This Niederhorn Ridge Hike is surprisingly rugged and relentlessly breathtaking. It combines the very best of Switzerland – a mountain ridge with a lake view, ibex, cows and alpine flowers.
Don’t be fooled by the lush, grassy demeanour of the Niederhorn. The mast-topped summit looks relatively tame when viewed from the comfort of a paddle steamer as you sail across Lake Thun. Particularly tame when the snow-capped peaks of the fearsome Eiger and neighbouring Monch and Jungfrau are visible on a clear day. As you sail out into the lake from Interlaken West, the wooded slopes slide smoothly back towards the turquoise water. But as you glide past and onwards towards Thun, a previously hidden valley (the Justistal) opens up to the left, unveiling the full extent of the Niederhorn’s composition. Rugged cliffsides drop ferociously below forested plateaus and a craggy ridge leads to the Gemmenalphorn.
Bewitched by the sight of the Niederhorn Ridge
As I cruised across Lake Thun in July 2024, I wasn’t paying attention to the visual reminder of the Niederhorn’s rugged side. It was a beautiful blue sky day, and I was bewitched by the entire scene. The rhythmic splashes of the paddles were almost hypnotic, and I found my mind wandering back in time. Almost twenty years! I calculated since I’d last been up to the Niederhorn. According to my memory, I’d hiked up from Habkern. The rewarding and gradual climb had landed me at the top of a smooth, gentle ridge where I’d strolled along a mostly grassy path to the top of the gondola station. ‘We could do it the other way round’, I said to my husband. ‘Take the lift up to the summit; then we’ll have a lovely flat run for a couple of kilometres before trotting down over small rolling grassy hillocks and knolls to Habkern. It’ll be an ideal recovery day’.
How very wrong I was. It’s a breathtaking mountain ridge hike with a lake view, ibex, cows and alpine flowers. I highly recommend it, but not for your easy recovery day. If you’re looking for more leisurely hikes on the Niederhorn, I’ve listed a couple of alternatives at the end.
The Niederhorn Ridge Hike route
Niederhorn (1950 m) – Burgfeldstand (2063 m) –
Gemmenalphorn (2061 m) – Habkern (1055 m)
Allow at least 4 hours for this 10 km hike starting at the Niederhorn summit. Most of the first five kilometres follow the rocky ridge via the Burgfeldstand and Gemmenalphorn peaks. Allow around 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the Gemmenalphorn from Niederhorn. Then, another 2 hours and 15 minutes to descend to the small village of Habkern, plus plenty of time to stop for lunch and photographs.
We wore trail running shoes and ‘ran’ where we could; our total time from Niederhorn to Habkern with stops was 3 hours. In reality, running was quite limited due to the rugged nature of the ridge and the first part of the descent down to Habkern. The latter part of the descent was less rugged but so steep that with two weeks of exertion in our legs, we made slow progress here, too.
Reaching the start point of the Niederhorn Ridge Hike
From Interlaken West, take the Postbus to Beatenberg (approx. 30 mins). Beautiful views of Lake Thun open up as the bus winds up the mountainside. Ensure you don’t get off until the final stop, ‘Beatenberg Station,’ from where the cable car ascends to the Niederhorn. There are several ‘Beatenberg’ stops before that, where if you get off too soon, you’ll face a long walk (of up to 4.4 km) along the main road.
You can also reach Beatenberg Station by taking the lake steamer from Interlaken Ost to Beatenbucht (approx 50 minutes) and then the funicular railway.
From Beatenberg Station, the cable car to the Niederhorn takes around twenty minutes. We got off at the mid-station (Beatenberg Vorsass) and hiked up through the forest to reach the summit (approx 2 km / 45 minutes). The tree cover is refreshingly cool on a hot day, while the lake remains tantalisingly hidden for the most part. The rarity of the view is strangely rewarding. As you emerge from the forest, the footpath skims steep rocky drop-offs, revealing sudden glimpses of dazzling blue – Lake Thun, sparkling way below your feet.
When you reach the summit of the Niederhorn, you’ll find a modern restaurant with a large terrace. We popped in here for an ice cream before setting off.
Setting off from the Niederhorn summit
The trail along the ridge is well-signposted to Burgfeldstand and then onto the Gemmenalphorn. Within 10 minutes of setting off, we’d spotted our first ibex of the day perched on a rocky outcrop and a herd of cows, bells clanging as they spread themselves out along the pathway. Luckily, there’s plenty of room for everyone along this first section, so after dodging the cattle and taking their photograph, we continued on our way.
As you would expect from a ridge walk, you have incredible views in all directions, so it’s hard to know where to look. Remember to stop and look behind you as, for much of the time, you’re walking away from Lake Thun and the Alps. If you’re not careful, this hike can take hours, with all the stops for photographs.
As mentioned, it was not the smooth grassy path that my memory was expecting; you need hiking shoes or boots, it’s not a plimsoll kind of walk. The first two kilometres are rocky and rugged, but most hikers will be fine here. The path climbs up to the Burgfeldstand at 2063 m, but this part of the path isn’t as precipitous as the next section.
Reaching the high points of the Niederhorn Ridge Hike
The views from the Burgfeldstand are totally worth the effort, and this is a satisfying hike in itself. If you don’t fancy continuing onto more challenging terrain, simply turn around and follow your footsteps back to the Niederhorn, enjoying the views over Lake Thun ahead.
Otherwise, continue onwards from the Burgfeldstand to the Gemmenalphorn. Over the next couple of kilometres, the route becomes pretty narrow in places as you descend along the ridge and then climb back up to 2061 m. There are plenty of steep drops and a couple of sections with a chain to hold onto. All of this makes for an exciting hike, best for those with a good head for heights.
The Gemmenalphorn has 360-degree views. It’s the perfect picnic spot, and on a clear day, there are plenty of mountains to spot, including the distinctive pyramid of the Niesen across Lake Thun and the alpine peaks of the Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger, and Schreckhorn.
Keep your eyes peeled for ibex here. They often sit like statues on rocks so steep it’s hard to know how they don’t slide straight off. We were lucky to spot half a dozen resting amongst beautiful bright pink alpine flowers. We stopped and joined the growing gathering of hikers to watch them for a few minutes. The ibex stared back at us briefly before turning away, utterly unfazed by all the attention.
The descent to Habkern
The route from Gemmenalphorn down to Habkern is well-signposted. It drops through lush green vegetation with outcrops of brightly coloured flora, weaving around small undulating hillocks and over unusual outcrops of large flat rocks. It’s picturesque and mostly lovely to ramble or run through, but the flat stones with their mini crevasses are cumbersome. I had to sit down and lever myself across them at one point. They would be a slippery nightmare in the rain but otherwise manageable.
With the rocky platforms behind you, one particular junction greets you with a choice of three yellow walking signposts. Each points towards Habkern, with a duration varying between approximately 60 – 90 minutes. We opted for the middle one in duration, which started by pleasantly tracing the contours of a slope before joining a short forested ridge. The final descent passes through lush but deceptively steep meadows for a knee-jarring arrival in Habkern.
Taking the Postbus from Habkern
From the hike end point in Habkern, a Postbus departs for Interlaken West hourly during the summer. In my experience, it’s impossible to time your walk to coincide with the hourly departure. There’s a bakery and restaurant close to the bus stop; if you’re lucky, one may be open. Otherwise, you’ll find a public toilet and a water fountain to keep you company.
Alternatives to the Niederhorn Ridge Hike –
Short circular Niederhorn summit path
If you simply want to enjoy the views from the Niederhorn with a short stroll and lunch in the restaurant, there is a very quick and easy circular panoramic route of 600 m or so. It starts and ends at the cable car summit station.
Out-and-back ridge hike to Burgfeldstand
For a shorter hike, the first part of the ridge trail to Burgfeldstand is a fantastic alternative to the full ridge hike. This part of the trail is less exposed and less rugged underfoot but still has incredible views. Allow around 2 hours for this 4 km out-and-back hike.
Further alternatives include combining part or all of the ridge hike with a descent to Vorsass (the cable car mid-station) or the bus stop at Waldegg (instead of Habkern). Read more here.
Finding further information
If you’re a first-time hiker in Switzerland –
Read my tips on hiking the Swiss trails here.
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.
If you love hikes with lake views –
Read about my top 3 easy hikes around Lake Lucerne here.
Read about hiking in Kandersteg here.
For trail running inspiration –
Read about my experience running the Trail Surprise at Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB here and the E35 here.