Kleine Scheidegg gave us three things on our Swiss Alps day trip: some of the best mountain views of the whole trip, a hearty Swiss lunch, and a K-drama photo we never planned to take. Here’s our story, plus a little about this surprisingly important spot in the mountains.
Taking the train to Kleine Scheidegg
We got here the scenic way. First the Eiger Express cable car took us up to Eigergletscher, then we hopped on the Jungfrau Railway train for the short ride down to Kleine Scheidegg, with the mountains sliding past the windows.
Where is Kleine Scheidegg?
Kleine Scheidegg is a mountain pass in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, about 2,061 m above sea level, sitting right under the Eiger. The name means “little watershed”: it’s the high point between two valleys, with Grindelwald on one side and Lauterbrunnen and Wengen on the other. In summer people come to hike, and in winter it sits in the middle of the Grindelwald–Wengen ski area.
Where two railways meet
It isn’t really a village. It’s mostly a train station with a few hotels, restaurants and chalets around it, but it does a lot of work.
- The Wengernalp Railway crosses the pass between Grindelwald and Wengen/Lauterbrunnen. It opened in 1893, first as a summer-only steam train.
- The Jungfrau Railway starts here and climbs through tunnels inside the Eiger and the Mönch to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station. It was built from 1896 to 1912.
There’s a nice story behind it. According to Jungfrau Railways, in 1893 a businessman named Adolf Guyer-Zeller was hiking nearby, saw a train on the brand-new Wengernalp line, and decided to build a railway all the way up to the Jungfrau. Most of us get ideas on hikes, but his took 16 years to build.
We arrived from Eigergletscher after our ride on the Eiger Express.
The heart we didn’t come for
We’ll be honest: we’re not Crash Landing on You fans. But the big red heart is hard to miss, and there was a line of people waiting to pose with it. So we did what any curious tourist would do. We joined the line first and asked questions later.
It turns out the K-drama filmed in the Jungfrau Region, and Jungfrau Railways lists Kleine Scheidegg as one of its filming spots, along with the Jungfraujoch, Eigergletscher and Grindelwald-First. That explains the heart and the line. Now we can say we’ve posed at a K-drama filming spot, fan or not.
The Eiger and a sea of clouds
Drama or no drama, the view alone is worth the stop. The Eiger’s north face rises straight above you, nearly 1,800 m of rock and ice and often called the biggest north face in the Alps, with the Mönch and the Jungfrau right beside it.
That day, the valleys below were filled with a sea of clouds. The peaks poked out over a soft white blanket, and it felt like standing on an island in the sky. We walked part of a trail, passing wooden chalets on the hillside that look exactly like the Switzerland on postcards.
Lunch at the Kleine Scheidegg Mountain Restaurant
Lunch came with our tour, at the Bergrestaurant Kleine Scheidegg right at the station. Look for the wooden “Willkommen” sign (German for “welcome”) and the outdoor grill stand stacked with firewood. Inside is a dining hall in blue and gold with chandeliers, which is fancier than you’d expect at a train stop on a mountain.
Our guide said the whole menu was vegetarian. We started with a warm soup, which was just right after the cold mountain air.
What is Älplermagronen?
The main was Älplermagronen, roughly “Alpine herders’ macaroni.” Älpler are the people who herd cattle in the Alps, and Magronen comes from the Italian maccheroni. It’s classic mountain comfort food: pasta (traditionally with potatoes) in cream and cheese, with fried onions on top.
It comes with applesauce on the side. Yes, applesauce with mac and cheese. It sounds strange, but the sweet, slightly sour apple cuts through the rich cheese and makes every bite lighter. Try it the Swiss way at least once.
A sweet ending
Dessert was a zesty cream cheese slice on a chocolate base with a tiny Swiss flag on top. We never found out its name, but it was good, and the little flag was a nice touch.
Good to know
- Getting there: Take the train from Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen or Wengen. It’s also where you change trains for the Jungfraujoch.
- Pair it with the Eiger Express to Eigergletscher, like we did.
- The CLOY heart gets busy, so expect a short wait, whether you’re a fan or not.
- Dress in layers, because it’s over 2,000 m up and can be cold even in sunshine.
- Weather decides the view. Clear skies give you the Eiger up close, and cloudy valleys may give you a sea of clouds.
- Order the Älplermagronen, and don’t skip the applesauce.
- Check timetables and tickets at Jungfrau Railways before you go.
Before this: Riding the Eiger Express: Grindelwald to Eigergletscher · Earlier on this trip: Zurich to Rapperswil by train
Up next: Lucerne Old Town: Weinmarkt, Spreuer Bridge and the Lake