Gimmelwald is a tiny farm community in the mountains above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Hiking from here begins on nearly vertical trails along grassy pastureland. I’ve never hiked in a more beautiful place than this, where the view across the narrow valley offers the Jungfrau, Munch, and Eiger summits in one amazing vista. If you prefer a ride, you can take the series of white-knuckle gondola trips to the summit of Schilthorn, a popular viewpoint for 360-degree views of the Alps.
Following Anthony Bourdain’s passing in June 2018, flowers, photos, and notes were placed in front of Brasserie Les Halles, the New York City restaurant where he once worked as executive chef.
Photo by Donald Bowers Photography / Shutterstock
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Hiking Above Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald is a tiny farm community in the mountains above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Hiking from here begins on nearly vertical trails along grassy pastureland. I’ve never hiked in a more beautiful place than this, where the view across the narrow valley offers the Jungfrau, Munch, and Eiger summits in one amazing vista. If you prefer a ride, you can take the series of white-knuckle gondola trips to the summit of Schilthorn, a popular viewpoint for 360-degree views of the Alps.
Murren to Gimmelwald
The symmetry of these three red-roofed barns was a shot admired, but also expected, in this incredibly dramatic and otherworldly valley at the base of the Jungfrau.
Cable Car from Gimmelwald to Murren
Located at the far south end of the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Oberland, Gimmelwald is the last stop a Swiss Pass will still get you free transport to/from. Getting to Gimmelwald from Interlaken takes about an hour if you hit all your connections, but once there, this tiny town is worth the effort, and especially so in the winter. This particular photo was taken while waiting for the cable car to go back up to Murren (you can see Murren high up on the ridge.) Gimmelwald is just behind this scene. This is very near the location for the 1969 Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was filmed on the ski/toboggan runs here and high up on the Schilthorn.
