Kandersteg is a hiker’s paradise. It was also a paradise for a holiday rep like me since my guests didn’t need me. My welcome meetings would attract an audience of zero. They were all so busy hiking and being independent that I rarely caught a glimpse of anyone. Instead, to add purpose to my visits (and the 90-minute round trip drive from Interlaken), I learnt to combine my Kandersteg duties with exploratory hiking of my own. I soon grew to love the place, and to this day, I regularly return to hike my favourite trails.
About the village of Kandersteg
The cheerful Swiss village is a fusion of Bernese splendour and Swiss elegance. During the day, it seems a rather sleepy place, with only the chiming bell of the small steepled church and the clanging of cowbells disturbing the peace. From late afternoon, however, the village comes to life. Handsome hotels and comforting tea rooms welcome tourists clad in hiking boots returning from their days’ adventures in the surrounding alpine meadows, rocky valleys, and glaciated mountains.
About the hikers in Kandersteg
Kandersteg attracts serious hikers. Often, repeat holidaymakers to Switzerland who have already ticked off the major hikes in the Jungfrau region. These days, they’re happy to holiday in Kandersteg, where the trails and beauty spots are a little less clogged up with flip-flop-wearing tourists (except the Oeschinensee). When evening falls, the village’s restaurants are generally full of like-minded clientele, poring over maps and eagerly discussing their plans for the next day. Instagram fanatics silently catching up on their social media are in the minority.
How long do you need in Kandersteg?
If you’re on holiday in the Jungfrau region, a day trip to Kandersteg will suffice for now. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Oeschinensee, is the star attraction. For non-hikers, just a simple picnic on its wooded shores will linger in your mind long after you depart. However, you’ll likely get itchy feet if you’re a hiker. You’ll want to be striding upwards to reach the panoramic trails that look down on the deep turquoise waters from the dramatic rocky amphitheatre that rises to the snowy summit of the Blümlisalphorn.
For dedicated hikers, the beauty of Kandersteg extends beyond the Oeschinensee. Enough trails are here to keep you busy for a week or more. Narrow pathways wind through wild, remote valleys, and high alpine routes skirt ancient glaciers to cross steep mountain passes.
Plus, if you want a change of hiking scenery, the Jungfrau region is easily reached by train from Kandersteg. Or, when it’s time to put your feet up, you can be cruising Lake Thun by paddle steamer in less than an hour.
My top three favourite Kandersteg hikes
Oeschinensee Panorama Loop
This hike draws the crowds because it’s simply spectacular. If you’re staying in Kandersteg, make the most of your head start and set off as early as you can bear. Having said that, it is definitely a hike and not a stroll. You need to be an experienced hiker with a good head for heights as the path is rugged, narrow and precipitous in places.
Allow 3.5 hours for this 9 km hike that takes you from an altitude of 1578 m to 2035 m.
Description of the hike –
You can hike the route clockwise or anticlockwise. Many prefer clockwise as you get the steepest climb over with first and reach the shore of the lake towards the end where you can sit and soak up the views. I prefer anticlockwise for the following reasons –
- Providing you set off relatively early, you’ll reach the Oeschinensee before the worst of the crowds arrive.
- Anticlockwise saves the best for last. The whole walk features spectacular views, but the elevated perspective of the Oeschinensee during the latter part is just unbelievable. Find yourself a dizzying picnic spot and soak it all in from above.
It’s helpful to pick up a free hiking map from the cable car station to help you get your bearings. However, as always, the hike is very well signposted. From the top of the cable car, just look out for the signs in this order:
Oeschinensee – Ober Bärgli – Heuberg – Bergstation / Kandersteg
The hike starts following the main tourist track down to the Oeschinensee before skirting the lake around to the left and reaching Unterbärgli after about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There’s a mountain restaurant at Unterbärgli, and if the flag is raised, you’re in luck; it’s open! It might be worth stopping for a drink because, from here, you climb steeply up to Ober Bärgli.
At Ober Bärgli, the path joins from the Hohtürli Pass and the Bluemlisalp Hut (a fabulous day hike from Griesalp; see below). There’s another chance of getting a drink here (if open) at a primitive but welcoming hut serving light snacks.
Don’t follow the signs to the Hohtürli Pass! You’re heading the other way, towards Heuberg. For me, this is the highlight of the hike and the place to linger. The path is pretty narrow in places, almost hanging over the Oeschinensee, and as it winds around the cliffside, it reveals view after view, forcing you to stop again and again to take photographs.
When you can tear yourself away, continue onwards, following the signs back to the Bergstation (cable car station). If you still have the energy, you can continue hiking down to Kandersteg rather than descending by cable car.
Getting there –
From Kandersteg train station, it’s a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride to the valley station of the Oeschinensee cable car. Take the cable car to the summit where you’ll find a mountain restaurant and a mountain coaster (steel toboggan run).
Griesalp to Kandersteg, via the Hohtürli Pass
At the time of writing, I’ve hiked this rewarding route four times. It features a mountain pass, a high alpine hut, close encounters with glaciers, and the UNESCO Oeschinensee, making it one of my all-time favourites.
However, it’s not for the faint-hearted; it’s right at the ‘difficult’ end of hiking standards. You should be an experienced hiker and allow 6 – 8 hours plus to cover the 15 km route, including an ascent of over 1300 m and a high point of 2778 m.
If you decide to set out on this hike, there is no need to also do the Oeschinensee Panorama Loop (in my opinion) since they both include the same spectacular high-level path above the lake.
Description of the hike from Griesalp to the Hohtürli Pass –
Leaving the PostBus in Griesalp, finding your way is as simple as following the yellow signposts to Hohtürli and Blüemlisalphütte SAC.
The walk to the pass is a constant uphill which begins almost immediately and only gets steeper. It may be relentless, but it’s a climb with continuous rewards. After passing through forests, pastures and alongside babbling streams, green gives way to rocks and scree. By the time you notice that birds are soaring below you, you’re in high alpine land. Everywhere you look is steep, rugged and precipitous.
The final couple of kilometres to the Hohtürli pass are particularly arduous. Certain sections have steep wooden steps and rope-and-chain-style handrails, which can become a bit of a bottleneck on a busy day.
A whole new world opens up as you reach the top of the pass. Sixty metres ahead, the large stone Blüemlisalp Hut stands proudly, beckoning you up the narrow zig-zagging scree path. Beyond the Swiss flag fluttering in the breeze, glaciers stream out below snowcaps following the mountainside as it drops away towards the Kandersteg valley.
It would be wrong to reach this point and not take advantage of the food and drink served at the Blüemlisalp Hut. But I also love to picnic here, climbing a little bit higher, just beyond the hut to the rocky ledge overlooking the glaciers.
Description of the hike from the Hohtürli Pass to Kandersteg
From here, it’s all downhill but it’s far from the anticlimax that some descents can be. Following the signs to Oeschinensee and Kandersteg, firstly you have the view of the glaciers to keep your interest. Then, the path continues to entertain by tracing the contours of the steep valley sides. As it leads you around rugged corners, view after view opens out before you (the Oeschinen Valley) and behind you (the glaciers).
descent to Kandersteg
The final treat is the Oeschinensee itself. Approaching the beauty spot from this direction (and elevation) is an entirely different experience from joining the trail of tourists from the Oeschinensee cable car.
Your trail down from the Hohtürli pass joins the Oeschinensee Panorama Loop (described previously) at Ober Bärgli. As mentioned, a small rustic hut here serves light snacks and drinks (when open). My recommendation is to pick up the path towards Heuberg, following the upper trail (the latter part of the anticlockwise panorama loop), which continues to wow with its elevated views of the Oeschinensee.
Continue following signposts to Kandersteg and the Bergstation (cable car station). If you’re in time for the last cable car you can cut the hike short by around 50 minutes. I have to admit, we often take advantage of this as the hike down to Kandersteg doesn’t compare to the magnificence of the 6 – 8 hours that you’ve already covered.
Top tip – turn this hike into a 2-day adventure –
From both Kandersteg and Interlaken, getting to Griesalp can be a mission. Kandersteg is much closer in distance but the limited connections make it even more challenging than arriving from the Jungfrau Region.
The best solution is to hike the trail over two days. Booking a night at the Bluemlisalp Hut turns an already incredible hike into an even more memorable experience. Who can resist the chance of an alpine sunset and sunrise up at 2840m?
Scroll to the bottom of my Where to Stay page for more information on overnighting in mountain huts.
Getting there –
You need to take the PostBus from Reichenbach im Kandertal to Griesalp and the start of the hike. There’s usually a scramble for seats, but in my experience, extra buses usually arrive, so the initial panic is unnecessary.
To reach Reichenbach im Kandertal from Kandersteg, there’s a direct but infrequent train. Unusually, this doesn’t always connect very well with the PostBus so there can be a lot of waiting around.
From the Jungfrau Region, take the train from Interlaken to Reichenbach im Kandertal, changing in Spiez.
Returning to Interlaken by train from Kandersteg, is much easier, with just one change in Spiez.
Over the Lötschenpass from the Gastern Valley
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Gasterntal is one of the Alps’ most beautiful examples of a glacial hanging valley. Hidden out of sight above the Kandersteg Valley, it can be accessed by foot or an impressively narrow track that tunnels its way through to allow limited vehicle access.
A relatively easy hike to explore the beauty of the valley includes the one-way trail from Kandersteg through the valley to Selden (2.5 hours). Alternatively, hike from Seldon to the Heimritz mountain hut (30 minutes) which can also be extended to make a loop.
However, the hike that remains vivid in my memory is over the Lötschenpass to Lauchernalp in the Valais. This 11 km route, with a high point of 2690 m and a glacier crossing, is only suitable for experienced hikers, and you should allow at least 6 hours.
Description of the hike up to the Lötschenpass –
The Hotel Gasterntal lies in Selden in the depths of the Gastern Valley at the end of the bus route. Set off from here crossing the bridge over the Kander River. Follow signs for Gfelalp, climbing through the forest into the head of the secluded glacial valley. Once above the treeline, the Hotel Gasterntal, the last remaining pocket of civilisation, is hidden from view, and all is silent except the distant roar of the wild Kander River.
Following signs for Lötschenpass, a marked trail crosses the Lötschen Glacier. I love this part of the walk; there are so few glaciers that you can cross as a hiker. The route over the glacier is well-marked but feels like an alien landscape. Amidst the ancient debris, snow, rock and meltwater channels, you can see small glimpses of pure blue glacial ice that hints at its previous splendour.
With the glacier behind you, the final steep ascent to the pass is pretty narrow, with some sections secured by steel cables. Waiting for you atop the historic alpine pass, you’ll find the Lötschenpass Hut, which serves simple but hearty hot food in its no-nonsense yet welcoming interior.
The hut sits on the historic alpine pass between Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland and Valais regions. On our visit, we didn’t see any of the commonly spotted Ibex, but as clouds raced overhead, shadows danced across the Bietschhorn, rising like a shark’s fin from a distant sea of mountains across the valley.
Description of the hike from the Lötschenpass to Lauchernalp
Descending the other side of the pass, follow signs to Lauchernalp. This is the shorter part of the walk, around 2 hours. As you hike through rocky terrain, you’ll pass small lakes, a creek and pastures before you reach the top of the Lauchernalp cable car and panoramic restaurant.
Be sure to check the time of the last cable car and plan your hike accordingly. Another option is to book a night at the Lötschenpass Hut.
Getting there –
From June until October, a minibus operates from Kandersteg into the Gasterntal Valley, terminating at Selden. Seats are limited and must be reserved in advance.
A permit is needed to drive into the valley, and a timetabled one-way traffic rule applies.
You can read more about travelling by bus or car here.
To return to Kandersteg from Lauchernalp first take the cable car down to Wiler. A short bus journey (15 minutes) takes you to Goppenstein from where there’s a direct train to Kandersteg.
Wait, there’s more!
There is so much hiking in and around Kandersteg. The above three hikes are my personal favourites but yours may lie elsewhere. Below is just a short taster of three more trails showcasing the variety on offer. But I’m still only scratching the surface. Visit the official Adelboden-Lenk-Kandersteg website here for more hiking inspiration.
Easy walk – Kandersteg to Blausee (Blue Lake)
Allow around 2 hours to complete this 6 km one-way walk that follows the course of the River Kander to the small but crystal clear lake (entry fee applies to this organic trout farm and nature park). It’s a good option for a bad weather day. It’s well-signposted, and the local bus takes you back to Kandersteg.
Read more about Blausee here.
Moderate hike – Round trip from Sunnbüel to Daubensee
From the top of the Sunnbüel cable car, there are various hikes, including the hike over the Gemmipass to Leukerbad. The circular hike around the Daubensee is a good alternative as it avoids the need for a convoluted return trip to Kandersteg from Leukerbad. Allow up to 6 hours to complete this 18km round trip.
Read more about the hike here.
Difficult hike – Over the Bundechrindi Pass from Adelboden to Kandersteg
Allow up to around 7 hours to complete this rewarding pass hike of 17km. There’s a steep climb of 1000 m to the pass, where you can spot the Oeschinensee across the valley on a clear day. The descent begins by zig-zagging through scree and ends by passing a pretty valley before reaching the final forested path down to Kandersteg.
This hike is a stage of the Via Alpina long-distance hiking trail. Most people hike in the direction from Kandersteg to Adelboden, which you can read more about here.
I’ve always started the hike in Adelboden. I would suggest that’s the ideal direction to do it if you’re staying in Kandersteg.
Finding facts & further information
If you’re a first-time hiker in Switzerland, read my tips on hiking the Swiss trails here.
If you’re on holiday in Kandersteg, the Jungfrau region is easy to reach by train for a hiking day trip. For hiking suggestions in the Jungfrau region –
Read about my top 5 easy hikes here.
Read about hiking the classic Schynige Platte to First hike here.
Read about hiking the Aletsch Glacier Trail here .
The colour of that water is unbelievable!!!
Isn’t it! And actually the photographs don’t even do it justice. You have to be there!