Against the backdrop of the mighty Eiger: Pure adventure in Grindelwald.

Grindelwald is my almost 90-year-old grandma’s favourite place to spend her holidays. And so I’m surprised at the incredibly wide range of action-based activities that Grindelwald has to offer. There’s something to get your adrenaline pumping at every turn. I was able to test some of them and choose my favourites. In contrast to all the adventure, the youth hostel in Grindelwald is an ideal place to come and relax.

A little bijou with a view of the Eiger

Grindelwald Youth Hostel is getting on in years. However, there is a new building with more rooms next to the main building. The highlight here isn’t the building, but the location. Whether I’m having breakfast, playing ping pong, in the hot tub or falling asleep, it’s always in view – the mighty Eiger, almost 4000 metres high.

The garden of the youth hostel is truly enchanting. There are small footpaths, a bee hotel by a shed, several areas in the garden to linger, a ping pong table and a cosy barbecue area. The highlight, however, is the hot tub, which you can book as a group (max. five people) for CHF 125. The pool is filled with fresh water and heated. The Hot Tube Plus offer includes the hot bath for CHF 150, a platter as well as some drinks to sweeten the occasion. Wonderful – after an action-packed day, the warm water is just the thing to soak in all the experiences.

If you like action, Grindelwald is the place for you!

My visit to Grindelwald is over the Ascension weekend in 2022. Lukas, the hostel manager at the youth hostel in Grindelwald, tells me that there is a lot of pent-up demand. So I am a little surprised to meet people from so many different nations and to hear so many different languages. A positive feeling: It seems that everything is back to normal – the travel bug has resurfaced again worldwide. Grindelwald has strong international marketing. Besides the excursions around the Eiger Glacier and the Jungfraujoch, there are many other cool activities.

One hotspot is Grindelwald First. Some of the activities available there:

• First Cliff Walk– First Flyer
• First Glider
• First Trottibike
• First Mountain Carts
• Easy hike to the Bachalpsee
• And much more!
  

I test the Cliff Walk, the First Flyer and the Mountain Carts – all the activities are great! I like the Cliff Walk best. A combination of beautiful views, where you can really appreciate nature and yet also get your heart beating fast.

For the other activities, I recommend booking early and queuing directly, preferably in the morning. As I reached Grindelwald around noon, this was not possible. And so I stood in line for about an hour for each of the activities. It is important to factor in this time. As it can get a bit colder at this altitude because of the wind, I also recommend taking along a warm jacket and perhaps some snacks. This will ease the wait. But it’s definitely worthwhile!

Jump into Glacier Canyon with OUTDOOR!

At Glacier Canyon, a 20-minute walk from Grindelwald village, you can walk through the canyon on a kind of bridge with the Lütschine roaring below. It is worth taking a break directly above the river at the “spider web”. But it takes some courage to venture onto the spider web.

And it takes even more courage to do the “Canyon Swing”. After the walk through the canyon, two guides from OUTDOOR will take you up to a platform directly on the cliff above the canyon. After we receive our instructions, it’s time – I’m secured all over with carabiners to keep me safe. Then our guide Neil says: 3,2,1 and I jump 90 metres into the depths, flying through the canyon at 120 km/h and swinging back and forth, like on a giant swing. An experience I will never forget. In the first few seconds, until I feel the pull of the rope, my heart feels like it’s going to explode – wow, what an adventure. Afterwards, I am glad to be back on solid ground and treat myself to an ice cream to calm my nerves. By the way, the Canyon Swing starts at CHF 131 per person.

Back in Grindelwald, it’s already time for me to leave for the next youth hostel. My journey continues on to Brienz. You’ll find out what awaits me there in part two.