Kandersteg Travel Guide

  VT Mini-Meet at the Oeschinensee
by travelfrosch
 
  • VT Mini-Meet at the Oeschinensee
      VT Mini-Meet at the Oeschinensee
    by travelfrosch
  • Planting the VT Flag
      Planting the VT Flag
    by travelfrosch
  • Minifrosch enjoys Lake Thun
      Minifrosch enjoys Lake Thun
    by travelfrosch
  • Minifrosch enjoys the Gemmi Pass
      Minifrosch enjoys the Gemmi Pass
    by travelfrosch
  • Loetscental Valley
      Loetscental Valley
    by sandysmith
 

Pro

sandysmith profile photo

  not overly touristic 


Con

Rhondaj profile photo

  none in my book ! may be too quiet for some... 


In a nutshell

sandysmith profile photo

  charming mountain resort in the kander Valley 

 

Explore Kandersteg

Things to Do  

Oberbärgli-Unterbärgli Hike

Oberbärgli-Unterbärgli Hike, Kandersteg

 iammon Says:  This is a nice easy hike in the Oeschinensee area (in the Unesco world heritage part). It is 7 km long and gives you nice panorama views of the lake and the peaks. It will take you about 3.5 hours. Height difference is 350 m. You start at the Seilbahn Oeschinensee (or walk... 

Walk to the Oeschinensee

Walk to the Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  This is our favorite hike if we arrive in the early afternoon, or right before a late checkout. The walk is rather steep, especially if you're not an experienced hiker, so bring good shoes and some water if it's a hot day.Your reward will be a view of a lovely lake, along... 

Hotels  

Alfa Soleil

 48 Opinions

Bernerhof Kandersteg Hotel

 2 Reviews and 53 Opinions  How else to describe it? It's a professional, family-run, friendly, romantic, scenic hotel in one of... 

Restaurants  

Berghaus am Oeschinensee: Lakeside Lunch on the Oeschinensee

Berghaus am Oeschinensee: Lakeside Lunch on the Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  A very nice place to stop right on the lake. Outdoor seating allows you to sit back, relax, enjoy the lake, and have a meal (or just a drink, if you prefer).UPDATE: When we visited again in 2011, the prices had gone up and quality had gone down. It's still quite scenic and a... 

Bahnhof Buffet: Lunch at the Train Station

Bahnhof Buffet: Lunch at the Train Station, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  Rain was forecast for the afternoon, so we canceled our plan to hike in the Jungfrau area and stayed a few extra hours in Kandersteg before continuing to Zurich. We decided to linger over lunch at the train station cafeteria. But this is no ordinary train station cafeteria.... 

Nightlife  

Restaurant Adler: If you want to dance, you came to the wrong place

Restaurant Adler: If you want to dance, you came to the wrong place, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  Let's face it: Kandersteg caters to hikers, i.e. morning people. If you want nightlife, you're probably better off going to Zermatt or Interlaken (or, better yet, Amsterdam or Berlin). For those who want an after dinner drink, Restaurant Adler has a small gazebo/bar outside... 

Various: Kandersteg Nightlife

Various: Kandersteg Nightlife, Kandersteg

 jimmy5willy Says:  The previous 2 tips say that there is no nightlife in Kandersteg. I've been there 6 times and I think there is.OK, yes there is no disco/dancefloor in the village any more. There used to be one underneath one of the hotels but it got shut down for whatever reason.These days... 

Transportation  

Swiss Fly-Rail Baggage Service

Swiss Fly-Rail Baggage Service, Kandersteg

 Rhondaj Says:  This is great! If you are flying Swiss Int. you can have your bags transported all the way through to your closest rail station. At the airport, no bags to pick up! We flew into Zurich and trained to Kandersteg, arriving about 3 pm. Our bags were at the station for pick up a... 

by bus or by car

by bus or by car, Kandersteg

 catnl Says:  By train or by bus or by car depends where you wanna go to.We went by car from Holland-Germany- Switserland and stayed overnight in Germany. At Kandersteg we took a special train fto Wallis for cars, but u can also take a bus. 

Shopping  

Coop: Discount grocery store

Coop: Discount grocery store, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  Kandersteg has two grocery stores. The Coop is the one closest to the train station. It has all sorts of food, wine, beer, and soft drinks for sale. Remember to bring your own bag to take your groceries. Don't worry if you forget -- you can get shopping bags at the store,... 

Bahnhofstrasse: A small shopper's row

Bahnhofstrasse: A small shopper's row, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  Despite the fact that Kandersteg is a small town, it has considerable shopping options. If you walk along Bahnhofstrasse, you'll find a number of specialty shops of all sorts. You won't find too many bargains here, but if you're a hard-core shopaholic, you'll find just the... 

Local Customs  

Hiking Signs

Hiking Signs, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  Throughout Kandersteg (and most other places in Switzerland), you will notice many yellow trail signs indicating various destinations. Signs are marked with the amount of time it takes to hike to a location, rather than the straight-line distance. Remember that "Std." means... 

Migration of the Cows

Migration of the Cows, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  About 5:00 AM, we awakened to what sounded like rushing water at first. As it came closer, it was clear the sound was cowbells. It happened to be the day the farmers decided to move their cows from the lower pastures around the town to the higher pastures near the... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

don't be dumb, familiarize.

don't be dumb, familiarize., Kandersteg

 arasnosliw Says:  Although not too difficult to learn, glacier trekking is a technical sport. In order to do it safely and properly you may want to familiarize yourself with the standard precautions of alpine sports. Train yourself in ice axe use; make sure you know how to do self-arrest.... 

The River Can Rise Quickly!

The River Can Rise Quickly!, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  When you're hiking along the Kander River, remember that it's used for hydroelectric power. As a result, water can be dammed and released at short notice, causing the river's level to fluctuate widely. You'll see many multilingual signs outlining the danger. Pay attention:... 

Tourist Traps  

The Blausee

The Blausee, Kandersteg

 travelfrosch Says:  I debated whether to put this in a "things to do" or "tourist traps," because to call it a tourist trap is somewhat harsh. There's nothing wrong with the lake itself, and it's a nice enough downhill walk from Kandersteg... but the entrance fee is CHF 5 for access to the lake... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Oeschinensee Loop hike - Adrenalin pure!

Oeschinensee Loop hike - Adrenalin pure!, Kandersteg

 iammon Says:  This is a very exposed hike(Fründschnuer) for brave people! Depending on you fitness it will take 60 to 120 minutes for the loop.For a about a kilometer you litteraly hike in the middle of a cliff. No missteps or fear of heights allowed! So it is only for very good hikers... 

hike berneroberland!

hike berneroberland!, Kandersteg

 arasnosliw Says:  Lotschenpass Crossing - ascent 1510 metres, time - 9 hours 'Oldest glacier pass in the Bernese Alps. The trail after Selden is clearly marked, the route across the glacier is usually marked with poles. After the Lotschenpass, steep trail down to Ferden.' start/finish:... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Hiking the Gemmipass

Hiking the Gemmipass, Kandersteg

 sandysmith Says:  The Gemmipass is an old roman route linking the Bernese Oberland and the Valais region. Its a popular route and an easy hike - using the cable cars at either end if you want to cut the time down and to save the legs and knees! We didn't have perfect weather for this hike -... 

Looking down on Leukerbad

Looking down on Leukerbad, Kandersteg

 sandysmith Says:  After walking for about 3 hours from Sunnbuel we eventually reached the Berghotel Wildstrubel at the top of the Gemmipass. We sheltered from the short snowstorm here and ate a wonderful plate of Rosti :-)) Fortunately we enjoyed a brief view in the swirling mist , from the... 

Favorites  

Just the Right Size

Just the Right Size, Kandersteg

 Rhondaj Says:  Kandersteg can be walked end-to-end in about a half-hour stroll. It would seem quite small to people who love cities, but if you are looking for a quaint, yet not too remote village, this is the place. There are two grocery stores, a Migros and Coop. Neither are very large,... 

The Place

Plan a Kandersteg vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Kandersteg locals

Experience Kandersteg
  •   142 Tips and Reviews
  •  275 Photos
  •  3 Videos
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Map of Kandersteg
 

The People

2 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
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 When you're hiking along the Kander River, remember that it's used for hydroelectric power. As a result, water can be dammed and released at short notice,... 

2 members live in Kandersteg

 

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Top Kandersteg Writers

1

Kandersteg

sandysmith profile photo

 This is one of my most favourite places in Switzerland and have now visited 5 times - twice for quick day trips up to the beautiful Oeschinensee. and the last three times for 3 day stays in Kandersteg... 

2

Home Away From Home

Rhondaj profile photo

 After much research, (most of it here on VT ;-) I decided to book a family vacation to Kandersteg. I considered Grindelwald (too touristy), Interlaken (too cityish), Muerren (too hard to travel from),... 

3

Welcome to Kandersteg

travelfrosch profile photo

 Welcome to my favorite place to visit: Kandersteg, Switzerland. I first heard of Kandersteg from a co-worker who absolutely raved about it. I first saw Kandersteg in 1995 through a train window on my... 

4

Kandersteg

eurotravels profile photo

 If you are wanting to stay in/around the Bernese Oberland/Jungfrau area take a look at the classic resorts of Wengen, Murren, Interlaken etc but before you decide I would also recommend that you... 

5

Kandersteg

iammon profile photo

 Kandersteg is a nice little village surrounded by an awesome mountain area. It's famous for ice climbing, cross country skiing in winter and is a good hiking base in summer. 

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