We love this easy hike to a beautiful alpine lake with mountain views. It’s one of the easiest hikes in the region, with fantastic mountain views and fun amusements (like the First Cliff Walk) nearby to make for a full day of fun.

🥾 Trail: 2h round trip • 6km • 150m up & down
See trail map

• Full info in our Bachalpsee Hike article

How to get there

To reach the trail, you ride a cable car from the Grindelwald village to the First mountain. Book Grindelwald First gondola tickets here.

Grindelwald First gondola: Dorfstrasse 187, 3818 Grindelwald, 10 min walk from Grindelwald train station (not Grindelwald Terminal)

After about 30 mins, you reach the First peak, where you'll find a restaurant and the First Cliff Walk, a suspended metal walkway bolted into the rock face. You can visit these now or after your hike.

Trail description

From the First gondola station, follow trail signs to Bachalpsee, starting on a wide dirt path heading up the mountain. The first part is a bit steep, but don't get discouraged. It mellows out after about 10 mins and is more of a gradual ascent for about 1 hour to the lake.

When you reach Bachalpsee, you can wander around the lakeshore, taking pictures with the mountain peaks reflected in the water. There are a couple benches, but most people just find a nice spot in the grass to lounge and picnic. There are no services at the lake (no toilet, water or restaurant), so bring anything you might need.

It's a popular trail and can be feel a little crowded when you first start walking. But even on the busiest days, people tend to spread out and you can easily find a quiet spot on your own.

If you have the energy, we highly recommend hiking about 10 mins above the lake where you can get an amazing overview photo and escape some of the crowds.

Longer hiking option

If you want a longer hike, you can continue hiking up the mountain to the Faulhorn mountain hut, about 90 mins and 350m elevation gain to reach the hut. The views from Faulhorn are spectacular and well worth the effort. In this case, the full hike would be about 5 hours round trip.

🥾 Moderate • 5 h • 11 km round trip • 530 m up & down
See trail map.

Amusements

After visiting the lake, hike back the way you came. Just before you reach the First gondola station, make sure to take the short detour on the First Cliff Walk, a metal pathway that wraps around the peak, ending ending at the First restaurant and gondola station.

You can optionally do some of the amusements: zip lines, mountain scooter, trottibike and/or a fun playground at the Bort station. 

• See my Grindelwald First article for more info.

When you are done for the day, ride the gondola back down to the Grindelwald village.