//
Village and municipality in Switzerland
Photo: user ChiSci, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Lauterbrunnen is a village in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, with a population of 2290 in 2018. It lies in a dramatic sheer-sided U-shaped valley, with scores of waterfalls - its name means "clear springs" but is often rendered as "loud springs" for their roar in spate. At an elevation of 800 m it's accessible from the lowlands, linked from Interlaken by road in 1834 and by rail in 1890, boosting the tourist trade. Tolkien was 19 when he hiked through in 1911, later to render its landscape as Rivendell. But as the railways wound higher up the mountain, ski tourism followed, leaving Lauterbrunnen as just the place you change trains. It's still a hiking destination in summer, and a budget alternative to the higher resorts.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
These are ten subterranean falls. You either take the funicular or hike up to the entrance to the viewing galleries. Trümmelbach is the torrent carrying the glacier meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, 20,000 litres a second. Tumbling within it are boulders that have carved out the chutes and corkscrews of the falls, making the mountain shudder with their din. It's always cold and damp within, however sunny the valley.
This 3-chalet hostel is great value, comfy, clean and well-placed for transport.
Good mid-price hotel.
Campsite open all year with great views and facilities.
For inter-city routes, travel via Interlaken, which has trains every 30 min from Bern.
Read in the guideLauterbrunnen straggles along Fuhren its main street. You can walk from the station to Staubbach Falls, and by a longer hike to Trümmelbach.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Bern · Regional · BRN
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Lauterbrunnen and Switzerland.
Travel tipsWhen the Swiss Travel Pass is worth it in 2026, with official prices, the break-even fare for each pass length and why the Half Fare Card often wins.
8 min read
Travel tipsStep-by-step Schengen visa application guide for 2026, covering embassy selection, €90 fees, photo specifications, bank statements and insurance.
6 min read
InspirationDiscover the best small towns to visit for a peaceful holiday, with car-free streets, scenic walks, and local food across five quiet destinations.
7 min read
Travel tipsSwitzerland will spoil you with a fantastic transport system - swift and disturbingly punctual trains, clean buses, and half a dozen different kinds of mountain transport systems, all integrated into a coherent system.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.