Gimmelwald
title: "Gimmelwald" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["villages-in-the-canton-of-bern", "bernese-oberland", "ski-areas-and-resorts-in-switzerland", "car-free-villages-in-switzerland"] topic_path: "geography/switzerland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimmelwald" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox Swiss town"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| subject_name | Gimmelwald |
| image_photo | Gimmelwald.jpg |
| image_caption | Panorama of Gimmelwald. |
| imagepath_coa | CHE Lauterbrunnen COA.svg |
| imagepath_flag | CHE Lauterbrunnen Flag.svg |
| canton | Bern |
| iso-code-region | CH-GE |
| district | Interlaken-Oberhasli |
| coordinates | |
| postal_code | 3826 |
| area | 30.4 |
| elevation | 1367 |
| population | 130 |
| populationof | |
| website | http://www.gimmelwald.ch |
| neighboring_municipalities | Wengen, Mürren, Isenfluh, Stechelberg, Lauterbrunnen |
| :: |
| subject_name = Gimmelwald | municipality_type = | image_photo=Gimmelwald.jpg | image_caption= Panorama of Gimmelwald. | imagepath_coa = CHE Lauterbrunnen COA.svg | imagepath_flag = CHE Lauterbrunnen Flag.svg | canton = Bern | iso-code-region = CH-GE | district = Interlaken-Oberhasli | coordinates = | postal_code = 3826 | municipality_code = | area = 30.4 | elevation = 1367 | population =130 | populationof = | website = http://www.gimmelwald.ch | mayor = | mayor_title = | places = | demonym = | neighboring_municipalities= Wengen, Mürren, Isenfluh, Stechelberg, Lauterbrunnen | twintowns =
Gimmelwald is one of the few traffic-free villages in Switzerland where access by car is not possible due to a missing road connection. The Schilthorn cable car stops in Gimmelwald, where it is possible to board another cable car which runs between Gimmelwald and Mürren. Farming and tourism are the main sources of income. Farmers raise hay on tiny plots of land to feed small herds of cows. In winter, farmers often work as well for the Schilthorn cable car by performing such jobs as running ski lifts or ski-slope grooming.
In the year 2003, the population of Gimmelwald was 130. The local school closed in 2010 due to the small number of students; students now attend the school in Lauterbrunnen. The school building was bought in 2019 by a cooperative to convert it into flats and to prevent it from being used as a holiday flat.
Traffic and accessibility
There is a walking path between Gimmelwald and Mürren, but lacking connection to the main road system, the main transportation to Gimmelwald is the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS) aerial tramway famous for connecting the Lauterbrunnen valley to the Schilthorn.
The cable car connects Gimmelwald with the neighbouring elevated village Mürren and the village Stechelberg, which is situated at the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley.
From Stechelberg a bus connects Lauterbrunnen where there are connections to the rest of Switzerland.
Politics
Gimmelwald, together with Wengen, Mürren, Isenfluh, Stechelberg, and Lauterbrunnen, belongs to the municipality of Lauterbrunnen. The parish covers the entire valley.
Tourism
The main source of income for Gimmelwald is tourism, and the village has a small hotel, former pension (now a British run hotel), a bed & breakfast and the Mountain Hostel. Gimmelwald was stopped from being developed into a large ski resort by having it declared an avalanche zone which is only partly the case. In summer, Gimmelwald is mostly visited by tourists from North America, and in winter is mostly visited by European and Swiss tourists for winter sports.
Gimmelwald has a 2.2 km long via ferrata connecting the neighbouring village of Mürren.
File:Jungfrau seen from gimmelwald.JPG|The Jungfrau seen from Gimmelwald. File:Gspaltenhorn seen from gimmelwald.jpg|The Gspaltenhorn seen from Gimmelwald.
References
References
- Michel Hans (1962): Buch der Talschaft Lauterbrunnen. 1240-1949. Verlag P. Ruch-Daulte Wengen.
- link. (2016-04-13)
- "Genossenschaft Schulhaus Gimmelwald".
- Steves, Rick. (August 2008). "Rick Steves' Best of Europe 2009". Avalon Travel.
- Homepage Via Ferrata Gimmelwald-Mürren http://www.klettersteig-muerren.ch/
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