Schynige Platte Things to Do

You may wonder what in the world is Schynige Platte. Well, it’s one of the most spectacular mountains in central Switzerland well worth a visit! You can take a leisurely train to the top, walk around easy paths, have a nice drink or meal at the panoramic restaurants, or take an amazing hike across a ridge overlooking spectacular lakes and surrounding mountains!

I visited this area in July 2023 for the first time. I was flabbergasted by the beauty. To tell you the truth, I had seen pictures of this ridge hike for a long time. I was eagerly waiting for the right time to go do it for myself. We chose a sunny weekend and drove 2 hrs from where we live to spend two days in the Interlaken area.

This blog post is dedicated to telling you all about Schynige Platte Things to Do!

When to Go
How to Get There
What do Do There
How to Hike the Schynige Platte
Summary

When to Go

The summer months are the best time of year to go to Schynige Platte. You’ll want to pick a sunny day to get the most amazing views from the top. Spring and Autumn could also be a good time to visit and perhaps less crowds than the summer months.

How to Get There

The first thing you need to know is how to reach the train to get to the top of Schynige Platte (2076 meters). Adventurous ones may want to hike to the summit. The most direct route is 8 kilometers and takes 3 hours to complete. As the best views are from the top, I would recommend taking the 52-minute cog railway train up and back down.

You can drive or take the train to Interlaken and from there take the road or train to Wilderswil. The 126-year-old Schynige Bahn (train) leaves the station every 40 minutes. The Schynige Platte tickets cost approx 64 Swiss francs which includes round-trip train transfers from Interlaken or Wilderswil Station. If you have a special Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare card, you can pay less. If you arrive by car, you will find a large parking area next to the station. Note that the train to the summit only operates from May to October. If possible, try to reserve your tickets online to avoid the lines at the train station.

View from the train of Lake Thun and Interlaken city

The journey to the top is nothing less than amazing as you will see the Thun and Brienz lakes below. You will see the famous three peaks, the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau. The 7.3-kilometer cogwheel route climbs a height of 1,420 meters. For more details about the Schynige Platte Railway, refer to the Jungfrau website. Be sure to sit on the right side of the train for the best views as the train gets closer to the top.

What do Do There

Once you reach the Schynige Platte station, you can choose to start a hike or visit the restaurant and park area. When we arrived off the train, we were greeted by two traditional hornblowers. During peak season, alphorn players give a free concert every day between 11:00 and 14:00 near the railway station on Schynige Platte.

We chose to have lunch before our hike. The large restaurant above the train station has a spacious terrace to sit outside and enjoy the expansive view. We ordered the local Swiss-German beer and then the popular Weiner schnitzel (breaded pork or veal). If the weather is warm, it’s a great way to relax and enjoy the spectacular surroundings.

How to Hike the Schynige Platte

There are several hiking paths from the top ranging from 50 minutes to 2.5 hours. The most popular trail is the Panoramaweg ‘The Panoramic trail’ (6.5km loop, called #3 – ‘Panoramaweg Loucherhorn’). There is a shorter 3km route, called #2 ‘Panoramaweg Oberberghorn’.

We opted to walk the 6.5km loop (approx 2.5 hours). This path crosses the ridge where you get jaw-dropping views down onto Lake Brienz. If you have vertigo issues, you may not want to try this path. We had our small dog with us and it was fine. The path is not so steep but does require sturdy walking shoes.

Whichever path you choose, be sure to be back on the train before the last one descends down the mountain (usually at 17:53).

Summary

We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Schynige Platte and would highly recommend it! I hope this post has given you enough details to know how to plan your trip there. If you have any questions, just reach out to me at jan@janadventures.com.

If you are looking for other ideas on what to see in Switzerland, you will want to see my other posts below!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!