Should I visit Lauterbrunnen or Wengen? — Beyond The Bay (2024)

About Lauterbrunnen

When looking at a photo of its magnificent waterfalls and valleys, Lauterbrunnen is almost instantly recognisable. You may not know the name, but there’s a high chance that you would have seen a picture of Lauterbrunnen on someone’s screensaver or phone background at least once in your life.

Lauterbrunnen’s history traces all the way back to 1240. The village had relatively humble beginnings – at one stage in the 17th and 18th centuries, poverty was so widespread in the region that a sizeable portion of Lauterbrunnen’s population left the area. Soon, though, a tourism boom would happen. As more transport and mobility became available in Switzerland, word-of-mouth about the beauty of Lauterbrunnen spread fast.

Today, Lauterbrunnen remains as an easily accessible picturesque tourist drawcard. Featuring dreamy views, cute chalets, a whopping 72 waterfalls, an all-encompassing valley and charming small buildings, Lauterbrunnen offers the classic Swiss Alpine town experience.

About Wengen

Wengen started off as a quiet farming village in the 1200s, but by the early 19th century, word had gotten around about Wengen’s potential for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports.

Since then, visitors have been flocking to Wengen regardless of the season – enjoying the village’s world-class hotels, ski lifts, sports centre, and other facilities. The mountain village is particularly well-known for hosting the classic Lauberhorn ski races of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in January.

From Wengen, visitors will be able to reach other charming towns such as Grindelwald, via Mannlichen. The Wengen-Männlichen cable car operates seasonally, and is a popular option for visitors looking for panoramic vistas of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and its small villages.

It’s extremely rare to find a picture-perfect village nestled inside a U-shaped valley, with waterfalls flowing from all sides. There’s a reason for Lauterbrunnen’s hype, and you’ll see what I mean if you visit. The scenery here is a little different, and has that extra something special compared to other scenes in Switzerland. When visiting Lauterbrunnen, you’ll have the opportunity to be in the middle of the valley, looking up at the magnificent scenery.

Wengen is not the busiest village out there, but Lauterbrunnen is even quieter. There are very few amenities and stores in Lauterbrunen, and most close pretty early. If you like the peace and quiet and don’t mind this, then you should choose Lauterbrunnen.

Both Lauterbrunnen and Wengen are easily accessed by Swiss public transport, so I don’t think that transport is a deal breaker for either place. However, if you’re driving, you may want to visit Lauterbrunnen over Wengen. Wengen is a car-free village, which means you’ll have to park at Lauterbrunnen, and then take the train up to Wengen. This is a small hassle that you might want to consider when choosing between the two.

Because Lauterbrunnen is at the bottom of the valley, and Wengen is perched at the top of it, I’d say Lauterbrunnen is just a little easier to access from most places in Switzerland than Wengen – although there’s not much difference between the two.

Why You Should Visit Wengen

Although not as busy as other ski towns (for example, Zermatt) is a lot busier than Lauterbrunnen. It features more accommodation options, restaurants, shops and other amenities. Places generally open later than in Lauterbrunnen, and there’s more of a lively atmosphere in Wengen than in Lauterbrunnen in the daytime - but even moreso at night.

Wengen is a lot more active as a whole, and you’re less likely to be bored here than in Lauterbrunnen.

Even though I mentioned liking Lauterbrunnen’s scenery slightly more than Wengen’s, both villages offer very similar views. The only difference is – when visiting Lauterbrunnen, you’ll be at the bottom of the valley.

When you’re in Wengen, you’ll be treated to views overlooking the valley. So in a sense, both views will primarily feature Lauterbrunnen and Lauterbrunnen Valley – you’ll just have to decide which vantage point you prefer.

There are no cable cars or trams departing directly from Lauterbrunnen and going into the mountains, but Wengen boasts the Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen to its name. This is a really scenic cable car ride that most visitors absolutely love.

Final Verdict – Lauterbrunnen or Wengen?

It’s a very close call, but if I had to choose one place, I would choose to visit Lauterbrunnen. To me, Lauterbrunnen is a must-do, bucket list item that you can’t skip. A visit to Switzerland would be incomplete without going to Lauterbrunnen. Wengen is indeed a really nice village in Switzerland, but there are other similar places in the country that you could visit if you missed out on seeing Wengen (for example, Mürren or Grindelwald are alternatives).

Would you rather visiting Lauterbrunnen or Wengen? Let me know in the comments below!