Lauterbrunnen is one of those places you have to visit at least once in your life. You can easily call it a mountain paradise. It is located in the heart of the popular Swiss Alps. Its unique natural and architectural beauty will leave you in awe. So, if you are looking for the best places in Switzerland, it should be at the top of your list. In this article, you will find everything you need to know about the 5 best photo spots in Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland.
Travel Together Gr contains affiliate links. By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost. Thank you for your support ❤︎ Read our full disclosure policy here.
Things to know before visiting Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is one of the most dreamy and popular places to visit in the Swiss Alps. It is located near Interlaken in the middle of a valley. There are 72 waterfalls, a few cafés, restaurants, hotels, and hostels. So, although it is just a small village, it offers most facilities. When you first get to Lauterbrunnen, you feel like you are stepping out of a fairytale. If you want to enjoy Lauterbrunnen to the fullest, you should stay at least one night. However, you should be aware of the high prices. It is almost impossible to find affordable accommodation even in the shoulder season. So, you can choose a hostel instead of a hotel if you are on a budget. From Lauterbrunnen, you can easily take day trips either to other villages of the Swiss Alps or to the Swiss Riviera.
How to get to Lauterbrunnen?
Although Lauterbrunnen is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, it is not complicated to access. There are many options for accessing and traveling from one place to another in the Swiss Alps. You can get to Lauterbrunnen directly by car or train. Both options are convenient, and you will be amazed by the views along the way.
1-Access to Lauterbrunnen by car
A road trip through the Swiss Alps is one of the most common ways to see all the unique Swiss villages in the area. In case you are going to Lauterbrunnen by car, you can simply follow the GPS directions, and you will find it easily. If you are visiting Switzerland and traveling by public transportation, you should first rent a car to take this epic road trip to the Swiss Alps. Renting a car in Switzerland is quite expensive, but it is worth it. Our road trip through the Swiss Alps was one of the dreamiest road trips we have ever taken. So once you get your rental car, you can access Lauterbrunnen from any of the main Swiss cities (Interlaken, Bern, Geneva, or Lucerne).
- Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen: 16 minutes (12,5 kilometers)
- Zurich to Lauterbrunnen: 2 hours (129 kilometers)
- Bern to Lauterbrunnen: 58 minutes (66 kilometers)
- Geneva to Lauterbrunnen: 2h42 minutes (225 kilometers)
- Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen: 1h18 minutes (78,5 kilometers)
2-Access to Lauterbrunnen by train or bus
Buses and trains run regularly to connect the main cities of Switzerland with Lauterbrunnen. It is easy to go from one village in the Swiss Alps to another. Grindelwald is one of the best villages of the Bernese Alps. That is why many people combine their trip to Lauterbrunnen with Grindelwald. So, if you plan to move around Switzerland and visit a lot of places, you should buy the Swiss Travel Pass. With this pass, you will have unlimited rides on trains, buses, and boats. However, if you only plan to visit Lauterbrunnen and a few other nearby places like Interlaken, Grindelwald, or Iseltwald and don’t want to pay for the previous unlimited pass, you can easily buy a single ticket.
The best time to visit Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen can be visited all year. The best time to visit Lauterbrunnen is early summer (late May – June) or July. At this time, the weather is perfect, everything is green, and there are colorful flowers everywhere. The same goes for August. However, Lauterbrunnen is a touristy place, so it will be packed during the peak summer season. In case you love winter landscapes and sports, you can visit it in the winter. You will get a completely different picture of this dreamy valley. Additionally, you can visit Lauterbrunnen during the shoulder season (fall or spring). It is a great option to avoid the crowds and get beautiful mountain views. But, do not expect hot sunny weather. It can be cold and moody.
Best photo spots in Lauterbrunnen – Switzerland
1-The most Instagrammable view in Lauterbrunnen (Chalet Pironnet)
This photo spot is one of the most Instagrammable places in Switzerland. It is very easy to find it, just type in Google Maps “Chalet Pironnet”. But why is this viewpoint so famous? The answer is easy. It offers one of the best views of Lauterbrunnen. From this point, you can admire the spray of Staubbach Falls (on the right) and the iconic Kirche Church (on the left). The whole village creates the perfect mountain landscape. If you visit in summer, you will also enjoy amazing greenery.
Useful tip: As it is the most famous place in Lauterbrunnen, try to visit it as early as possible, especially in the peak season. You can visit either at sunrise (for the pastel colors), after sunrise, or early morning (for the soft light). We visited around 8 am in July, and there were already a few people.
2-One of the most iconic streets in Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen Center)
The center of the village is the main road that also leads to the previous spot, Chalet Pironnet. This street is considered one of the most beautiful streets in the world. Log cabins, cross-timbers on their facades, stunning views, and colorful flowers make it so special. If you want to take beautiful photos of this epic street without crowds, get there as early as possible. The morning light will make it look even more magical.
3-The field below the Staubbach Falls
By following the other road to the Staubbach Falls, you will find yourself in the quietest part of Lauterbrunnen, which is close to the mountains. When you are in the field below the falls, you will have a magical view of the Swiss Alps. For us, it is one of the best locations offering close-up views of the mountains. Do not miss it, especially if you are a landscape lover.
4-Kirche Lauterbrunnen
Besides the Staubbach Falls, Kirche church is the other most photographed and visited spot in the village. Its authentic architecture and location make it a very charming place to visit. You can capture it in different ways. We strongly advise you to walk around and find the angle that suits you best. For us, it is the most magical part of the entire village. It is the only place that offers a close view of the church and the waterfalls.
5-The road in front of the Staubbach Falls
One of the best features of the Swiss Alps is their adorable and original architecture. Wooden cabins decorated with colorful flowers make Lauterbrunnen seem like a place straight out of a movie. If you are traveling with your love, we cannot recommend it enough to take romantic photos together in front of these little houses with the Alps as a backdrop. We found the most charming little corner, just down the road in front of Staubbach Falls.
Final Thoughts
Every little alley, view, or house looks so magical and photogenic in Lauterbrunnen. It is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit not only in Switzerland, but also in Europe. If you only have time for one place in the Swiss Alps, take the opportunity and visit this village. Lastly, we highly recommend that you add the dreamy Lake Blausee to your itinerary. It is located around 30 minutes from Interlaken, and is a real gem. You will be delighted by its turquoise color.
Don’t have time to read the whole article and want to save it for later? Just pin it!
