Cycling in the Swiss Alps: An Electric Bike Adventure in Grindelwald
With a good electric bike, anyone can climb alpine peaks. Experienced travel journalist Anders Pihl guides One Planet Journey readers around the village of Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps. He finds incomparable cycling routes, a wide range of engaging activities, and Europe’s highest train station, which leads out onto a glacier. Ride on!
Cycling in the alps – electrifying and stunning
I didn’t think Switzerland would look like the wrapper of a Swiss chocolate bar, but the surroundings of the village of Grindelwald in the Jungfrau region certainly do. Here you can find everything you associate with the most idyllic image of the alp country: sparkling green slopes, snow-capped mountain peaks, classic alpine huts, and grazing cows with cow bells around their necks.
A cycling experience in these mountains of the Swiss Alps transcends a postcard picture. The cow pens smell of hay and grass as the wind cools your face. Bicycle wheels crackle in the gravel and the cow bells create a quiet music together with the gurgling of streams and springs. The views grow more astonishing as you ascend.
But cycling straight up in the Alps isn’t for everyone, is it? Well, it pretty much is. The advancement of electric bicycle technology in recent years has meant that more people can experience mountain biking, even on hillsides that seem quite demanding without a motor.
On the roads above Grindelwald, you see electric cyclists of all ages and in varying physical forms. All bikes for rent here are of the latest models with powerful engines and stable constructions.
I am far from fit myself, but managed the eight hundred metre climb in altitude from Grindelwald to the Bussalp viewpoint in less than an hour with no problems. For the last twenty minutes, I hit the highest Turbo setting on the bike when the strength in my legs started to fail. It made the steep climb a comfortable pleasure.
Electric bike infrastructure and routes
At the panoramic view of Bussalp at an altitude of 1,800 metres, one of Grindelwald’s countless mountain restaurants awaits in a log house with shuttered windows. For us cyclists, it’s a phenomenal place to stretch our legs and try to take in the unbelievably beautiful views. The entire landscape is almost ridiculous in its splendour, sporting verdant depths and snow-white peaks.
At this height, a cold beer in the sunshine is a delight. Grindelwald is heaven for cycling in the Alps, says my guide, François Bucher.
– The area suits all levels of cyclists. Experienced mountain bikers will find truly demanding trails. For beginners, there are lots of roads like the one we rode on now, with asphalt or well-maintained gravel.
He believes that the most enjoyable cycling spots in the Swiss Alps are some distance away, often in neighbouring valleys. You benefit from asking the guides for advice if you want to find the best routes. His personal favourites in the area make up a long list.
– One of them is near the Eiger mountain. It’s a lovely place with hills and exciting paths.
With the beer at Bussalp finished, a downhill ride to the village awaits us. The battery on the electric bike is not even 50% used, which means we could have cycled much higher if we wanted to.
– There are also many charging stations for the bikes around Grindelwald, François points out. Most restaurants up in the mountains have at least one.
Activities for all tastes
Down in Grindelwald, the Alpine peaks seem to lean over one’s head. The geography is special because the high mountains above 3000 metres hug the valley and lack lower intermediate ones in front, which means you get dramatic scenery right from the hotel.
Ancient wooden houses dot the valley. Grindelwald preserves its historic architecture with even new houses built in the traditional chalet style. There are local regulations on how tall they can be, also prohibiting flat roofs.
Cable Car and Ziplines
Soon I realise all directions feature attractions. Next to the bike rental there is a cable car that ferries me up to First, a facility above the tree line that gathers a wealth of activities in one place.
First feels like a kind of alpine amusement park for adults. I test two types of ziplines where you ride suspended in harnesses high above the ground, then the Mountain Cart, a simple go-kart without an engine that you steer down winding roads. The possibility of half-braking during the journey means you can choose your own speed.
Hiking
For me, however, the greatest asset in First is the breathtaking hiking trail leading up to the two deep turquoise Bachalpsee lakes. It’s a place that fulfils the traveller’s longing to finally “get there”. It doesn’t get any better than this. Or can it? The lakes see quite a lot of visitors and those looking for privacy and off-the-beaten-track alternatives, have the option to continue up to the restaurant and hotel (Bergshotel Faulhorn) which seems to balance on the pointed mountain peak Faulhorn, 2681 metres above sea level.
If you choose the other side of the Grindelwald valley, completely different experiences await. In the middle of the village, there is a new terminal that seems to belong to an airport. From here, the resort’s largest cable car goes up to the Eigergletscher station. Here I change to a mountain train that ventures all the way to the Jungfraujoch at the Aletsch glacier. At an altitude of 3454 metres, it is the highest located train station in Europe. It’s a strange feeling to leave the valley with high summer temperatures to a few minutes later step out into a world of snow and ice. Up here, I no longer dream of cold beer, instead I long for warm glühwein, especially after taking a walk on the magnificent snow plain.
Guide Hans Jürg Herzog delights in knowing that visitors come away impressed by the mighty World Heritage-listed glacier. However, his own favourite place lies in the exact opposite direction.
– My wife and I go down to Lake Thunersee at Interlaken and take a ride on the passenger boat there. We travel back and forth. It’s peaceful and extremely beautiful. Many visitors miss out, as it lies far below Grindelwald and the highest Alps.
Tips for other “musts” around Grindelwald:
Restaurant Glacier
If you want to dine at the top, head to Glacier, which also has an excellent boutique hotel. The menus with five or seven courses are brilliant culinary adventures, mostly made of local produce. In the impressive and opulent 320-year-old wine cellar, home to circa 500 labels, it is possible to enjoy many by the glass.
The Gletscherschlucht Ravine
One of many hidden gems in the Grindelwald region. Gletcherschulcht is much more than a ravine. In this deep and narrow gorge, you walk on traditional wooden bridges and listen to enormous waterfalls. Nature itself surrounds you, in the form of strange colourful walls, seemingly sculpted by a great artist. You can top the unreal feeling in Gletscherschlucht by jumping out on a newly constructed “spider web” hanging from wall to wall inside the gorge.
TRAVEL FACTS GRINDELWALD
Find Grindelwald at an altitude of 1034 metres in central Switzerland, just south of Interlaken. The village has only 3,700 permanent residents, but is also a large tourist resort with many hotels.
Travel:
Fly or take the train directly to Zurich and then take another train with a change for Grindelwald.
Best time:
The article is about Grindelwald’s summer season, which lasts between May and October. At the end of November, the winter season begins, with skiing and other winter sports dominating until April.
Language:
German and French. Almost everyone also knows English.
Currency:
Swiss Franc 1 CHF = 1.1 USD, or 1 Euro.
Price level:
Switzerland is an expensive country and a popular destination, and Grindelwald is no exception. Expect to pay at least €17 for a main course in a restaurant, often more.
Get around:
Excellent transportation throughout the neighbourhood with cable cars, mountain trains and local buses. Discount travel passes are available for purchase, such as Grindelwald Bus Pass, Jungfrau Travel Pass, Jungfrau Saisonspass Sommer and Swiss Travel Pass.
Have you been cycling in the Swiss Alps? Which is your favourite part? Let us know in the comment section! Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.
