How to Reach Männlichen and Make the Most of Your Trip

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When I discovered Switzerland years ago, I knew that it had truly stunning alpine scenery. But I never knew that it was more than just stunning. The moment I laid my eyes on the views of Lauterbrunnen in the Jungfrau Region, my expectations were surpassed.

It is awe-inspiring. What other travelers said was true: this place is a slice of heaven on earth!

Amazingly, Lauterbrunnen is just one of the places in the Jungfrau Region that looks unreal. Another is Harder Kulm, an unmissable experience near Interlaken.

However, the most panoramic of all is Männlichen. This peak, located in the heart of the Jungfrau Region, can be found just above Wengen.

An unobstructed view of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau awaits you there, as well as an overlooking view of the nearby lake (Lake Thun), villages (Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Murren, Gimmelwald, etc.), and even waterfalls (Staubbachfalls).

I believe the entire region of the Jungfrau Region is visible from the top. It is a scenery you’d not want to miss.

So let me help you get there. I’ll share everything I know for you to make the most of your visit to Männlichen.

Männlichen is a 2343-meter tall mountain ridge that separates the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.

From its summit, you can see where the Schwarze Lütschine River and Weisse Lütschine River from the two valleys merge to become the Lütschine River.

It is one of the most accessible mountain peaks in the Jungfrau Region, serviced by two cable car lines: the Wengen-Männlichen gondola cableway and the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola cableway.

This mountain is a destination for all seasons.

It serves as a beautiful hiking destination and jump-off location during summer, particularly for the Panorama Trail, and transforms into a ski area during winter.

Männlichen is part of the Grindelwald-Wengen ski area.

Männlichen Views

View of the Jungfrau Massif and Lauterbrunnen Valley from the Royal Walk in Mannlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — View of the Jungfrau Massif and Lauterbrunnen Valley from the Royal Walk in Mannlichen

Tourists and the sceneries from Mannlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — Tourists and the sceneries from Mannlichen

View of Lauterbrunnen Valley and Lake Thun from Mannlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — View of Lauterbrunnen Valley and Lake Thun from Mannlichen

The cows in front of Grindelwald and Faulhorn seen from Mannlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — The cows in front of Grindelwald and Faulhorn seen from Mannlichen

Tips for Your Visit

Before you go to Männlichen, it’s important to note a few things.

First, the duration you might spend on Männlichen may range from a minimum of forty-five minutes to two hours if you’re visiting in total leisure mode. This approximation starts from the time you arrive at Männlichen by cable car from either Wengen or Grindelwald until the point you leave the mountain through another cable car ride or start hiking the panorama trail down to Klein Scheidegg.

The forty-five-minute approximation involves a swift round trip hike to Mannlichen’s highest point from the jump-off point at either cable car station.
Spending two hours would involve visiting the mountain’s highest point, dining at the mountain’s restaurant, chilling with kids on the playground, and perhaps people and cow watching.
If you plan to stay longer than two hours, I can’t imagine what else you’d be doing in Männlichen, but perhaps taking photographs or simply savoring the moment as you take in the view of the entire Jungfrau Region.

This is the case (30 minutes to 2 hour visit duration), if you’re going to Männlichen and you’re based outside the Jungfrau Region, it’s practical to plan to visit other attractions in the Jungfrau Region too.

I would suggest spending the rest of the day in Grindelwald or Jungfraujoch, which has its train station at the end of the Panorama Trail in Kleine Scheidegg. If you’re coming on a day trip from Bern or Zurich, you can try Thun and Oberhofen Castle. Both are located along the way to the Jungfrau Region.

Another important thing to remember is that you must have an alternative destination in place of Männlichen when the weather turns foggy or rainy. For instance, Trummelbachfalls and Iseltwald on the shores of Lake Brienz. You can also try the Saint Beatus Caves, which is one of the attractions around Lake Thun.

Why don’t visit Männlichen when it’s foggy or rainy?

Well, while Männlichen looks breathtaking when it’s sunny, the view is like you’re facing a gray wall when clouds shroud its peak. We don’t want that! There’s no reason to go to Männlichen if that happens.

To know if it’s worth going to Männlichen on the day you’ll visit, check the live video broadcasts on the official website of Männlichen (see resources). In it, you can see the current view in Männlichen, which is totally helpful when deciding whether to go or not.

Lastly, for the tips, bring warm clothing when going to Männlichen, even if it’s summer. The weather up in the mountains is typically colder compared to the city or lower elevations. Wear comfortable walking shoes too. As you may already know, there’s hiking involved in visiting Männlichen, especially if you want to make the most of your trip.

Different Ways To Get to Mannlichen

There are several ways to get to Männlichen.

However, if you are coming from outside the Jungfrau region, you have to get to Interlaken first. Interlaken is the gateway and the main transportation hub in the Jungfrau region. After reaching Interlaken, you must get to Wengen or Grindelwald by train. They are the villages closest to Männlichen, where you can find the cable car stations and hiking trail’s jump-off sites to Männlichen.

Interlaken to Wengen:

20-minute train to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken (30-minute interval)
12-minute funicular to Wengen from Lauterbrunnen (1-hour interval)

Interlaken to Grindelwald:

35-minute train to Grindelwald from Interlaken (30-minute interval)

Cable cars are the most convenient way to get to Männlichen. Using this public transportation, you can reach Männlichen as quick as 6 minutes from Wengen and 20 minutes if you are from Grindelwald.

Cable Car from Wengen to Männlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — Cable Car from Wengen to Männlichen

You can book your tickets to Männlichen online from the official website of Männlichen for more convenience. But you can also purchase tickets from the stations in Wengen or Grindelwald. Whether you are buying tickets online or through the station, you have options on different ways to get to Männlichen and back to your village of origin.

There are round-trip tickets that let you start/end your Männlichen journey and have a stop at these specific places: Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg, Grindelwald, Alpigen, Holenstein, and Brandegg. For example, if you are based in Wengen:

Wengen > Cable car > Männlichen > Cable car > Wengen
Wengen > Cable car > Männlichen > Panorama Trail > Kleine Scheidegg > Train > Wengen
Wengen > Cable car > Männlichen > Cable car > Grindelwald Terminal
If you want to add Holenstein to your round-trip journey, you can try: Wengen > Cable car > Männlichen > Lieselotte Trail > Holenstein > Cable car > Männlichen > Cable car > Wengen.

On the other hand, if you are based in Grindelwald:

Grindelwald Terminal > Cable car > Männlichen > Lieselotte Trail > Holenstein > Cable car > Grindelwald Terminal
Grindelwald Terminal > Cable car > Männlichen > Panorama Trail > Kleine Scheidegg > Train > Grindelwald Grund
Grindelwald Terminal > Cable car > Männlichen > Romantic Trail > Alpigen > Train > Grindelwald Grund

If you are from outside the Jungfrau Region (like Bern), maybe you are wondering, “which village would be the best jump-off location to get to Männlichen?” I would recommend Wengen over Grindelwald. Not only can you get to Männlichen much faster, but also, you see a rewarding view of Lauterbrunnen Valley from Wengen. Most importantly, you can try the Royal Ride (an upgraded cable car experience) from Wengen to Männlichen, which is so nice.

Map of Jungfrau Region centered in Männlichen, Grindelwald, and Wengen, Switzerland — Map of Jungfrau Region centered in Männlichen, Grindelwald, and Wengen

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, you get a 50% discount for the Wengen-Männlichen Cable Car and Grindelwald Terminal-Mannlichen Cable Car rides. For Jungfrau Travel Pass holders, you can use these cableways and railways for free.

You can check the official website of Männlichen, linked at the end of this post, if you want to know the updated prices of the cable car tickets (with train ride ticket combinations). The complete reduction matrices indicated in the Fare Guides (PDF) are also found on their website.

If you are driving from other regions in Switzerland and want to see Männlichen, the quickest way to get to Männlichen is by taking the Interlaken-Lauterbrunnen-Wengen route.

However, you can only bring your car until Lauterbrunnen. Wengen is a traffic-less village; only public/accommodation service vehicles can use the roads in the village. In Lauterbrunnen, you can find a multi-story parking garage beside the train station, where you can park your car before heading to Wengen by train.

Once you arrive in Wengen, you can go to the cable car station (as mentioned previously) to send you straight to Männlichen.

Near Gemsenweg hiking trail jump-off (still in Wengen), Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — Near Gemsenweg hiking trail jump-off (still in Wengen),

Hiking is another way you can get to Männlichen. And if you’re a sporty person, you can take the challenge to conquer yourself on your way to Männlichen by hiking Gemsenweg (Gemsen Trail). Gemsenweg is the hiking trail linking Wengen and Männlichen which usually takes 2 to 3 hours to finish. Although you can find rewarding views from Gemsenweg, it can be really demanding, especially for newbies.

This hiking trail entails climbing a steep inclination (approximately 1000+ meters) over a short path. So, I don’t recommend it if you’re just getting started hiking.

View of Eiger and Monch from Panoramaweg (going to Kleine Scheidegg) in Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — View of Eiger and Monch from Panoramaweg (going to Kleine Scheidegg)

Gemsenweg is only one of the few hiking trails you can use to reach Männlichen. Another is Panoramaweg (Panorama Trail). It is the hiking trail that links Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen. And you can hike it in less than 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Panoramaweg is one of the most breathtaking hiking trails in the Jungfrau Region and relatively the easiest, too. However, I would recommend hiking Panoramaweg to get to Männlichen only for a few specific cases only. Like, if you just finished visiting Jungfraujoch (Jungfrau Railway starts/ends in Kleine Scheidegg) or you want to see Kleine Scheidegg first.

To reach Männlichen by hiking Panoramaweg, first, you have to get Kleine Scheidegg — the mountain pass between Lauberhorn and Eiger. Kleine Scheidegg has a station along the Wengernalp Railway, connecting Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Grindelwald. So you can reach it whether you’re from Wengen or Grindelwald.

Getting to Männlichen is faster and more efficient using cable cars from Wengen or Grindelwald. Most importantly, Panoramaweg is much better to be hiked the other way around (Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg) — it is easier and more scenic.

Things To Do In Männlichen

How you can spend time in Männlichen is pretty straightforward as hiking (skiing during winter) and “relaxing” with a view. Taking in the ultimately panoramic views of the Jungfrau Region in all directions from Männlichen can already be a more-than-satisfying experience. However, you can do a few other things to make your visit to Männlichen even more worthwhile. I have five suggestions:

1. Royal Ride

Among the different ways you can get to Männlichen, the cable car from Wengen is the most exciting.

Royal Ride in Wengen-Männlichen Cable Car in Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — Royal Ride in Wengen-Männlichen Cable Car

It can be a one-of-a-kind experience, unmissable if you’re going to Männlichen from Wengen. The cable car ride from Wengen to Männlichen is a 6-minute journey. It is a short yet scenic cable car experience, letting you view the Lauterbrunnen valley from different angles as you ascend to new heights every minute.

For only an additional 5 CHF, you can upgrade your Wengen to Männlichen cable car journey to “Royal Ride.” On a Royal Ride, you can stand on a rooftop balcony of the cable car and take in the beautiful vistas all around you like a king or queen!

2. Royal Walk

Technically, you are already in Männlichen as soon as you arrive at the cable car station at the ridge.

However, you aren’t at the summit yet, and you still have to do a short hike to get to Männlichen’s peak. They call the summit ‘Gipfel,’ which means ‘summit’ in direct translation from German to English. You should be able to quickly see it from the cable car stations.

Royal Walk in Männlichen in Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — Royal Walk in Männlichen

Overall, it is a round-trip hike to Gipfel and back to the cable car station. This hike is called the Royal Walk, and it is the main highlight of a visit to Männlichen.

At the summit, a viewing deck designed like a crown awaits you.

At the viewing deck, you can find the true unobstructed view of Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfrau, Mönch, and Eiger. Turn around, and you’ll see Lake Thun, Schynige Platte, and Grindelwald.

You’ll be like a king or queen in a medieval fairytale movie, overlooking your magical kingdom.

The Royal Walk should be a piece of cake for everyone — no hiking experience is required!

It’s a short and sweet hike, but it can get your heart pumping with a 100-meter elevation gain over a kilometer of trail. You’ll be at the summit — usually just 20-30 minutes from the cable car station.

3. Berghaus Männlichen

Like most mountains in the Alps, Männlichen has a hotel and restaurant.

If you want, you can dine at the alfresco seating for one memorable chillin’ time in the mountain. It’s the perfect way to cap off the Royal Walk – you’ll be sure to leave with your eyes and stomachs satisfied!

The food in Berghaus Männlichen is priced higher than the restaurants in the villages, but it is justified by the awe-inspiring views and mouth-watering appearance of the food they serve. For us Asians, Berghaus Männlichen has got us covered with their rice meals.

There’s a huge selection of grub to choose from for everyone: pesto, pies, fries, steak, ice cream, bread, sausage, coffee, wine, and much more.

4. Panorama Trail

If you’re looking for an ultimately breathtaking hiking trail in the Jungfrau Region, the Panorama Trail, linking Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg, is the one for you. It’s the second best thing to do in Männlichen, and I’m sure you’ll love it.

View of Eiger from the Panorama Trail from Männlichen, Jungfrau Region, Switzerland — View of Eiger from the Panorama Trail from Männlichen

Hiking the Panorama Trail from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg is an awe-inspiring experience! You’ll have a view of the formidable north face of Eiger and the massive Jungfrau massif the whole way down. It’s a marvelous sight that will fill you with a sense of wonder.

The downhill path is another advantage of hiking the Panorama Trail from Männlichen. It’s easy and relaxing!

Overall, there is an approximately 160-meter elevation loss throughout its 4.5-kilometer length. If you hike the Panorama Trail from Männlichen, you can expect to crush it in two hours. I threw in a few short breaks and some photo ops, so that’s a pretty solid estimate.

5. Paragliding

Thinking it’s all relaxing and chilling in Männlichen? Not totally.

You can make your Männlichen trip exhilarating. How? By paragliding! You can fly down the valley from Männlichen for a memorable and unique way of ending your Männlichen visit. You wouldn’t wonder anymore what do the birds see when they fly over the land that’s considered a piece of heaven on earth.

Paragliding in Männlichen is only available for visitors ascending to Männlichen from Wengen. You can book a paragliding session at the valley station in Wengen.

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Resources

Männlichen is a totally different place when it is winter. There is no Royal Ride, and you can’t hike to the summit. However, there are tens of kilometers of pistes you can ski if you visit Männlichen during winter. You can check Männlichen’s website for more information. Below are the quick links to Männlichen’s cable ticket booking forms and the live camera to see what it’s like at the summit.

Looking for an idea about an extended weekend getaway or a week-long trip to Switzerland? I’ve got you covered! I’ve prepared 4-day and 6-day itineraries for you to check out:

The 4-day itinerary includes a 2-day stay in Bern with a day trip to Thun, followed by another 2-day trip to Lucerne with a day trip to Mount Pilatus.
On the other hand, my 6-day itinerary highlights the best of the Bernese Oberland and Bern. Enjoy your trip planning!

Featured Image, 4-Day Switzerland Itinerary Visit Bern and Lucerne

Featured Image, 6 Days In Switzerland Itinerary Bern, Interlaken, and Thun

Featured Image, Best Way to Spend 3 to 4 Days in Interlaken (on a Budget)

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