The valley floor walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg

Almost every marked walk around Wengen climbs. The path from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg does the opposite: it runs along the floor of the valley, from the railway station at 914 m to the postbus stop outside the Hotel Stechelberg, with the cliffs on both sides doing the work of scenery. Switzerland Tourism publishes it as 8 km with about two hours of walking, 161 m of ascent and 51 m of descent, and rates it easy on both technical and physical grounds. It is the flattest way to see the valley that Switzerland Tourism and Jungfrau Railways both call the Valley of 72 Waterfalls.

The route

From Lauterbrunnen station the path picks up the valley floor beneath the Staubbach Fall, then follows the Weisse Lütschine south past meadows, farms and the turning for the Trümmelbach Falls. After that the walls close in, the waterfalls come thicker, and the last stretch runs through open pasture to Stechelberg. The 161 m of climb is spread across the whole 8 km rather than gathered in one place, so the gradient barely registers. Lauterbrunnen Tourism rates the route easy and suitable for pushchairs. Sturdy trainers are enough on this ground; nothing on the way asks for boots.

The bus back

PostAuto line 141 runs the same valley between Lauterbrunnen station and Stechelberg, calling at stops along the way. That is what makes this route forgiving: walk out, ride back, or catch the bus at an intermediate stop when someone in the group has had enough. It works in reverse too, riding to Stechelberg first and walking back downhill for the small net descent. A common half version is to walk as far as the Trümmelbach turning and pick the bus up there, which cuts the distance without giving up the best of the cliffs. Check current departures with PostAuto before you set out, since the frequency changes with the season.

When to walk it

Switzerland Tourism gives the route an April to November season. Late spring is the loudest, with snowmelt feeding the falls, while high summer is greener and the valley floor holds the heat. Set out early and the first stretch is shared with little more than farm traffic. From Wengen the approach is the train down to Lauterbrunnen, which takes about twelve minutes and lands you at the trailhead. Anyone wanting the wider context of the valley itself will find it on the Lauterbrunnen valley page, and Stechelberg is also the valley station for the cable car up to Piz Gloria, which turns the walk into the first half of a longer day.

Bring sun cover, since much of the path is unshaded, and time the finish around the bus rather than the light. The train back up from Lauterbrunnen runs twice an hour into the evening, so a late finish costs nothing more than the wait on the platform. Walked out and ridden back, the whole thing fits comfortably into a half day, which leaves the rest of it for the village, the pool or an early dinner.

Victoria Lauberhorn, Wengen, a Faern Collection Hotel.