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Mountain pass in Switzerland
Photo: Short final, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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.
This serves simple hearty fare: bratwurst, goulash, pizza and the like. They also have rooms.
This unmissable glass-fronted chalet has a self-serve cafeteria as you enter, and a full-service restaurant to the back. Both serve Swiss classics food like rösti, schnitzels and sausages, although the restaurant has a wider menu with some international selections like Thai green curry. The terrace outside has great views, looking towards the Eiger's north face (hence the name), and is quite warm even in winter when the sun is out.
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.
For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern.
Read in the guideYou 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.
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