Lauterbrunnen City Guide
Männlichen: The 2,342 m Summit Above Wengen
Männlichen is a 2,342 m ridge summit hanging directly above the car-free village of Wengen, and one of the easiest big viewpoints in the Jungfrau Region to reach. Two cableways climb to it: the Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway from the south and the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola from the north. From the top station a short trail called the Royal Walk leads up to the true summit, known locally as the Bira, where the panorama opens over the Lauterbrunnen valley and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau line. This guide covers both ways up, the summer 2026 fares, the walking options from the ridge, and what to do once you are there. For the rest of the valley, start on our Lauterbrunnen valley guide.
Quick answer
Männlichen is a 2,342 m ridge summit above Wengen, reached by its own aerial cableway from Wengen or by the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola from Grindelwald Terminal.
Key takeaways
- The Royal Walk climbs about 120 m from the summit station to the Bira viewpoint, a short and easy outing at altitude.
- An adult return costs US$75.30 (CHF 62) from Wengen or US$82.60 (CHF 68) from Grindelwald Terminal in summer 2026.
- SBB Day Passes are not valid on the Wengen cableway, so do not count on a reduction with one.
- Short on time? The cheese and chocolate walk on Männlichen pairs the summit views with a Swiss tasting.
- Most visitors ride up from Wengen, which sits 1,274 m below on the Wengernalpbahn line.
Key facts
Opening hours
| Cableways | seasonal timetables on maennlichen.ch–not stated |
|---|
Closed not stated
Admission
- Adult
- US$75.30 (CHF 62) return from Wengen, US$82.60 (CHF 68) return from Grindelwald Terminal
- Reduced
- Swiss Travel Pass/Half Fare US$37.70 (CHF 31) from Wengen; 50% off from Grindelwald with GA/Halbtax/Swiss Travel Pass/Eurail/Interrail; children 6-15 US$12.15 (CHF 10) from Wengen or CHF 5 from Grindelwald
Planning it
- Time needed
- Royal Walk from the summit station is a climb of about 120 m to the true summit, roughly a 15-minute walk from the Grindelwald gondola mountain station to the true summit
- Book ahead
- Optional — walk-up usually fine
- Address
- Männlichen mountain station, above Wengen, 3823 Wengen, Switzerland
Männlichen Fares and Tickets
Both cableways to Männlichen compared, from Wengen and from Grindelwald Terminal, plus the one guided option on the summit.
Your choice of cableway decides the price and the scenery. From Wengen, the aerial cableway is the classic ride up the grassy flank of the ridge, and the adult return is US$75.30 (CHF 62). From Grindelwald, the gondola leaves from Grindelwald Terminal and costs US$82.60 (CHF 68) return, and it shares its valley station with the Eiger Express. If you are staying in Lauterbrunnen or the valley villages, Wengen is the shorter journey to the lift. If you are based in Grindelwald, the gondola starts right at the Terminal. Holders of a valid guest card from Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald, Mürren, Isenfluh, Stechelberg, Beatenberg, Brienz, Habkern, Interlaken or Interlaken Camping get 30% off the Grindelwald Terminal-Männlichen return and the Lieselotteweg combination, which is worth checking before you buy on that side.
| Option | Price | Includes | Cancel | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway, adult returnAnyone coming from Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or the southern side of the valley | US$75.30 (CHF 62) | Round trip on the cableway between Wengen and the Männlichen summit station. Swiss Travel Pass and Half Fare Card holders pay US$37.70 (CHF 31) return. Children 6-15 pay US$12.15 (CHF 10) return, under 6 free. | Standard operator fare, sold at the station | Official site |
| Grindelwald Terminal-Männlichen gondola, adult returnAnyone starting from Grindelwald or arriving via Grindelwald Terminal | US$82.60 (CHF 68) | Round trip gondola from Grindelwald Terminal to the Männlichen mountain station. Half fare with GA, Halbtax, Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail or Interrail. Children 6-15 pay CHF 5.00 outside group travel. | Standard operator fare, sold at the station | Official site |
| The cheese and chocolate walk on MännlichenTravellers who want a guided summit walk with food included | $160.72 | A 2.5 hour guided walk with a Swiss cheese and chocolate tasting on the summit, small group up to 15, suitable for all fitness levels. The gondola or train ticket to the meeting point is NOT included and is bought separately. | Cancelled and refunded in bad weather, otherwise all sales are final | Check Availability |
Both fare sets are the operators' official 2026 summer tariffs. One warning from the operator's own fare page: SBB Day Passes are explicitly not valid on the Wengen-Männlichen cableway and give no reduction, so a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card is the discount that counts here. On the Grindelwald gondola, no bike transport is available. Figures current in Q3 2026.
Book the Guided Option on Männlichen
One bookable card runs on Männlichen itself: a guided summit walk with a Swiss cheese and chocolate tasting. The cableway or gondola fare is paid separately.
from $160.72
Cheese and Chocolate on Mountain Summit
A short walk at 2,061 meters ending in a cheese and chocolate tasting, but the gondola fare to reach Männlichen is on top of this price, not included. From late October the meeting point shifts down to Kleine Scheidegg for the winter season.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
What Männlichen Is
A summit with a short walk to it
Männlichen is a long grassy ridge between the Lauterbrunnen valley and Grindelwald, and its true summit is a bump called the Bira at 2,342 m. What makes it unusual in this region is the ratio of effort to reward. Most peaks of this height involve a day of walking.
Here, the cableway from Wengen or the gondola from Grindelwald puts you within a few minutes of the top. From the Grindelwald gondola's mountain station it is about a 15-minute walk to the true summit, and from the summit station the Royal Walk path climbs the last stretch. The mountain is a working part of the Jungfrau ski region in winter and a hiking hub in summer, so the stations are geared up for families, skiers and walkers rather than being bare viewpoints.
The Männlichen mountain station, with the Royal Walk path climbing behind it. Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two cableways, one ridge
The Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway lifts you from just above Wengen station straight to the summit ridge. The Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola runs on the other side of the ridge, departing from Grindelwald Terminal, a purpose-built station that opened in December 2019 and also serves the Eiger Express to the Jungfraujoch. No official page states an exact opening year for either the Wengen cableway or the Grindelwald gondola itself, only that the Terminal dates from December 2019, so be wary of sources quoting a lift opening year.
From the top, the payoff is the view straight down into the Lauterbrunnen valley, one of the deepest glacial valleys in the Alps, with its cliff walls and waterfalls, plus the Eiger north wall across on the Grindelwald side. Both operators honour the SBB Junior Card and the Children's Co-Travelcard, and dogs ride free on the Grindelwald gondola, small details that matter if you are travelling with kids or a pet and did not expect a mountain lift to say yes.
The Royal Walk and Other Trails
The Royal Walk to the Bira
The Royal Walk is the reason most people step off the cableway. It is a short trail from the Männlichen summit station up to the panoramic true summit, a climb of about 120 m in altitude, ending at the Bira viewpoint. The path is built and maintained, the gradient is steady rather than steep, and families do it routinely.
At the top you get the full panorama: the Lauterbrunnen valley below, Wengen on its shelf, and the big three peaks across the sky. No published walking time is given for the Royal Walk by the operator, but the modest altitude gain tells you it is a short outing rather than a hike. Allow an unhurried half hour each way plus time at the viewpoint and you will not feel rushed.
Longer trails off the ridge
Männlichen is also a trailhead. Scenic paths lead off the ridge toward Alpiglen on the Grindelwald side, passing under the Eiger's north wall, and toward Kleine Scheidegg, the pass at 2,061 m where the Wengernalpbahn and the Jungfrau Railway meet. A word of honesty here: no official page publishes a walking time or distance between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg, so ignore any fixed figure you see quoted and judge it as a half-day mountain walk with descent involved.
Combination fares exist for several of these walks, including the Lieselotteweg, Panoramaweg and Romantikweg routes, which let you ride up one way and walk down through the gondola's mid-station at Holenstein. For more walking ideas across the region see our guide to Lauterbrunnen hikes. And remember the fare rule: SBB Day Passes are not valid on the Wengen cableway and give no reduction, which catches out Swiss residents travelling on one.
| Trail from Männlichen | Direction | Duration | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Walk to the Bira | Summit loop from the station | not stated | about 120 m of climb |
| Trail to Alpiglen | Grindelwald side, under the Eiger | not stated | not stated |
| Trail to Kleine Scheidegg | Along the ridge toward the pass | not stated | not stated |
| Walk to the summit from the gondola station | Grindelwald gondola top station to the true summit | about 15 minutes | not stated |
A guided option on the summit
If you would rather not plan the walk yourself, the cheese and chocolate walk on Männlichen runs from the top station. It is a 2.5 hour guided outing suitable for all fitness levels, ending with a Swiss cheese and chocolate tasting on the summit. The price is $160.72 and it does not include the gondola or train ticket to the meeting point, so budget the cableway fare on top.
From late October to mid-December the meeting point shifts to Kleine Scheidegg for the winter season, and the tour is cancelled and refunded in bad weather.
Map of Männlichen and the Two Cableways
Next Stop From Männlichen
Wengen
The car-free village 1,274 m below on the Wengernalpbahn, and the valley station of the aerial cableway. Most people end their Männlichen day here with a wander and a meal before the train back to Lauterbrunnen.
Kleine Scheidegg
The pass at 2,061 m on the connected ridge, where every Jungfraujoch passenger changes trains. A scenic trail links it to Männlichen, though no official distance is published, and the Wengernalpbahn serves it directly.
Grindelwald
The town on the other side of the gondola, whose Grindelwald Terminal station opened in December 2019 and also serves the Eiger Express. Coming down the gondola puts you at the edge of town with trails like the route to Alpiglen leading in.
Männlichen Questions
Is Männlichen worth it if I only have half a day?
Yes, it is one of the highest-reward, lowest-effort viewpoints in the region. The cableway from Wengen does the climbing for you, and the Royal Walk adds only about 120 m of altitude gain to reach the true summit at 2,342 m. A half day comfortably covers the ride up, the walk, and the view over the Lauterbrunnen valley.
How do you get to Männlichen?
Two ways. From the south, the Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway runs from just above Wengen station. From the north, the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola departs from Grindelwald Terminal, the station that opened in December 2019. There is no road to the summit, so a cableway is the only way up unless you hike.
How long is the Royal Walk?
The operator describes it as a short trail with a climb of about 120 m in altitude from the summit station to the true summit, the Bira. No exact distance or duration is published. From the Grindelwald gondola's mountain station it is about a 15-minute walk to the true summit, which gives you a sense of the scale.
Can I get a discount on the gondola or cableway?
Yes, several. On the Wengen cableway, Swiss Travel Pass and Half Fare Card holders pay half the adult fare. Children aged 6-15 pay US$12.15 (CHF 10) return and under-6s ride free with a Swiss Family Card. On the Grindelwald gondola, GA, Halbtax, Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail and Interrail get 50% off, children 6-15 pay CHF 5.00, and a valid guest card from Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald or several other regional resorts takes 30% off the return fare. SBB Day Passes, however, are explicitly not valid on the Wengen cableway.
Is the SBB Day Pass valid on the Männlichen cableway?
No. The operator's own fare page states plainly that SBB Day Passes are not valid on the Wengen-Männlichen cableway and give no reduction. Plan around a full-fare or half-fare ticket instead.
How much does it cost to go up Männlichen?
In summer 2026 an adult return costs US$75.30 (CHF 62) from Wengen or US$82.60 (CHF 68) from Grindelwald Terminal. One-way fares are US$37.70 (CHF 31) and US$41.30 (CHF 34) respectively. The Royal Ride balcony upgrade on the Wengen cableway costs US$6.08 (CHF 5) extra each way.
Is there a walking trail along the ridge from here?
Yes, a scenic trail connects the ridge to Kleine Scheidegg, the pass where the trains to the Jungfraujoch meet. No official page publishes the distance or walking time for this trail, so treat it as a mountain walk of several hours and check conditions locally before setting out. For a broader look at the pass itself, see our Kleine Scheidegg page.
Does the gondola take dogs or bikes?
Dogs ride free on the Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola, per the operator's own fare sheet. Bikes are a different matter: the Grindelwald side states plainly that no bike transport is available on that gondola. Neither fare page states a bike or dog rule for the Wengen cableway, so ask at the valley station if you are travelling with either.
Männlichen and the Royal Walk on Film
Three videos of the ridge, the Royal Walk and the views from the top.
Guide to MÄNNLICHEN | Best Views of Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen & Jungfraujoch
A guide to Männlichen and the views over Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen.
Video: Aplins in the AlpsWalk the Royal Walk & Panorama Trail - Wengen - Männlichen - Kleine Scheidegg - SWITZERLAND
A walk along the Royal Walk and Panorama Trail from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg.
Video: West Of Anywhere TravelThe Royal Walk - Mannlichen - Switzerland
A walk of the Royal Walk to the summit viewpoint.
Video: Jerdine3Videos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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