Pfingstegg is a mountain area in Grindelwald with great views and lots of amusements for families. At the top of the cable car, you’ll find a summer toboggan, playground, restaurant with panorama terrace, picnic area with a grill pit.
If you’d like to hike, there is a relatively easy trail down to Grindelwald. Or for a more challenging hike, try the trail from Pfingstegg up to the Bäregg hut.
Since this outing is quite short, we suggest adding on the neighboring Grindelwald Glacier Gorge, which has a beautiful elevated walkway through a narrow gorge.
Contents
| Location: | Grindelwald, Jungfrau Region • Bernese Oberland |
| Address: | Pfingstegg cable car – Rybigässli 25, 3818 Grindelwald |
| Car: | metered parking at cable car 46°37’23.9″N 8°02’47.8″E Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen 30 mins, Zurich 2hr10 |
| Train: | Bus stop: Grindelwald, Pfingsteggbahn Grindelwald train station 15 min walk, Interlaken 50 mins, Lauterbrunnen 1h, Zurich 2hr50 |
| Trail: | 2.2 km one way |
| Condition: | dirt, lots of downhill switchbacks |
| Skill: | moderate |
| Services: | restaurant at top of cable car, toboggan run |
| Cost 2024: | Cable car one way: CHF 20/Adult SBB Half-fare and Junior cards accepted Toboggan run CHF 6/Adult |
| Open: | mid May thru mid October, every 15-20 mins about 9:00 to 17:00 |
| More info: | www.pfingstegg.ch |
Gallery
Pfingstegg overview
Here is the summer map for the Pfingstegg area.
1. Pfingstegg cable car station, with parking and bus stop. About 15 min walk Grindelwald village.
2. Top of cable car – restaurant, playground, summer toboggan, “fly line” ride through the trees
3. Easy hike down mountain (yellow line). Optional detour to Grindelwald Glacier Gorge (white line)
4. Challenging hike to Bäregg mountain hut (red line).
5. Grindelwald Glacier Gorge. Get here by bus, car, or foot.
Amusements
The Pfingstegg summer toboggan and Fly-Line are usually open early May through late October, 10:00-17:00 (9:30-18:00 in summer months). They may close in wet weather.
Amusements are first come, first served. No reservations. You can pay for them at the ticket booth on the mountain.
In addition to the amusement cost, you also need a ticket for the cable car. If you also plan to hike, you may only need a one-way ticket.
Summer toboggan
At the top of the cable car, you’ll find the Pfingstegg summer toboggan. The track is 725m long, winding down the mountain with spectacular views. A cable brings you and the sled back up to your starting point, so you don’t have to walk up.
Requirements: Ages 8+ can ride on their own. Children aged 4-7 can ride, but together with an adult.
Cost 2024: one ride CHF 8/adult, CHF 6/child 8-15, CHF 2/child 4-7 riding with an adult. Discount with multi-ride tickets. See current prices.
Fly Line
The “Fly-Line” is a unique attraction, which glides through the mountain forest above Grindelwald. You sit in a secure seat attached to reels, which glides over a curvy pipe system in the forest.
The ride is 350m long, about 2.5 mins, with a relaxing speed of 8-12 km/h. The lift system brings you back to the starting point, so you don’t have to walk back uphill.
Requirements: for ages 4+
Cost 2024: one ride CHF 12/adult, CHF 8/child (age 4-15). Discount with multi-ride tickets. See current prices.
Bonus: Grindelwald Canyon Swing
At the nearby Grindelwald Glacier Gorge, this canyon swing is one of the most exciting adventure activities in the region. From a 90m tall platform, you swing out between the narrow gorge walls at 120km/h.
To reach the gorge from Pfingstegg, you can hike down on the trail towards Marmorbruch, then fork left to the gorge. Or from the Pfingstegg valley station, you can drive, take bus, or walk over to the gorge entrance.
Requirements: minimum age 14, max weight 120 kg (265 lbs)
Open: April to November
Location: Grindelwald Glacier Gorge – Gletscherschlucht 1, 3818 Grindelwald
Cost 2024: CHF 129/person. Book here. If you are just watching, you can just pay the gorge entrance fee CHF 20/adult.
Trail options
A: Easy trail down mountain
For casual hikers and families, we suggest trail #2 down to the valley (yellow line on the overview map above).
See trail on Komoot • SchweizMobil • AllTrails • OutdoorActive
The views of the Grindelwald valley at the top were wonderful. After that, most of the trail was in the forest, with only occasional views of the valley and mountains. It’s a narrow dirt path with lots of switchbacks, not suitable for strollers.
B: Hard hike to Bäregg mountain hut
If you are an experienced hiker with no fear of heights, hike up into the glacier valley to the Bäregg hut (red line on the overview map above). Their scenic terrace is a lovely place for lunch, with fantastic views of the glacier.
The trail is quite exposed, with steep drop-offs on one side of the trail on some sections. See Bäregg trail info.
How to get there
Pfingstegg is located in Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region. See on Google Maps.
By public transport:
Take a train to the Grindelwald stop (not Grindelwald Terminal). Then catch bus 122 to Grindelwald, Pfingsteggbahn. This bus only comes once an hour. Or you can walk from the Grindelwald train station to the Pfingstegg cable car, about 15 mins.
By car:
Drive to Grindelwald and follow signs to Pfingstegg Bergbahn (46°37’24.8″N 8°02’48.2″E). There are three small parking lots next to the cable car. You can pay the meter with coins, card or SEPP parking app. If this parking is full, you can park at Parkhaus Sportzentrum (Dorfstrasse 110, 3818 Grindelwald) in the center of Grindelwald and walk over.
Planning your day
Tickets
To do this trail, you need a one-way ticket to the top of Pfingstegg. Then you will hike back down to the valley.
In 2024, this one-way ticket costs CHF 18/adult. Discounts for children, SBB Half-fare, GA, & Swiss Travel Pass. Free with the Regional Pass Berner Oberland. Free for children with the SBB Junior card or under 6 yrs old. See current ticket prices.
Operating Times
The Pfingstegg cable car is usually open for summer season from early May to mid-October. In spring and fall, the cable car may not open due to snow.
In summer months, the cable car runs every 15 mins from 8:30 to 18:00. See current operating times.
The Pfingstegg summer toboggan and Fly-Line amusements are usually open 10:00-17:00 (9:30-18:00 in summer months). They may close in wet weather.
Photo story
1. Riding up Grindelwald to Pfingstegg
The cable car runs every 15 mins in high summer. It fits about 25 people.
Looking up the cable car line.
Looking down at the Pfingstegg cable car station and parking.
A little higher up and you can see more of Grindelwald.
2. Restaurant at Pfingstegg
Arriving at the top of Pfingstegg. There is a restaurant with a terrace overlooking Grindelwald.
A little playground and lounge chairs.
The cable car is not very long, only about 300m in elevation gain. It’s north facing under the shadow of the mountain above. We went early in the morning and it was a bit chilly in the shadow. So maybe go a little later in the day so you are in the sun.
More of the playground and start of the summer toboggan.
3. Summer Toboggan
The toboggan run starts at the top of the cable car and goes down this slope. A cable will pull you can the toboggan back up to your starting point.
You buy single tickets at the hut next to the course. Children 4 to 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Under 4 not recommended, but I’ve seen it.
Here’s where you buy the toboggan tickets.
4. Trail down to the valley
For the easy trail down the mountain, follow signs to Marmorbruch. If you want to go to the Grindelwald Gorge, follow signs to “Gletscherschlucht.” Either way, you start on the same trail.
Here we are starting on trail #2 from the cable car station, heading toward the Eiger looming above us.
We stopped to enjoy the view and some snacks before hiking.
The train gets narrow as it heads into the forest, with some stairs and switchbacks.
As the trail winds westward around the mountain, you get a glimpse of the impressive glacier above. The trail continues around the bend to a mountain hut, but we headed down to the valley.
About halfway down, you pass a mountain restaurant with outdoor seating.
The trail ends on a road that leads back to the cable car valley station.
5. Detour to Grindelwald Glacier Gorge
If you have extra time, hike over to the neighboring Grindelwald Glacier Gorge and take a stroll along the river cutting through the rock faces.
Where to stay
This trail is within walking distance of the Grindelwald village, a convenient base for this and several other excellent trails. On a budget side, you might consider the youth hostel in Grindelwald that has family rooms.
For a nicer stay, we really enjoyed the Boutique Hotel Glacier, which had fantastic views of Eiger. It also has a fantastic restaurant serving a beautiful, delicious 7 course meal (a treat for our wedding anniversary).
If you are staying in the Jungfrau Region for more than 3 days, you might prefer somewhere more central like Interlaken that enables you to more easily access a variety of destinations, not just Grindelwald.
In Interlaken, I’d choose something within a 5-10 min walk of the Interlaken Ost train station to reduce travel time. On the budget side, there is the Interlaken Youth Hostel, which also has rooms for families and single travelers, not just dormitories. For mid range, you might try Hotel Interlaken or Hotel Weisses Kreuz.
4 responses
Hi there, we are planning to do the manlichen panorama trail to KS in the morning. My husband and 7yo would like to experience the toboggan, would this still be doable in the afternoon? We are based in Lauterbrunnen & coming mid September. Thanks 😊
It should probably be possible. The Pfingstegg toboggan is open until 17:00 in September. So if you ride up by 15:30, you should have plenty of time.
Hi there, first of all this site is a goldmine for travelers with kids. Excellent work! Now to my question – I would like to know how approximately much time would it take to do the trek and the gorge? We are traveling with a 6 year old.
You’re welcome. I’d probably give yourself 3-4 hours so you can let your 6 year take as much time as they like and not have to rush. Good luck!