The last time we went skiing in the Jungfrau region, we skied mainly on the slopes between Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg. This time, however, I skied in an area we had overlooked a bit last time, namely Männlichen. Many of you know this area from your summer trips because it is here at the top station of the Männlichen lift that the popular children’s themed route Lieselotteweg starts. But the Männlichen is also an excellent starting point for winter fun, but judge for yourself!
Getting there
Arriving to Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a well-known ski resort and the starting point for many hiking trails in the Bernese Oberland. It is about an hour’s drive from Bern (75 km), 2 hours by car from Zurich, and an hour and a half from Lucerne. Enter Grundstrasse 54, 3818 Grindelwald in the navigation, or follow the signs to Grindelwald Terminal.
By train: The BOB (Bernese Oberland-Bahnen) line runs from Interlaken-Ost station at regular intervals. From Interlaken, the train ride to Grindelwald Terminal Station takes 29 minutes.
Grindelwald Terminal
The Grindelwald Terminal has been in operation since December 2020. The gondola Eiger Express to the Eiger Glacier and the 10-person aerial gondola to Männlichen start here. Like on Stoos, you can reserve a parking space in advance at the Grindelwald Terminal. But I don’t think you must be afraid to come here without a reserved space – this large-capacity car park offers 1000 parking spaces. The prices are also not high – you pay 7 francs for 4-7 hours. Should it happen to be occupied on a beautiful winter day, the staff will guide you to the nearby Grindelwald Grund car park.
In the terminal area, you will feel like you are in an airport terminal. The impression is enhanced by the fact that you will also find a shopping center with shops of luxury international brands, Swiss products, and sporting goods in addition to cash registers.
Ski pass prices
You can buy ski passes either online or on the spot. You can either go the traditional route and queue at the ticket office or buy ski passes from the machines. It’s not complicated. If you pay by card, you’ll save a lot of time. This time I had a ski pass from the special Cyber Week promotion of the Intrediscount chain, where an adult ski pass was 49 francs instead of 75 francs (for children it was 19 francs instead of 38 francs). So, if you live in Switzerland, I recommend you follow the Coop/Interdiscount social media.
Area Overview
As I wrote, I chose the area between the Männlichen and Holenstein stations (the purple-framed area) for skiing this time. The “backbone” is the cable car that runs from the Grindelwald terminal and stops at the Holenstein intermediate station, as well as two four-seat lifts and one T-lift.
For kids/beginners
If you decide to put your children (or yourself) in the hands of professionals for ski lessons, there is a Schweizer Skischule right on Männlichen. For beginners, there is also a “magic carpet” or a very flat slope with a teller lift (on the map as “L”).
Läger, Männlichen, and Holenstein
Between these lifts are primarily blue and red slopes, except for a few narrower sections, they are beautifully wide and perfect to ski on.
Other activities
Sledding
You can rent sleds here or bring your own. As the sledding run and the ski slopes cross each other (they even run parallel in a few narrow sections), please be as careful and respectful as possible.
Winter hiking
There are several easy winter hiking trails in the area with spectacular views.
Helicopter flight
For those who would like to experience something unusual, flying in a helicopter is possible. It was probably quite a popular pastime, as both helicopters circled above us quite often.
Relax in the sunshine
Relax and chill, as today’s teenagers would probably say. And why not? The Männlichen peak is equipped for such lounging.
Refreshments
You can refresh yourself in the large mountain restaurant Berghaus Männlichen. I liked the stand at the bottom station of the Mänlichen chairlift, Skibar Läger. Besides hot and cold drinks, it also offered soup, sausages, chips, steaks, or homemade cakes.
Summary
Männlichen is a really great area for families with children. The panoramas are breathtaking, and the sun is already here in the morning (yes, the main reason I went to Männlichen was that the area below Eigergletscher was in the shade, and the slopes were very icy).
