A Day at Niederhorn Mountain, Including Lunch at Berghaus Niederhorn, Interlaken
What to do in Interlaken? Interlaken is just a stunning area and there is so much to see in Interlaken. There is so much nature- just stunning lakes and mountains and some cute towns.
In Interlaken every tour/activity was a highlight for me and so was my trip to Niederhorn Mountain.
Niederhorn, a mountain in Beatenberg in the region of Interlaken, is a popular mountain that invites hikers with great views of Lake Thun. It also attracts people like me – too lazy to hike but willing to use the funicular/cable car to get up and enjoy the view. If you decide not to hike at all you will have to use the funicular first to get to Beatenbucht and then get the cable car to get to the top.
Apart from hiking Niederhorn is famous for several other activities: Alpine orienteering, observing wild animals (guided tours), Trotti biking, and hang gliding.
As on Brienzer Rothorn (read about my experiences here) I decided not to hike (also but not only because of my little dog) and so I actually used the cable car. There are several stops and you can either choose to get a round trip or just get a ticket for several stops, or just for one way. My plan was to get up all the way and then hike down one stop (it is supposed to take one hour) but it was raining that day, so I used the cable car for both ways (if you want to save some money it makes sense to think about it before and just get a one-way ticket or none at all).
As already mentioned, I was not very lucky with the weather but it started out well and so I had some nice views of Lake Thun – the second big lake in the region Interlaken. While the water of Lake Brienz is turquoise, the water of Lake Thun has a beautiful green color – looking at this beautiful lake is a joy.
The closer I got to the top, the cloudier it got and so I did not have the best view when I arrived. I walked around the guest house Berghaus Niederhorn for a while and checked out the surroundings.
A Day at Niederhorn Including Lunch at Berghaus Niederhorn
Since the weather was not great I had a great excuse to have lunch at Berghaus Niderhorn (at almost 2,000 meters above sea level). There are seating options inside and outside available and it is just a minute walk from the cable car station. Sitting outside means, if you have good weather, that you will have a great panorama. Also, there is a playground for the kids.
There is a part for self-service and there is another part where you can actually dine nicely and I had my lunch at the latter one.
I have eaten several times at mountain restaurants in Switzerland and I like hearty food once in a while. However, I was surprised to find out that the restaurant is quite good and offers more than just hearty Swiss food.
After a good salad (which included some seeds etc.) I enjoyed a vegetarian burger and I must admit that I am always looking for the perfect vegetarian burger. All I can say is that this one was pretty close to perfect. I am not a fan of substitute products and this patty was with some vegetables and just extremely delicious.
Also, the dessert was extremely good (tasted as good as it looked in the picture) and I was surprised to find such a nice menu at 2,000 meters height.
Since it was still raining and I wanted to wait for the clouds to disappear to enjoy the view I talked a lot to the very attentive, nice, and international staff. I used the time to get a tour of the place and found out that it is also possible to stay overnight and to have breakfast/picnic baskets etc.
Though the sky did not clear completely I still enjoyed my time there but was a bit unhappy I had not the best view and could not hike down to see more of the wild animals or just enjoy the view on gorgeous Lake Thun or the scenery in general.
This was actually a little sad but after all, I had a great time and enjoyed my trip at Niederhorn. I can definitely recommend a stay there (especially but not only because of the good food at the restaurant) but especially if you hike I would check the weather forecast so you can enjoy the trip to the fullest.
Prices for a round trip are about 42€, there are further reductions with some guest cards from that region (dogs do not need a ticket). For more info check out the website here.
More Information:
- What else to do around Lake Thun? Here are my tips.
- Best places to stay around Lake Thun and Interlaken: Here are my top recommendations
- Click here if you are looking for more great things to do in Interlaken
- Here are tips for the best places to visit in Switzerland and the best places to stay
