Unconventionally midweek, we went again to the Bernese Alps to discover their beauty. From Männlichen leads a fantastic 3,7km long theme trail for children called Lieselotteweg with thirteen interactive stations along the trail. So we joined Lieselotte and her friends on their mountain adventure. And who actually is Lieselotte…?
The cow Lieselotte is a favorite children´s storybook character, living in a small village in the German Westphalia. When with her friends on the farm, she feels most at home, but one day she decides to go on the holiday and sets off with her friends, the chickens, on a trip to the Bernese Alps.*
How to get there
We arrived at the famous ski resort of Grindelwald, where we left our car in the parking lot next to the cable car to the Männlichen (arrival to the parking lot is well marked, parking is paid). At the ticket office, we bought a ticket straight for the Lieselotte Trail – for adults, it costs 46 francs (with half-fare 23fr.; children with Junior Card have free admission).
At the ticket office children got – besides a cookie and Ricola candies – a colorful map to be able to hike with Lieselotte. And just a short walk from the ticket office there was the first station, where they received the first stamp. Or the first letter to the crossword, whose whole text they learn when they pass all the stations. But I will get to it soon…
Up to Männlichen
Then we sat in the gondola, and during the long ride from Grindelwald to Männlichen we enjoyed the spectacular mountain view. The first thing our children saw after leaving the gondola, was a big playground, so we headed there first.
Before we went on the descent down into the valley, we went to the “Royal Walk” (I wrote about it here). It’s a short, easy ascent (25 mins) from the cable car station (2,222m a.s.l.) to the Männlichen summit (2,345m a.s.l.), where you are greeted with a truly majestic panoramic view. From the crown-shaped platform, you can admire the majestic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. I was quite moved here, since last July, I was still pregnant here, and now with our little girl, who celebrated one year a few days ago.
Back downhill with Lieselotte
The Lieselotte Trail starts from the top of the Männlichen-Bahn lift and hikes down 3,7km and you are climbing during the descent of 650 meters. During the easy hike toward the valley, you meet 12 interactive stations along the trail – you can take a milking competition, try out a real Alphorn or look for a treasure. It is located near station 8, where you can also find a picnic area by a beautifully clear mountain stream.
Although the trail is not difficult (children from 3 yrs can easily make it), its full length is not suitable for strollers, as some sections are narrow lumpy footpaths. So when hiking with babies or toddlers, you should rather take baby carrier than a stroller.
The great adventure hike with the majestic Eiger always in view ends at the middle station Holenstein (it features a great forest playground), where you can catch the cable car which then takes you comfortably back down to Grindelwald. If children collected all the letters into the crossword, they will get a little surprise back down at the ticket office.
I dare say that we enjoyed our trip nicely and I look forward to someday we try some of the other local trails (Panorama Trail, Romantik Trail, Öpfelchüechli Trail …) so that we could again enjoy breath-taking views and stunning scenery of the Bernese Alps.
* http://www.kuh-lieselotte.de/lieselotte/
