Kleine Scheidegg
Switzerland · Europe
About Kleine Scheidegg
Kleine Scheidegg is a tiny resort in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland. At 2061 m it stands at the top of a pass between the Lauberhorn ridge and the dizzy peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and "Scheidegg" means a watershed. However (as "Kleine" indicates), this was never a major Alpine route, just a cattle trail, as you could easily get around the ridge by the valleys. Traditional herdsmen practised transhumance, staying up here for summer grazing, then bringing their herds down to the lowlands as autumn closed in. Kleine Scheidegg grew into a resort with the 19th century vogue for Alpine sports, with the hotel opening in 1840 and the railway arriving in 1893. It's still little more than a single hotel, but the trains bring skiers, hikers, and tourists bound for the summit station of Jungfraujoch.
Kleine Scheidegg travel guide
Getting there
For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern. Change at Interlaken Ost for the BOB train - the Berner Oberland-Bahn. Don't get off at Interlaken West, which is town centre. You need to be in the front portion of the BOB train. This runs every 30 min (with the last at 23:00) and takes 20 min via Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen (where the rear portion divides for Grindelwald) to Lauterbrunnen. There you change to the WAB train, the little Wengernalpbahn, for the scenic 40 min journey up the mountainside via Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg. You could also take the BOB train rear portion to Grindelwald and change for the other WAB train up to Kleine Scheidegg. This is slower than via Lauterbrunnen, but nowadays the main route to Jungfraujoch is to ride the gondola from Grindelwald and bypass Kleine Scheidegg. Eurail passes get you a 25% discount on the BOB and WAB trains but are not in themselves valid for travel beyond Interlaken. A Swiss Travel Pass is valid to Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and Mürren and gets you 50% discount on the WAB trains. 1 Kleine Scheidegg railway station is central in the village. From here the famous Jungfrau Railway starts its ascent: it's very touristy in fine weather (and can be booked out) and pointless on a gloomy day. 2 Eigergletscher is the next stop, at the top of the skiing and hiking area. Change here for the train which burrows through the mountain. Eiger Express, opened in Dec 2020, is a direct gondola from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher, taking only 15 min. It runs daily 08:00-17:00 apart from a maintenance shutdown early Nov. 3 Jungfraujoch is the top of the line at 3454 m, the highest station in Europe, on a saddle between the peaks of the Jungfrau and the Mönch. Cars are not permitted in Kleine Scheidegg, you have to park at Lauterbrunnen, which is Fr. 17 for 1 day at the parking facility next to the station.
Getting around
You can easily hike or ski one way then take the train back. The trains up from Lauterbrunnen stop at Wengen (1274 m), Allmend (1493 m), Wengernalp (1473 m) then Kleine Scheidegg and Eigergletscher. Those from Grindelwald stop at Brandegg (1222 m) and Alpiglen (1616 m). If you have a ski pass, the add-on return fare from Eigergletscher to Jungfraujoch is Fr. 49. Without one, reckon around Fr. 100 to make the trip from Interlaken.
Buy
There's a small sports shop but no general store - for groceries you have to ride down to Wengen or Grindelwald.
Sleep
1 Hotel Bellevue des Alpes, ☏ +41 33 855 1212. The aptly named "Beautiful View of the Alps", founded in 1840, was traditionally the only accommodation in the village. It nowadays has competition from the Bergrestaurant, which hasn't visibly dented the prices. Most visitors reckon it's worth the splurge. Half-board double Fr. 450. (updated Feb 2022)
Go next
It's all downhill from here: you return to the lowlands either via Grindelwald or via Wengen and Lauterbrunnen.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.