This post's overview:
This is our honest review of the word’s longest sledge run in Switzerland (Grindelwald).
Are you thinking of trying sledging in Switzerland? Interested in the longest sledge run in the world located in Grindelwald? Look no further! In this article, I will share our experience sledging in Grindelwald and all the useful information you need to know before going there, especially if it’s your first sledge run.
Overview of all the links mentioned in this article:
Hotels in Grindelwald: Hotel Bernerhof, Hotel Spinne, Hotel Fiescherblick
Transport: Swiss Pass or Rental car
Grindelwald First Pass for sledging
Winter boots (great for sledging)
Let’s start with our experience sledging in Switzerland & our review of Grindelwald Sledge run, and at the end of the article, I will share answers to the most frequently used questions!
Sledging in Switzerland (Grindelwald): Our experience at the world’s longest sledge run
Why sledging in Switzerland?
The main reason why we travelled to Switzerland this time was to go sledging. Sledging is actually one of the best things to do in Switzerland in winter if you are not big on skiing or just want to take a break from it. If you’re interested in more things to do in Switzerland besides skiing, head to this article.
Grindelwald is home to the world’s longest sledge run (15 km), which takes over 2 hours to complete, and it’s super fun! We couldn’t wait to experience it, so we bought tickets to Switzerland in December and went to Grindelwald (and some other amazing places like Lausanne and Zermatt)
How does sledging in Grindelwald work?
To get to the start of the sledge run, you need to buy a day pass to Grindelwald First and take a cable car up to the top (First station).
Our pass for the day was kindly provided by the Grindelwald Eiger tourism board – so huge thanks to them.
Then you need to rent a sledge (you can do it at Intersport up at the First station) for a fee (we paid something like 19 franks per person). You will only be able to rent a sledge if you wear appropriate clothes (I’ll give you some tips on how you need to dress at the end of this article). Once you have the sledge – you can do as many runs as you wish before the cable car closes (which depends on the month of the year and sunset times).
The routes we took
Actually, before coming to Grindelwald, I thought that there was just one route that everyone took. Turns out, there are multiple routes; some are harder than others. The longest route in the world requires some extra walking / hiking (at least 30 minutes of walking, including some pretty tough uphill hike), but it’s much emptier and more enjoyable than the most popular route.
You can find the routes here – sledging routes are marked purple and have numbers. Alternatively, here is a very detailed map.
We actually couldn’t do the longest run as there was not enough snow between Bussalp and Grindelwald, but we could do the Wildspitz to Bort route, which was also pretty long (50 and then 51), and the views were stunning.
Once you’re back in Grindelwald or Bort, you can take the cable car up to the first station again and repeat the run as many times as you want. Our second run was the most popular route, 53 & 55, it started almost right next to the First station and required minimum walking. It was actually faster than Route 51 and ran alongside lots of ski routes. It was also much busier and had sharper turns, so we both thought that it was a bit more dangerous than Route 51!
Would we go sledging again?
Before sledging in Grindelwald, I was under the impression that it was a family activity and we would be the only couple there. However, I couldn’t be more wrong! Some segments of the run were actually quite challenging, and we’ve seen very few kids on the sledge run! Most people were couples like us or groups of friends. Would we go sledging again? Absolutely, it was so much fun! I would try to choose the routes that have fewer people on them, though, to avoid crowds and accidents. It’s incredibly hard to stop when you’re sledging!
Frequently asked questions about sledging in Grindelwald
How to get to Grindelwald
If you’re travelling by car, getting to Grindelwald is easy! However, try to arrive early as parking spaces in the town are limited (some parking were full by 8:45 am on Tuesday, just after Christmas). You can hire a rental car rent if you are not bringing yours to Switzerland.
If you’re travelling by train, then you can go to either Basel or Zurich and take a train from there. It might take a good 3-4 hours, so it’s better to stay in Bern or Interlaken overnight and head to Grindelwald from there.
Where to stay in Grindelwald
If you’re wondering where to stay in Grindelwald, there are plenty of options. Here are some of the best-rated hotels in Grindelwald:
Hotel Bernerhof, Hotel Spinne, Hotel Fiescherblick
Do you need a helmet for sledging?
We’ve seen a view videos were people wore helmets while sledging in Grindelwald. However, this is not mandatory and you don’t have to have a helmet when renting a sledge. However, if you want to wear it for your own safety, that might be a good idea.
What to wear while sledging? Can you wear trainers?
Another frequently asked question is what to wear while sledging. Can you actually wear trainers? Well, if you have your own sledge, no one can stop you from wearing trainers. However, this might be very dangerous, as trainers don’t have enough grip and you won’t be able to stop very well.
When you’re renting a sledge in Grindelwald, the staff will actually check which shoes you are wearing and won’t let you rent one if you’re wearing trainers. I recommend these winter boots – they are great for snow.
If you’re wondering what would be a perfect outfit for sledging, I recommend many layers. If you get too hot while heading to Bussalp, you can take some layers off and put them on later. Overall, a base layer like this one, another sweater like this one, and a ski / winter jacket like this one would be great options on a cold winter day.
I recommend these winter trousers with another layer underneath and winter shoes like this one. The spikier the soles are, the better!
Finally, waterproof gloves (these ones), a neck warmer (this one) and ski goggles (these ones) are a must!
Can you rent a sledge or do you need to bring your own?
You can either bring your own sledge to Grindelwald or rent one there. There are plenty of places to rent a sledge in Grindelwald, the most popular being Intersport. There is an Intersport right at the cable car entrance down in Grindelwald and there is another one up there at the First station. It’s recommended to rent one up there as travelling in a cable car with a massive sledge can be uncomfortable.
Keep in mind that Intersport at the First station can also run out of sledges in the busy season, so it’s always worth asking in the one at the Grindelwald station if they think the one up there is out of sledges. If both are out, then you can rent a sledge from other businesses in Grindelwald. Renting a sledge costs around 19 CHF per person and you need to provide an ID & a credit card to rent one. Each sledge has an id number – if you don’t return yours, you will be charged extra.
You can return your sledge to any Intersport (the one at the First Station or below) or at the Bort station – you can hand it over to a member of staff of the station and they will scan it for you.
Is sledging in Switzerland for kids?
As I previously said, before sledging in Grindelwald, I thought that it was a great activity for kids and there would be very few adults there. I was wrong! It’s a great activity for adults, and some segments might even be a bit too dangerous for kids!
Disclaimer: we received our day pass for sledging free of charge from Grindelwald Eiger tourism board, but all opinions, as always, are our own, so this is a honest review of sledging in Grindelwald.
Here are some other articles you might like:
The best things to do in Switzerland besides skiing
Weekend in Zurich – best things to do
Amazing things to do in Basel before Christmas
10-day road trip around Europe: Italy, Switzerland, Austria & more