HERO, 2000×1100The valley floor.
Step-free
The Jungfrau region without stairs
Which mountain excursions are genuinely wheelchair accessible, what we know about the valley floor, and what we are still checking.
Step-free
Which mountain excursions are genuinely wheelchair accessible, what we know about the valley floor, and what we are still checking.
This is a partial guide, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. Below is what we can state with confidence about the mountain excursions, sourced from the region’s own accessibility information. The valley-floor detail — station access, the postbus, which of the local walks genuinely work in a chair — is being checked properly before we publish it, because getting this wrong strands somebody at 2,000 metres.
The Schilthorn and Piz Gloria. The stations on the cableway from Mürren are barrier-free with lifts, and changing at the intermediate stations is straightforward. At the summit, every floor is reachable by lift, and the restaurant, the viewing platform, the Spy World exhibition and the sanitary facilities are all wheelchair accessible.
This is the one we would send you up. It is also about half the price of the Jungfraujoch, and the view is the classic one of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The Jungfraujoch. The train has a low-floor carriage that takes wheelchairs and pushchairs, and the Eiger Express gondola is easy to board. Most of the infrastructure at the top, including the Ice Palace, is described as wheelchair accessible. The Ice Palace is carved ice with a gradient and a surface, so if you are travelling alone rather than with someone who can assist, treat that one with more caution than the rest.
The Aare Gorge at Meiringen, further out, has a barrier-free path through the best section from the west entrance, suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The walk along the valley floor past the Staubbach Falls is flat and paved, and we describe it as buggy-friendly on our family page for that reason. Buggy-friendly and chair-friendly are not the same claim, and we are checking the surface properly before we make the second one.
Among the places we list, Monica’s Apartment in Wengen has no stairs, with a full kitchen and a balcony looking down the valley. That is a rare thing in a valley built of old chalets, and worth knowing about.
Lauterbrunnen station access and whether the platform-to-train step is level; whether the postbus up the valley to Trümmelbach and Stechelberg takes a chair; whether the Trümmelbach Falls themselves are possible, given they are a lift and walkways inside a mountain; and accessible toilets in the village. If you need any of those answers before we publish them, ask us and we will find out rather than guess.
Common questions
The Schilthorn. The stations on the cableway from Mürren are barrier-free with lifts, changing at the intermediate stations is easy, and at the summit the restaurant, viewing platform, Spy World and toilets are all reachable by lift. It is also around half the price of the Jungfraujoch.
Largely. The train has a low-floor carriage for wheelchairs and pushchairs, the Eiger Express is easy to board, and most of the infrastructure at the top including the Ice Palace is described as wheelchair accessible.
There is some. Monica's Apartment in car-free Wengen has no stairs, with a full kitchen and a valley-view balcony. Most accommodation in this valley is in traditional chalets, which means stairs, so it is worth asking before you book.
The walk along the valley floor past the Staubbach Falls is flat and paved and works well with a pushchair. We are checking the surface properly before making a firmer claim for wheelchair users.
On the valley floor, a short walk from the station. Ask us about access before you book and we will give you a straight answer.
