connections - Spiez

Best for Swiss Culture - Brienz

Best of the Rest - Thun, Meiringen, Adelboden, Gstaad, Iseltwald, and Beatenberg

Best of the Rest in the Jungfrau Region - Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, and Wilderswil

The Best All-Around

Interlaken and Unterseen - Ultimately, your choice of where to stay on your trip will come down to your holiday interests. Whether you want a slow relaxing trip, a heart pounding adrenaline fix, or something in between, there is one place that will get you pretty close to all of it: Interlaken and Unterseen (Interlaken’s less well-known direct neighbor).

Majestic Jungfrau as seen from the old town of Unterseen near Interlaken

Despite its (warranted) reputation as a tourist town, there is a good reason why visitors have been flocking to this flat valley bottom for nearly two centuries. Situated centrally in the Berner Oberland between Lakes Thun and Brienz, Interlaken’s two train and boat stations offer incredible convenience and direct links to most of the Berner Oberland’s best destinations. On top of that, there is a lot to love about Interlaken itself from it's Victorian architecture to its castle ruins and stunning views.

Direct train connections from Basel, Zurich, and Zurich Airport make arriving in Interlaken an absolute breeze. From there, your travel options are pretty limitless. You have direct access to the world-famous Jungfrau Region’s high alps, deep gorges, and stunning waterfalls as well as more far-flung destinations like Lucerne or Lake Geneva via the Interlaken to Lucerne Express and Golden Pass Express, two of Switzerland’s most scenic train lines.

From Interlaken Ost train station (about a 20-minute walk from Interlaken West), it’s only 30 minutes by train to the hiking and cable cars of the Jungfrau Region. Alternatively, you can take historic paddle wheelers to Giessbach Falls on the stunning turquoise blue waters of Lake Brienz or to one of the storybook castles on the shores of Lake Thun. Boats leave directly from Interlaken Ost (Lake Brienz) and Interlaken West (Lake Thun).

Interlaken is also where you will find your adventure tour fix in the Berner Oberland. Think white water rafting, paragliding, and much much more.

While Interlaken is probably the least scenic town on this list, the bar is set quite high. Stunning views of the famous Jungfrau on clear days alongside nice riverside walks to wetlands and castle ruins make Interlaken a scenic destination in its own right.

Hotels abound in Interlaken but its main street can start to feel a bit crowded and touristy at times. If you are liking the sounds of the activities and connections but want a bit more of the traditional and quiet Swiss vibe, check out the old town of Unterseen. Unterseen is just across the Aare River from Interlaken and a 10-minute walk from Interlaken West station with several well appointed hotels and restaurants. If we were going to stay in Interlaken, this is where we would head!

Check out our Interlaken walking guide for more details!

The Best of the Jungfrau Region

Mürren - If you are looking to escape the hustle bustle of the city and immerse yourself in the heart of the Swiss Alps, the car free village of Mürren deep in the Jungfrau Region offers an excellent base.

Perched high up on a ledge above the stunning Lauterbrunnen Valley, Mürren’s collection of lovely traditional Swiss Chalets offers incredible view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau and a gateway to the Alps.

Mürren is a bit more of a journey to get to than other destinations on this list requiring at least three additional public transit connections from Interlaken. From Interlaken you will need to take the narrow gauge Berner Oberland Bahn (train) to Lauterbrunnen and, from there, either a gondola and mountain train or a bus and gondola to get to Mürren. That said, the journey itself is spectacular and Mürren rewards the hardy for their efforts in spades.

What Mürren gives up in its many required connections (really not that much to be honest), it easily makes up for with incredible views and excellent mountain connections. A funicular to Allmendhubel gets you straight from Mürren to excellent winter skiing and summer hiking while the recently renovated Schilthornbahn gondola takes you high up to the peak of Schilthorn (Piz Gloria to one James Bond) and some of the best views in the entire world.

One of our favorite hikes in the entire Jungfrau for views is the Mountain View Trail which is easily accessed from Mürren.

Needless to say, Mürren is close to the end of the line in the Berner Oberland and that can be a good or a bad thing depending on your itinerary. If you are looking for direct access to some of the country’s best hiking or a relaxing get away in a lovely traditional village, Mürren may be the place for you. If you want to maximize time efficiency on your trip, perhaps best to keep moving down our list.

The view from Mürren perched high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley

The Best for Mountain Journeys

Grindelwald – While Mürren’s lovely views and adorable chalet laden village wins it our top spot in the Jungfrau Region, more developed Grindelwald, also in the Jungfrau, gives Mürren a run for its money. While you are unlikely to hear anyone lauding the town aesthetics, Grindelwald’s location, stunning views of the Wetterhorn and Eiger, and its excellent mountain connections make it a worthwhile consideration for your next trip.

Grindelwald in the valley below the Eiger and Wetterhorn

Grindelwald is surrounded by incredible mountains in a large side valley of the Jungfrau Region. Nearly 200 years ago, at the birth of Alpine tourism, massive glaciers descended from either side of the imposing Eiger North Face threatening to plow right over Grindelwald. The ice was the small town’s primary draw. Those days are, somewhat fortunately and somewhat unfortunately, long gone along with the ice but Grindelwald’s status as a premier mountain destination remains.

Today, it's Grindelwald’s ease of access (a direct connection from Interlaken Ost) and excellent connections to the high alps that make it so popular. A new express Gondola takes you straight to Eiger Gletscher Station at the base of the Eiger North Face and a slower train to Kleine Scheidegg, both the perfect start for a day of hiking under the face of the Eiger or a trip through the mountain to Europe’s highest train station at Jungfraujoch. For the thrill seekers, access to a range of mountain coasters and zip lines at First make Grindelwald a good choice.

While you can still find some peace and time to yourself in the area around Grindelwald, it (along with much of the Jungfrau Region) tends to be a bit more developed than other areas of the Berner Oberland. If you are looking for the region’s more rugged side, our next pick may be for you.

The Best for Adventure at Your Doorstep

Kandersteg - Moving away from the frenzy of the Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region offers an opportunity to explore less developed but still unquestionably spectacular mountains and valleys of the Berner Oberland. In our opinion, one of the most underrated home bases is the small town of Kandersteg.

Tucked in the end of the large Kander Valley at the base of the Gemmi Pass into Switzerland’s Canton of Valais, Kandersteg has long been a stopover point for travelers. The days of a necessary hike over the pass are long gone (unless you are keen) but the town remains an excellent home base for exploring some of the best scenery in the Berner Oberland.

With today’s good train connections from Bern and Spiez, Kandersteg is easy to access and offers an absolute bounty of moderate to intense outdoor activities from excellent cross-country skiing in the winter to heaps of summer hiking and biking.

In recent years, Kandersteg’s nearby Blausee and Oeschinensee have become a bit overrun thanks to Instagram but nonetheless offer incredible scenery. Steep hikes (or gondola rides) out of town provide access to the high peaks and glaciers of Blümlisalphorn and Gemmi Pass (which will feature on the blog soon). An alternative shorter climb into the hidden Gasterntal Valley is like stepping back through geologic time. Scrambling up the hills of the valley bottom (evidence of a massive landslide which shot over the town a couple thousand years ago) offers commanding views into the mountains.

While you won’t find as many of the fancy restaurants and creature comforts here in Kandersteg, there are still plenty of comfortable accommodations and the opportunity to explore a much more rugged side of the Alps. If your plans take you to multiple corners of the Berner Oberland, Kandersteg may be a bit out of the way and our next stop, just 30 minutes from Kandersteg by train, may be a better fit for you.

The Gasterntal just above Kandersteg

The Best for Regional Connections

Spiez - If you are keen to adopt the Swiss lifestyle, take a train to most of your destinations, and relax in a quiet and central destination in the Berner Oberland then Spiez is the perfect place for you. The best part, you don't have to sacrifice an ounce on scenic beauty. Once a small resort town, Spiez is now a regional hub, with more train, bus, and boat connections than almost any small town in Switzerland, a stunning waterfront with an obligatory fairytale castle, and miles of winding vineyards like something out of a dream.

Spiez sits on the direct train line from Zurich and Zurich Airport to both Interlaken and the Valais (through the new Lötschberg base tunnel). Spiez, which lies on the shores of Lake Thun, is about 30 minutes from Kandersteg, 15 minutes from Interlaken, 10 minutes from Thun, and 40 minutes from Zweisimmen high in the Simmental Valley. On top of the train connections, you will find a myriad of summer boat connections which take you all across Lake Thun from Spiez.

You won’t find many of your adrenaline adventures or mountain gondolas in Spiez but, if you are into flat water paddling or sailing, there are some options. Beyond stunning light walks through the vineyards and along the lake shore, about 10 minutes away from Spiez by train you have access to incredible hiking on the Niesen, Switzerland’s natural pyramid shaped peak which tops out at over 2300 meters (nearly 7,800 feet).

To learn more about the town, check out our short post on Spiez (originally posted in German as part of our German Series, Deutsch Klar!).

There are several nice hotels and restaurants in Spiez which offer good options for your stay, but you won’t find as many food options here as you will in Interlaken or the nearby (fantastic) old town of Thun. While Spiez has a spattering of traditional structures, they are not found in great concentration. If the goal of your trip is to soak in traditional Swiss vibes, you may be better off with the next lake side destination on our list.

Looking down on Lake Thun from the vines in Spiez

The Best for Swiss Culture

Brienz- If you are looking for one of the cutest towns in Switzerland with excellent cultural activities, a stunning waterfront, and Switzerland’s best scenic train journey, look no further than the lakeside town of Brienz.

Situated on the far eastern end of Lake Brienz, the village of Brienz has good connections via both boat and rail from Interlaken. While a bit out of the way if your plans revolve mostly around the Jungfrau region, Brienz offers its own suite of excellent activities that are some of the best cultural options in Switzerland.

From the train station in Brienz, it’s about a 15 minute bus ride into the hills to Ballenberg, Switzerland’s expansive outdoor museum of rural life which features reenactors, demonstrations of traditional craft, and hundreds of original structures transported here from every corner of the country. Nearby to Ballenberg is the Trauffer Experience, showcasing Switzerland’s famous wooden toy carver and, in town, there is another entire museum dedicated to all forms of Swiss wood carving. Across the lake at Giessbach, you will find an incredible waterfall and one of Switzerland’s great Victorian era hotel resorts.

One of our favorite parts about Brinez is the historic Brienzer Rothorn Bahn, one of Switzerland’s last steam trains which makes regular summer trips up to the 2350 m (7,700 ft) peak of Brienzer Rothorn Kulm with stunning views across the Alps. The cherry on top, the hiking on the Brienzer Rothorn gives the Jungfrau Region a run for its money.

Brienz is a great choice for home base if you plan to stick around the lovely eastern end of the Berner Oberland, but it does add a bit of a journey if most of your intentions are further west (for example in Kandersteg, the Simmental, or Jungfrau Region).

The adorable chalets of Brienz

The Best of the Rest

We don’t want to knock any of the Berner Oberland towns that didn’t make our list (of which there are many). Every town has something special to offer and many could serve as an excellent home base depending on your needs and interests.

Here are a few of the most conspicuous towns missing from our list that may still be worth considering.

Thun – We think Thun is one of the most underrated towns in Switzerland. It has a wonderful castle and a fantastic old town right at the end of stunning Lake Thun. Relaxed vibes and good restaurants make Thun a good choice as a home base for your Berner Oberland trip but it is a touch further from the mountains than the likes of Spiez and Interlaken.

Meiringen – Famous for Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Moriarty fell to their watery deaths (or did they?), the roaring Aare River Gorge, and delicious meringue desserts, Meiringen is a nice option for exploring the far east of the Berner Oberland. Like Interlaken, Meiringen sits at the bottom of the Aare River valley and offers a range of options for trekking further into the mountains. If you are into the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, there is even a Sherlock Holmes Museum right in the middle of town. If your outdoor plans mostly tend towards Grimsel Pass or Susten Passes, Meiringen (or nearby Innertkirchen on the other side of the Aare River Gorge) may be a great option for you. If you most of your plans revolve around the western or central Berner Oberland (the area of the Jungfrau Region), you may be better off staying near Interlaken and day tripping to Meiringen.

Adelboden – If you are looking for an out of the way destination for excellent hiking and skiing, Adelboden may be a good option for you. Most of the larger towns and villages in the Berner Oberland have been connected by regular train service but Adelboden is one of the largest that still relies exclusively on busses from the town of Frutigen in the Kander Valley between Kandersteg and Spiez. A narrow and winding road through the Engstligen River valley makes the trip to Adelboden feel like you are headed to the middle of nowhere but the resort town itself is well appointed. If you plan to stick to the valley (and to gondola connected Lenk over the hill in an offshoot valley of the Simmental) then Adelboden may be a good fit for you but if your plans involve exploring more of the Berner Oberland, we would recommend looking elsewhere.

Gstaad – If you are looking for the most luxurious resort town in the Berner Oberland with upscale hotels and plenty of ski slopes, consider Gstaad on the far western border of the Berner Oberland. Over the course of about 2 hours, the Golden Pass Express train from Interlaken passes through Spiez before climbing to the far end of the Simmental Valley and dropping over the divide with the Saane Valley into Gstaad. Like Adelboden, if you are looking to explore this far western end of the Berner Oberland (or you are just really into high class shopping and accommodations) this may be a good fit for you. If you are looking to explore the larger Berner Oberland but still want the luxury, you would be better off staying in Interlaken at the likes of the Victoria Jungfrau.

Iseltwald – Iseltwald is a tiny village on the sparsely populated southern shores of Lake Brienz. Long famous for its peaceful setting, in recent years the town has become overrun by visitors owing to its starring role in Korean Netflix Series, Crash Landing on You. The huge influx in visitors who mostly arrive by boat and bus from Interlaken has put a lot of stress on the very little infrastructure and few restaurants of Iseltwald. While there are a couple small hotels and a hostel in town, consider carefully whether Iseltwald is the right home base for your trip. We do enjoy the lakefront hike between Iseltwald and Giessbach Falls and the more adventurous hike from Iseltwald to Interlaken but this and a bit of swimming is largely the extent of activities in Iseltwald. Keep in mind that Iseltwald makes an easy half day trip from better connected Interlaken or Brienz.

Beatenberg – The fantastic mountain peak Niederhorn towers over the eastern side of Lake Thun and the quiet mountain village of Beatenberg lies part way up it with great views of Interlaken. While a bit out of the way to be considered a solid base for exploring the broader Berner Oberland, Beatenberg offers a lovely get away from the hustle bustle and some great hiking and biking. With a funicular down to the shores of Lake Thun, a gondola up to the 1,963 m (6400 ft) peak of Niederhorn, and bus service to Interlaken, there are still plenty of options for local exploration.

Looking down on Thun from Thun Castle

The Best of the Rest in the Jungfrau Region

More than likely our choices for the best of the Jungfrau Region will stir up a bit of controversy. People tend to have their favorites and, depending on what you are into, one of these other destinations may work best for you.

Wengen – Another car-free village accessible by train in the Jungfrau Region, Wengen is home to the famous Lauberhorn ski race and one of our favorite loop trails in the Jungfrau, from Wengen to Männlichen via a gondola then on to Kleine Scheidegg and Wengneralp by foot before taking the train or walking back into Wengen. Wengen has many beds and lovely views down into the Lauterbrunnen Valley but we find its aesthetics to be a bit lackluster, especially as compared to Mürren across the valley and it doesn’t have quite the connections that Grindelwald does. That said, if you are looking to be close to the hiking and downhill skiing, this may be an excellent option for you.

Lauterbrunnen – The scenery of the Lauterbrunnen Valley is world class and one of our favorite easy day hikes in the Jungfrau Region leaves from the town of Lauterbrunnen and heads straight up the valley to Stechelberg. That said, the cute town center of Lauterbrunnen is fairly small and can become oppressively packed year-round. There are a couple nice cafés in town and the location is, arguably, quite central in the Jungfrau Region making it a possible option as a Jungfrau Region home base if you are ok with the crowds and don’t need the high peaks right at your doorstep.

Wilderswil – Wilderswil is a quaint and quiet chalet laden town just outside of Interlaken on the way up into the Jungfrau Region. More traditional than Interlaken and less touristed than the mountain villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, Wilderswil offers a solid base for exploration and relaxing down time. The town doesn’t offer a huge amount in the way of restaurants but there are some options and a few comfortable accommodations. We are particular fans of the town’s castle ruins and the nearby Rugenbräu Brewery.

There are many other towns and hamlets out there in the Berner Oberland with accommodations. Just keep in mind that the further you get from a town the less flexible your plans are likely to be. While a car might aid you in these rare instances, we still think it's much nicer traveling around Switzerland by its exceptional public transit and you don't have to go to the end of the earth to find some solitude. Just walk a few hundred meters down most trails!

We hope you enjoyed hearing about favorite overnight destinations in the Berner Oberland. If you did, check out the other posts in the Best of Hidden Switzerland Series and be sure to share it with your friends. More hiking and travel ideas can be found in our Into the Alps and Discovering Bern Series and endless trails can be found on the SwissMobilityMap. Stay tuned for additional articles on our Swiss travels every other week!

Until next time, gute Reise, and feel free to leave a comment on one of our social media platforms!

Looking down on Wengen and Lauterbrunnen from the Gondola to Männlichen