From cows and castles to craters in the Alps

If you take the train from Spiez in Switzerland into the Simmental, you are not just travelling through a valley, but through a small chapter of Swiss railway history. First, the line takes you through the green Simmental to Zweisimmen, where you change to a charming narrow-gauge railway. This takes you further every hour past cosy wooden chalets, cows with bells and the babbling Simme, towards the final station Lenk, below the imposing Wildstrubel.

At the beginning of the 20th century, people were thinking big in the Simmental. The railway line from Spiez via Erlenbach and Zweisimmen to Lenk was to bring not only tourists, but also international travellers – preferably via a tunnel right through the Alps to the Valais and on to Italy.

By 1914, plans were on the table: a tunnel under the Rawil Pass, a connection to the Rhone valley, and thus a direct link between Bern and Milan. Or further over the mountains towards Adelboden and back to Lake Thuner. But then World War I broke out. The projects disappeared into the drawer, and never came out again. Maybe that’s just as well. Because now the line ends where silence begins – in Lenk, a valley where you don’t have to go any further.

Spiez Castle: fairytale castle by the water

Our journey begins in Spiez, on the edge of Lake Thuner. Here stands Schloss Spiez, a 10th-century castle with a medieval keep, Baroque rooms and a charming little church. Set among sun-drenched vines, it overlooks the lake and the Bernese Alps. According to tradition, Swiss writer Karl May once wrote a short story here on a bench in the castle garden, inspired by the tranquillity and the view. A great starting point for a slow-paced journey.

Through the valley of the Simme

As soon as the train leaves Spiez, it glides past the shimmering lake and slowly turns into the Simmental – one of the most beautiful, still relatively unknown valleys in the Bernese Oberland. The railway line from Spiez to Lenk largely follows the course of the Simme river, which gives the valley its name. The total train journey is about 60 kilometres long, passing 20 little stations along the way, from larger towns like Zweisimmen to tiny stops like Därstetten, Oberwil and Weissenburg. Many of these are a‘Halt auf Verlangen‘ – the train does not stop automatically here, but push the button if you want to get off.

This is not a railway line full of spectacular viaducts or dizzying chasms. Instead, you travel through a friendly alpine landscape: fresh meadows, forests on the slopes, wooden houses in flowery villages and always that babbling river next to you. Because along the way you literally ride with the river: from its mouth near Wimmis upstream to its source above Lenk (almost then!), at the Siebenbrunnen waterfall. The Simme is always nearby – sometimes rough and wild, sometimes calmly babbling – and is the lifeline in the valley.

View over Alpine peaks near Erlenbach

After 16 minutes, you reach the brand new wooden station of Erlenbach im Simmental. And this is a stopover not to be missed. From the little station, you walk in about 10 minutes to the valley station of the Stockhornbahn, which takes you in two stages to 2,190 metres altitude: the summit of the Stockhorn. At the top, a panoramic platform awaits with wonderful views of the Bernese Alps – and on a clear day, even as far as Mont Blanc.

An Alpine flower trail runs at the summit , where you will encounter countless colourful mountain flowers in summer. And at the panorama restaurant you can have a delicious breakfast or lunch with phenomenal views. Afterwards, take the gondola back to the Chrindi middle station, where a walk around the Hinterstockensee beckons – a photogenic mountain lake, also perfect for a picnic break.

Zweisimmen: wooden charm and crossroads

From Erlenbach, you continue cycling along the Simme to Zweisimmen in half an hour. On the way you pass small stations, including the wooden building of Weissenburg. Zweisimmen itself has a listed chalet-style station building – the junction of the famous GoldenPass line and the little line to Lenk.

Zweisimmen is the lively centre of the Simmental, where the railway lines converge and where tradition and tourism meet. The village has a typical Swiss character with charming chalets, cosy cafés and local shops selling local products, such as cheese and woodworking.

Be sure to visit the small but atmospheric centre, where you will find the open-air Heimatmuseum Obersimmental, dedicated to the culture and history of the valley. Stroll through the quiet streets and enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains.

Lenk: terminus at the foot of the Wildstrubel

In Zweisimmen, we change to the charming narrow-gauge railway of the Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn (MOB). Small, quiet and electric since 1912 – a piece of Swiss railway history in itself. We ride for twenty minutes mainly along the Simme until we reach Lenk terminus. Here the track literally ends – on a platform with flower bed, wooden station building and views of the snow-capped peaks of the Wildstrubel. And with good coffee at the station: the Espressionist. But this terminus feels like a beginning: of peace, of space, of discovery.

In summer, you hike from Lenk through flowering alpine meadows and to cool mountain lakes. In winter, it offers access to the Adelboden-Lenk ski area. Local schoolchildren, hikers and day-trippers step out as if they were walking straight into a postcard.

Gryden: hiking through an Alpine moonscape

One of the most surprising hikes around Lenk is the Höhenrundweg Gryden – a 2-2.5-hour circular hike through a bizarre limestone landscape. You reach the start of the hike by gondola from Lenk to Betelberg (Leiterli). The ride up alone is worthwhile because of the wonderful views.

Above, the trail winds through jagged craters, limestone bowls and alpine meadows full of flowers. Along the way you can see the Wildstrubel, the Plaine Morte glacier, and on clear days even many peaks in Bernese Oberland. There is a restaurant at the top station, but there are no mountain huts along the way, so bringing your own provisions is recommended.

Plaine Morte: the dead plain that lives

High above the valley is another world: the Plaine Morte glacier, a vast, white plateau over 2,700 metres above sea level. From Lenk, you can see it lying like a silent monument of ice, wind and clouds.

You reach the area by cable car and a longer hike. From the Wildstrubel hut, you look out over the glacier. The name – dead plain – is accurate and yet not. Because the glacier is alive: it melts, changes and visibly carries the story of climate with it.

A journey without haste

The train to Lenk doesn’t make it to Milan – but takes you right to the source. And perhaps that is exactly what makes it so special. A journey through the Simmental is not a quick connection, but an invitation to slow down, look and listen. A railway that stops where it is good to stop.

Practical information

Boating through the Simmental – from Spiez via Zweisimmen to Lenk
The route from Spiez to Lenk takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes in total, including a short change in Zweisimmen.

• Spiez – Erlenbach: approx. 15 min
• Erlenbach – Zweisimmen: approx. 30 min
• Zweisimmen – Lenk: approx. 20 min

Trains run approximately every hour. Check current times via sbb.ch or the SBB app. The entire route is included in the Swiss Travel Pass and the Interrail Pass.

Cable cars

• Stockhornbahn: valley station in Erlenbach, discount with Swiss Travel Pass.
• Betelberg gondola (Lenk): starting point Höhenrundweg Gryden at mountain station Leiterli.

Hiking tips

• Höhenrundweg Gryden: approx. 2-2.5 hours, moderately strenuous, well marked. No catering along the way, bring plenty of water and picnic.
• Round Hinterstockensee (Stockhorn) and many other hiking options with the Stockhornbahn: leisurely walk from Chrindi middle station, approx. 45 min.