The Easiest Hike at Schynige Platte
Why I Chose the Easiest Hike at Schynige Platte
Schynige Platte is the name of a small mountain range in the Bernese Highlands that can easily be accessed from Interlaken, Switzerland. During my visit, I chose to complete the easiest hike at Schynige Platte as I am a fairly novice hiker.
After some research, I learned that the easiest hike at Schynige Platte, the Daube Trail, was also the most popular hike. The Daube Hike at Schynige Platte is only a 1.2-mile loop and takes around an hour to complete. Despite its short distance, hikers will still receive beautiful views of Interlaken, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, and the Bernese Overlands.
At the time that I hiked the Daube Trail, I had only been in Switzerland for 24 hours. I figured that the easiest hike at Schynige Platte, the Daube Trail, would be the perfect hike to begin my visit to the beautiful country of Switzerland.
The Easiest Hike at Schynige Platte - Table of Contents
- Why I Chose the Easiest Hike at Schynige Platte
- Getting to Schynige Platte from Interlaken Using the Swiss Rail Pass
- The Easiest Trail at Schynige Platte: The Daube Trail
- Other More Difficult Trails at Schynige Platte
- Video – Hiking the Daube Trail in 60 Seconds
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Getting to Schynige Platte from Interlaken Using the Swiss Rail Pass
During my visit to Switzerland, I purchased the 8-Day Swiss Rail Pass. The Swiss Rail Pass definitely saved me money during my trip to Schynige Platte but did not cover the entire cost.
Here is the easiest way to get to Schynige Platte for anyone with the Swiss Rail Pass. First, take the train from Interlaken Ost to Wilderswill Station. This journey is covered by the Swiss Rail Pass and does not require an additional ticket.
Once you arrive at Wilderswil Station, you will need to buy a ticket to Schynige Platte as that route uses a cog train. With the Swiss Rail Pass, you will be able to purchase tickets at a 50% discount. With the discount, expect to pay around CHF 32.00 ($32.55) per ticket.
I purchased my tickets ahead of time, but they can also be purchased at either Interlaken Ost or Wilderswil Station.
If you DO NOT have the Swiss Rail Pass, you can use the link to the right to purchase your ticket. DO NOT use this link if you have the Swiss Rail Pass, as it does not include the 50% discount. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase your tickets using my link. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Schynige Platte is admission free. Despite saying admission, the ticket to the right is simply the fee for the train.
 | Schynige Platte Admission - $77.89 Opened in 1893, the nostalgic cogwheel railway carries visitors up to the breath-taking Schynige Platte with a wonderful mountain scenery and a popular hiking region with unparalleled views of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau |
Once at Wilderswil Station, be sure to cross the tracks as the Cog Wheel train departs from track 3. There is no first class on the Schynige Platte Cog Wheel train, and tickets are not reserved. The train consists of around four cars with benches. Each bench can accommodate four passengers.
After a one-hour journey, which was quite scenic, I arrived at Schynige Platte Station. In order to take the Duabe Hike, which is the easiest hike at Schynige Platte, I walked towards the hotel and restaurant.
For travelers who are not interested in hiking, there are plenty of views that can be enjoyed from within 100 yards of Schynige Platte Station. Below is a photo that was taken near the train station.
The Easiest Trail at Schynige Platte: The Daube Trail
The easiest hike at Schynige Platte is the Daube Trail. Despite being easy to hike, the trail is not the easiest to find. To find the Daube Trail, walk towards the restaurant and hotel.
As I walked towards the restaurant, I was able to snap this photo of the Cog Wheel Train headed back to Wilderswil Station.
There are signs that mark the Daube Trail, but to get to the starting point, you will have to walk through the restaurant’s lower level.
After walking through the restaurant, you will likely walk by some cows. Within a minute or two of passing the cows, you will arrive at a turnstile that is meant to keep the cows off the trail. This turnstile is the official beginning point of the Daube Trail.
Hiking to the Summit of the Daube Trail
The Daube Trail is the easiest hike at Schynige Platte because it is flat almost the entire hike. This trail is only 1.2 miles long but offers spectacular views of the Bernese Highlands.
Within five minutes of hiking the Daube Trail, Lake Thun will come into view.
As the trail continues past the first viewpoint, it stays relatively flat for the first half of the hike. As the summit of the Daube Trail gets closer, the trail begins to increase in elevation. Despite being a novice hiker, I had little trouble with the incline of the trail.
While hiking the Daube Trail, there are a few forks in the path that lead to other trails. To make sure you stay on the Daube Trail, follow the red and white lined markers. These come into view every few hundred yards and serve as the official symbol of the Daube Trail.
The official estimated time of the Daube Trail is 48-minutes. It took me almost 90-minutes as I stopped often to take photos and appreciate the beautiful views.
The only difficult part of the Daube Trail is the last 5-minutes leading up to the summit. This part of the trail includes a steep incline. To handle this part of the hike, I decided to make goals. I would hike to a particular rock or tree and then take a break.
If you need motivation, the summit of the Daube Trail quickly comes into view. Focus on the summit, and the last portion of the hike will seem easier than it actually is.
Even with this one difficult section, the Daube Trail at Schynige Platte is still the easiest.
The Summit of the Daube Trail
It took around 40-minutes for me to reach the Summit of the Daube Trail. Once at the top, I was treated to spectacular views of Interlaken as well as Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
There are benches at the summit but no bathroom. I thought this little shed might be a bathroom, but it definitely was not.
At the summit, I took my time enjoying the beautiful views of Lake Brienz. One thing that you will notice is that Lake Brienz and Lake Thun are different shades of blue.
Looking away from Lake Brienz was as spectacular as the summit provided great views of the Bernese Highlands.
I used my zoom lens to zoom in on Jungfrau Park and a bridge crossing the Aare River. The city of Interlaken is quite visible from the summit of the Daube Trail.
Before heading back to the train station, I sat on a bench and checked my pictures. I wanted to make sure that each photo was of the highest quality.
Completing the Circle of the Daube Trail
From the Summit of the Daube Trail, there are two ways to return to Schynige Platte Station. The first is to retrace your steps and the second is to continue the loop, hiking through the Bernese Highlands. The continuation of the loop is just a bit longer, taking an estimated 30-minutes instead of an estimated 25-minutes. I chose to continue to loop as I wanted to see everything the Daube Trail had to offer.
The second half of the Daube Trail provides entirely different scenery, as hikers are now climbing down a series of switchbacks into the valley of the Bernese Highlands.
I once again took my time, stopping to take quite a few photographs.
Towards the end of the Daube Trail, I came across a large picture frame. This picture frame allows hikers to square up the perfect photograph to remember their trip to Schynige Platte.
Near the picture frame, there are also some Swiss Cowbells hanging from a wooden display. I stopped to ring the cowbells and then continued to the end point of the Daube Trail. The trail ends right at Schynige Platte Station.
In addition to the main restaurant, which is attached to the hotel, there is also a snack stand near the train station. The prices at the snack stand are very expensive and I paid CHF 5 ($5.10) for a Coke Zero.
Other More Difficult Trails at Schynige Platte
There are many other trails at Schynige Platte that are much more difficult than the Daube Trail. Many of those trails start below the train station. During my visit, I did walk about 300 yards of one of the more difficult trails.
The more difficult trails at Schynige Platte had quite a few cows, and I enjoyed photographing them and their giant Swiss bells.
After walking a few hundred yards, I decided to turn around rather than complete a much longer hike with lots of elevation changes. As I headed back to the train station, I was happy with my choice of trails, as the Daube Trail was the easiest trail at Schynige Platte.
Video - Hiking the Daube Trail in 60 Seconds
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