Bachalpsee: the walk from Grindelwald First

Why this is the easiest lake walk in the region

Most of the postcard lakes above Interlaken cost you a real climb. Oeschinensee needs a cable car plus a descent and a stiff return. Bachalpsee needs almost nothing: you ride the Grindelwald First cable car to 2,168 m, step off the platform, and walk for under an hour on a broad gravel path that gains barely 100 m over 3.3 km. This is why it is one of the most photographed lakes in Switzerland and also, on a clear July morning, one of the most crowded stretches of trail in the Jungfrau region. It is worth doing anyway, but it is worth doing with realistic expectations about both the effort and the company.

This guide covers the walk itself, why timing matters more here than almost anywhere else nearby, what the extension to the Faulhorn adds if you want more than an hour of walking, and what the trail is actually like in June, when the lift has often just reopened for the season and the ground has not fully dried out.

Getting to the start: the First cable car

Grindelwald First sits above Grindelwald village, itself about 35 minutes by train or car from Interlaken. The gondola from Grindelwald Grund station runs in three sections up to the First terminal at 2,168 m, and the ride alone takes around 25 minutes. It is a different lift and a different valley from the Eiger Express and Grindelwald Terminal, which serves the Jungfraujoch route via the Eigergletscher rather than First — mixing the two up is the single most common planning mistake for this day out.

From	Journey	Approx. time
Interlaken Ost	Train to Grindelwald	35 min
Grindelwald Grund	Cable car to First	25 min
First terminal	Walk to Bachalpsee	50–70 min
Bachalpsee	Walk back to First	50–70 min

A single up-and-down ticket on the Grindelwald First lift is not cheap; check current prices before you go, and note that both the Swiss Travel Pass and the Berner Oberland Pass and Jungfrau Travel Pass give discounts rather than free rides on this particular lift. If you would rather not manage the train and lift connections yourself, a guided day trip such as the Interlaken day trip covering both Grindelwald First and the Bachalpsee walk bundles transport, the cable car, and a guide who can adjust the pace for the group.

For those already anchored at Grindelwald or planning a longer stay in the valley, a dedicated hiking excursion booked from the base, like the guided hike from Interlaken up to Lake Bachalp via First, removes the need to work out timetables at all.

The walk to Bachalpsee: near-flat, waymarked, and short

From the First terminal, the yellow-signed trail to Bachalpsee follows the standard Swiss hiking system: wide gravel track, gentle undulations, a couple of short wooden bridges over meltwater streams, and views that open up almost immediately over the Grosse Scheidegg valley towards the Wetterhorn. The route is impossible to lose in clear weather since it is one continuous path with no junctions that matter until the lake itself.

The gradient is genuinely mild for the first two kilometres — this is not a technical climb, and pushchairs and determined small children manage it without drama. The character changes in the last 300 to 400 m before the lake, where the path narrows, climbs a short rocky rise, and gets loose underfoot. This is also where the crowds bottleneck on a busy day, since everyone converges on the same viewpoint at the same time.

Signposted timings on the yellow markers say around 50 minutes; most people with a camera and a few stops take closer to 70. Either way, this sits at the easy end of anything covered in our roundup of best day hikes from Interlaken, and it is the one to choose if the rest of your group is not committed to a full mountain day.

Why go early: the mirror effect

Bachalpsee’s reputation rests on one specific condition: still air. On a calm morning, the lake’s surface reflects the Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, and surrounding peaks with almost no distortion, and that image is what fills every search result for the lake. That stillness is fragile. Wind tends to pick up over the ridge from mid-morning onwards through the summer, and once it does, the reflection breaks into ripples and does not return until evening at the earliest.

Practically, this means arriving on one of the first cable cars of the day pays off directly, both in photography and in trail traffic — the walk out is close to empty before 9am and considerably busier by midday once day-trippers from Interlaken and Grindelwald have made their way up. Evening light works too, but the last cable car down from First has a fixed time that varies by season, so check it before you commit to a sunset visit rather than finding out the hard way.

Continuing to Faulhorn: what the extra effort buys

For anyone who finds an hour to Bachalpsee too short, the path continues past the lake’s far shore and begins a genuine climb towards the Faulhorn at 2,681 m, home to one of the oldest mountain guesthouses in the Bernese Oberland. This section is a different proposition from the walk to the lake: expect around two hours of steady ascent, roughly 500 m of height gain, and a rockier, more exposed path above the treeline.

The payoff is a 360-degree panorama that takes in the Finsteraarhorn and the rest of the Bernese Alps to the south and Lake Brienz and Lake Thun to the north on a clear day — a view that the flat walk to Bachalpsee does not offer. From the Faulhorn, most walkers either retrace their steps to First or descend towards Bussalp, which connects back down to Grindelwald by postbus; the full loop is covered in detail in our Faulhorn and Bussalp loop guide, and it is worth reading before you commit, since the descent to Bussalp is longer than it looks on the map.

If you are undecided about which of the region’s classic ridge walks to prioritise on a limited trip, it is also worth comparing this route against the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail, which trades the lake for a closer view of the Eiger’s north face along a similarly gentle gradient.

Trail conditions in June: snow, mud, and the crowds

June is the month where this walk is least predictable. Grindelwald First’s cable car typically resumes full summer service in late May, but the trail it serves sits above 2,000 m, and snow that fell over winter does not always clear evenly. In a normal year the main path to Bachalpsee is walkable by early June, though patches of snow can persist on the shaded north-facing slope near the lake into the middle of the month, and the ground underneath the melt is often churned into mud rather than firm gravel.

In a late spring, it is not unusual for the final approach to the lake to still be under snow in the first half of June, which changes the walk from an easy stroll into something that wants proper boots and, in a few cases, is closed outright by the lift operator until conditions improve. This is the same caution that applies across the region’s higher trails — see when mountain railways open and close — and it is worth a same-week check rather than trusting a guidebook date, since the difference between a dry gravel path and a snow-covered one can be a matter of days.

The upside of an early-June visit, snow permitting, is a noticeably thinner crowd than July and August bring, plus the chance of wildflowers just starting to appear on the meadows either side of the path.

What to bring, what to wear

• Layers: the First terminal sits over 1,500 m above Interlaken and is routinely 8 to 10°C cooler, even in summer.
• Sun protection: there is almost no shade on the entire route, and UV is stronger at altitude.
• Sturdy footwear: trainers are workable in dry midsummer conditions, but the last stretch to the lake and any continuation towards the Faulhorn justify a proper hiking shoe with grip.
• Water and a packed lunch: there are no shops or taps between the First terminal and the Faulhorn guesthouse, though the terminal itself has a restaurant.
• Cash or card for the lift: prices are not cheap and passes give discounts rather than free travel, so budget accordingly using our Interlaken travel costs guide if you are planning a multi-day itinerary.

For general packing guidance that applies across the region’s higher trails, our altitude, weather, and what to pack guide goes into more depth than is useful to repeat here.

Alternatives if First is closed or busy

Wind closures happen on Grindelwald First, as they do on most of the region’s higher cable cars, and a strong-wind day can shut the top section without much notice. If that happens, or if you simply want a different flavour of easy walk, several nearby options work as a substitute:

• The gentler network around Schynige Platte, reached by the 1893 rack railway from Wilderswil, offers similarly mild gradients and views over both Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
• Mannlichen offers the ridge walk mentioned above, usually less exposed to the same wind pattern that affects First.
• On a day when nothing higher is viable, our things to do in Interlaken when it rains guide covers valley-floor options.

If your priority is simply a scenic walk with a guide handling logistics on a day when you would rather not make the call yourself, broader guided itineraries such as the full-day tour linking Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Mürren give you a fallback that does not depend on a single lift being open.

Getting back and combining with other things to do

The return from Bachalpsee to the First terminal takes the same 50 to 70 minutes, and the cable car down connects back to Grindelwald station in about 25 minutes, then Interlaken Ost in roughly 35 more — a full round trip of around three and a half to four hours excluding time at the lake itself, which most visitors extend to a half-day out once photo stops and a coffee at the terminal restaurant are factored in.

Because the walk itself is short, it pairs naturally with something else on the same day rather than filling it alone. A common combination is a relaxed morning at Bachalpsee followed by lunch in Grindelwald village, or the reverse: a village morning followed by a late-afternoon cable car up when the light softens again. If you are building a longer stay around the Jungfrau region rather than a single day, our Jungfrau region highlights, three days itinerary places this walk alongside the Jungfraujoch and Lauterbrunnen valley for a fuller picture of how the pieces fit together.

For visitors who want the hiking day to end with something more substantial than a packed lunch, the evening hike paired with a cheese fondue dinner in Wengen is a reasonable way to close out a day that started at First, provided you allow enough time to get from Grindelwald to Wengen via Lauterbrunnen — check the connection before booking rather than assuming it is a quick hop.

Bachalpsee and Grindelwald First: your questions answered

How long does the walk from First to Bachalpsee take?

Around 3.3 km and 50 to 70 minutes at an easy pace, with roughly 100 m of height gain spread over gentle rises rather than one climb. Add the same again for the return, or continue further and come back a different way.

Is the Bachalpsee walk suitable for families?

Yes, it is one of the few high-altitude walks in the region that works with young children, since the path is wide, well graded, and mostly gravel. The last 300 m before the lake narrows and gets stonier, so a pushchair only manages the first two-thirds of the route.

What time should I go for the best reflection photos?

Arrive within the first hour or two of the cable car’s morning service, before wind picks up over the ridge. By late morning in summer a light breeze usually breaks the water’s surface and the reflection of the Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn disappears.

Can I continue from Bachalpsee to the Faulhorn?

Yes, a marked path continues past the lake and climbs steadily to the Faulhorn summit and its historic guesthouse, adding around two hours and 500 m of ascent one way. From there you can descend to Bussalp or Schynige Platte rather than retracing your steps to First.

Is the trail open in June?

Usually, but not guaranteed. Grindelwald First’s lift often opens for the summer season in late May, while snow can linger on the shaded north side of the lake basin into mid-June in a late year, so check current conditions before you go rather than assuming a clear path.

Do I need hiking boots for this walk?

Sturdy trainers with grip are enough in dry midsummer conditions, but boots with ankle support are worth it in June or after rain, when the last stretch to the lake turns loose and slippery. Poles help on the descent back to the cable car station if your knees complain on long days.