What to do in Lauterbrunnen with kids? Within a 1.5-hour drive from both Bern and Lucerne, you’ll find fairytale Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland. Located in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 795m, this village consists of a valley with waterfalls. The area contains many mountain peaks, making it a beautiful winter sports destination and an ideal place for mountain athletes. In the summer, Lauterbrunnen also offers many opportunities for kids. There are also plenty of activities and attractions in the area. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Lauterbrunnen.
Best travel time Lauterbrunnen with kids
Lauterbrunnen is a wonderful destination to go to with kids in both winter and summer. In terms of winter sports, this destination does offer somewhat fewer options than other ski destinations in the area, but in summer, on the other hand, it is a place you really shouldn’t skip when visiting Switzerland with the family.
Because you can easily visit higher mountains from Lauterbrunnen, the summer months are ideal, as temperatures on the peaks are still pleasant even for kids. Therefore, the best travel time of Lauterbrunnen with kids is from June to August. Of course, this period is high season in Lauterbrunnen and accommodation prices can be quite a bit higher.
Transportation to and in Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is easy to reach by car. This offers the possibility to easily visit all kinds of beautiful places in the area with kids. There are public parking facilities in Lauterbrunnen for day visitors, but they can fill up quickly. This is also indicated on the road from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen.
However, public transportation is also a great alternative. Some villages higher in the mountains can only be reached by cable car. Lauterbrunnen’s train station is located in the north of the village. That actually contains 1 long hilly main street with some side roads and is fine to walk.
If you visit Switzerland by plane, most families with kids land at Bern airport. From Bern it is 1.5 hours by car to Lauterbrunnen. At Bern airport you can very easily rent a car and explore Switzerland further with it.
The company Sunny Cars rents cars here, where they offer an all inclusive package, where you have very nice arrangements such as free cancellation of the car very shortly in advance. For more information on renting a car from Bern airport, take a look here,
Children’s activities Lauterbrunnen
#1 Schilthorn
A first literal highlight in (the vicinity of) Lauterbrunnen is the Schilthorn. This mountain peak with 2970m altitude offers beautiful views of all the mountain peaks in the area. In clear weather, Mont Blanc can even be seen and closer you will find the mountains Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. On top of the mountain is a restaurant with 360-degree views, as this restaurant rotates slowly.
You reach the Schilthorn by driving from Lauterbrunnen with the family to Stechelberg in 10 minutes and then taking 4 cable cars. Along the way, you can always get out to see the quaint car-free villages. Walking between stations is also an option. Kids up to 5 years old can use the cable cars for free. For adults, you pay about 115, – Euros converted, but there are several discount passes available for purchase that allow you to pay less for the rides.
We loved the view from the platform, but we were also extremely lucky with the clear weather. We could see infinitely far (see the photo below of the beautiful view we had with our family)!
#2 Waterfalls
Halfway down the road from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg is the Trümmelbachfälle. With some older kids (entry is prohibited under 4, as well as for dogs) you can see the underground glacier waterfalls. You have the option of going up by train, or walking. With young kids, then the little train is the best option.
Another waterfall that is great to check out with young kids is the Staubbachfall. This high narrow waterfall can be seen beautifully from the valley from several points. There’s also a staircase leading up through which you can get closer to the waterfall. This waterfall is really an attraction in Lauterbrunnen and is also illuminated in the evening.
On the national holiday on Aug. 1, fireworks can be seen at this site in the evening. We found the latter waterfall super easy to reach and the great thing was that you can thus see this waterfall well from several places in Lauterbrunnen.
#3 Water playground
Once you have viewed the waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen and the kids are in need of some water play, you can do this very well at the playground opposite the waterfall, just past the beautifully landscaped cemetery. The waterfall has several pieces of equipment, a picnic table and a mini waterfall with a pump where kids can enjoy playing.
We found this an ideal place to go occasionally, given its prime location in the village and easy accessibility. For adults, it is also a nice place because the view and surroundings are very beautiful from this playground. So a good place to drop down as a parent while the kids are out playing.
In the further vicinity of Lauterbrunnen, other fun playgrounds can be reached with various cable cars. By the way, for even more water fun, Lauterbrunnen also has an outdoor swimming pool where you can enjoy stunning views of the nearby cliffs and mountains. Especially in the summer, this can be a nice place to cool off with the family.
#4 Mini Golf
For a sporty outing, we recommend Sportanlage Eyelti. At this place in Lauterbrunnen you can play tennis and miniature golf with kids on a nice course with again views of the waterfall and the mountains. There is also a play area for the kids and you can also get something to eat. The kids enjoyed the course immensely. It was not too difficult or easy and had some nice obstacles. An excellent children’s outing in Lauterbrunnen.
#5 Open Air Museum
If you drive from Zurich or Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen, you can go near Brienz to a large open-air museum: Ballenberg. Here you can walk several trails (in total, the museum covers 66 acres!) passing all kinds of old Swiss houses and farms. Meanwhile, enjoy the wooded area, hills and mountain views.
Halfway through the park there is a fun playground and carousel for the kids. Admission is nearly 35 euros for an adult converted, but again, kids under 5 are free. There is plenty of opportunity to consume your own brought food and drink, but this is also available for sale at various places in the museum.
Please note that not all trails are suitable for a stroller. We found this a wonderful place for a good walk where there was also plenty of fun to see for everyone. The playground with carousel halfway through this open-air museum was also well appreciated by the kids!
Other children’s activities Lauterbrunnen
In addition to the children’s activities in Lauterbrunnen described above, there are a number of things you can do with the family. We list them briefly below.
#6 Jungfraujoch: should you want to visit even higher mountains, in the Lauterbrunnen area the Jungfraujoch is incredibly popular. Here, at almost 3.5km high, is Europe’s highest train station. In addition, there are endless opportunities for hiking in the mountains here.
Where for one family it’s all about the beautiful views, another family gets their money’s worth from the many active activities you can do in this area.
#7 Interlaken: If you want to get out of the mountains, the town of Interlaken in Switzerland is a good place for all kinds of family-friendly activities and places. This town is about a 20-minute drive from Lauterbrunnen, and with rainy weather, it’s just as good to hang out in, for example, the indoor playground at Jungfrau Park.
From Interlaken (the name says it all, this is between 2 lakes) you can take several boat trips on Brienzersee and Thunersee.
Family-friendly restaurant Lauterbrunnen
You can also eat fine food in Lauterbrunnen with kids. You have several nice family-friendly restaurants in Lauterbrunnen. We list some of them.
Restaurant Weidstübli: this restaurant is located at Camping Jungfrau. If you want to get acquainted with Swiss cuisine, this is a good place. You will find various Swiss specialties. Further along the campground is a playground and a stream that many a kid likes to take a dip in during warm weather.
Restaurant Piz Gloria: this family-friendly restaurant is located atop the Schilthorn and has tables by the window with beautiful mountain views. However, the view changes as the restaurant rotates completely.
Family-friendly accommodations Lauterbrunnen
We stayed with the family at Camping Jungfrau during our vacation in Lauterbrunnen. At this campground overlooking the Staubbachfall, you have sites for tents or caravans, as well as simple cabins or a larger mobile home. The campground is very attractive and has a playground and nice central square. For more information about this campground, take a look here.
In the Lauterbrunnen area, you have a number of other family-friendly accommodations you can book. Below we list some more of these family-friendly accommodations. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Camping Jungfrau
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Silberhorn
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Oberland
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Lauterbrunnen, take a look here.
About the author: Ilse is a travel-loving single mother of Boaz (age 5) and Luuk (age 2) who is now eager to explore the world again, but with kids. She loves planning trips and getaways and delving into all the possibilities along the way. A trip is successful for her if she can get out into nature in addition to some culture and cities.
