The Swiss Alps are an amazing place to travel with kids.
You can explore medieval castles, feel the spray of huge waterfalls on your face, take a boat trip on a beautiful lake or even brunch at the very top of a mountain.
When we visited Switzerland in 2019, we stayed in Lauterbrunnen, in the Bernese Oberland region. It is a region packed with things to do for all ages and they all come with a stunning backdrop.
Here are some of the top things we found to do with children in Bernese Oberland.
Waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a beautiful alpine village set in a valley of the same name which boasts over 70 waterfalls. The biggest and most famous of the falls are the Staubbach and Trummelbach falls.
The Staubbach falls are located on the edge of Lauterbrunnen village itself, making it an easy walk from the centre of the village or the train station. It is also the more accessible of the two main falls, although it does require climbing a fair few steps including a final slippery section as you get closer to the falls. But don’t let that put you off, it’s actually the fun part!
If your kids are anything like ours then they will love the challenge of climbing up to the falls. They felt really proud that they made it to the end and got to walk under the waterfall (even if the little one did get carried most of the way!).
A short walk from the Staubbach falls is a fun little play park which both of our two enjoyed. If you need an incentive to convince the kids to walk up the falls then a trip to the park might just do the trick!
Trummelbach falls are a set of 10 glacial waterfalls that have carved a path through the mountain itself. The sheer power of the falls is said to make the whole cave system shake!
These falls are a short drive or bus ride from Lauterbrunnen village and are a bit more challenging to visit than Staubbach due to the narrow and often slippery walkways. We missed out on this one as we were advised that Trummelbach isn’t suitable for younger kids, but they would be an excellent choice for older kids, say over 10.
Interlaken and Harder Kulm
Sitting between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz is the town of Interlaken.
With excellent boat, train and road connections, Interlaken is another great base for exploring the Bernese Oberland region.
It is also worth spending some time in the town itself. You can take a paddle steamer across either of the lakes to get a close up view of some of the villages and castles surrounding the shores. If you have older kids then you might prefer to rent a kayak or paddle board for a more hands on experience!
Rising above Interlaken is Harder Kulm, a 1322m mountain with hiking trails, restaurant, cafe and viewing platform.
There is a funicular that you can take up from Interlaken which takes less than 10 minutes and offers fantastic views all the way up. The kids loved this journey and the driver even let our eldest sound the horn as we passed the car going the other way!
Top Tip! Be sure to check the live webcam before heading up as the views can be blocked by low cloud.
From the top funicular station it is a short walk to a viewing platform which offers fabulous views of Lake Thun and Brienz as well as the peaks of Jungfrau and Eiger.
It is the perfect spot to grab a coffee or ice cream and really soak in the sights.
Schloss Thun (Thun Castle)
This medieval castle in the pretty little town of Thun brings a bit of variety to a trip to the Swiss Alps. It is also a great option for a rainy day!
Entrance to the castle was CHF10 per adult and CHF3 per child (under 6’s are free).
There is an interesting museum throughout the castle showcasing artefacts from the local area and medieval armour and weaponry, always a winner with the kids!
We picked up activity sheets for the kids where they had to find little ‘worms’ hidden throughout the castle to spell out a word and win a prize. Our two loved looking for these and it was a good way to keep their interest throughout our visit.
There are also interactive areas where they can dress up, practice their jousting skills and play with toy wooden swords. I’m just glad that they also had helmets as our two really got into character!
Schilthorn – 007 brunch
At 2,970m the summit of Schilthorn is not the highest peak in the region, but it does have a couple of aces up its sleeve.
The spectacular views across the Alps to peaks such as Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch would be reason enough to visit Schilthorn, but it is also home to Restaurant Piz Gloria.
This rotating restaurant is a location that will be familiar to any James Bond fans as it featured as Blofeld’s hideout in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
The James Bond connection has been exploited to the max. There is a fun museum, a Bond walk of fame and scenes from the film playing on loop in and around the restaurant.
Whilst our kids may not be big fans of Bond (yet), they loved the interactive museum. Their favourite part was sitting in a bobsleigh and recreating a scene from the film.
The restaurant itself serves a good selection of snacks and meals, but we would recommend checking out the James Bond Brunch offer if available. This combines the price of the cable car tickets with brunch at the restaurant and can work out cheaper than the cost of the tickets alone.
As far as buffet meals go the food was pretty tasty, but made all the better by the experience of sitting in a rotating restaurant watching the Swiss Alps pass by.
A truly unique experience and one of the highlights of our trip.
Lake Blausee
It’s difficult to believe, but this small little lake is every bit as beautiful as the photos you will see of it.
The water is crystal clear but with a blue hue that gives the lake its name. The surrounding forest is dense with pine trees and moss covered boulders, providing a deep green backdrop to the lake itself.
It’s not surprising there are so many people posing on the rocks trying to get the perfect Instagram shot!
The entrance fee includes a trip out on the lake in a glass bottom boat. Although up to 12m deep in places, you can always see the bottom due to the clarity of the water and the kids loved spotting all the trout swimming under the boat.
There is a play area with a good selection of swings, slides etc which is perfect when the kids get bored of taking in the beautiful scenery. This sits next to a large picnic area with fire pits so you can enjoy lunch with a view while the kids amuse themselves for a while.
Verdict
With such a variety of things to see and do, Switzerland is a great place for a family holiday.
Whether you are looking for action and adventure, history and culture or just a relaxing time surrounded by beautiful scenery, you will find it in Switzerland.
One thing is for sure, a trip to the Swiss Alps with kids is one you (and they) will never forget.