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79-599: The pass is traversed by a walking trail and the Wengernalp Railway , which both connect the villages of Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen , passing through Wengen between the pass summit and Lauterbrunnen. In winter, Kleine Scheidegg is the centre of the ski area around Grindelwald and Wengen. In summer, it is a popular hiking destination, and is one of the passes crossed by the Alpine Pass Route between Sargans and Montreux . The Jungfrau Marathon ,

158-402: A mecca for BASE jumpers. Approximately 20,000 jumps are recorded annually, which is about four times the number recorded in the early 2000s and twice as much as in the 2010s.   · In 2023, 600 BASE jumpers from various countries visited Lauterbrunnen to engage in this extreme sport. Wingsuit BASE jumping is an extreme sport with a high fatality rate. In Lauterbrunnen, the average

237-659: A mountain race that takes place every year in early September, ends at Kleine Scheidegg. The Kleine Scheidegg railway station is sited at the summit of the pass. Besides being an intermediate stop on the Wengernalp Railway, the station is also the lower terminus of the Jungfrau Railway , which climbs steeply through tunnels inside the Eiger and Mönch mountains up to its terminal at the Jungfraujoch ,

316-714: A settlement in the area is a single Roman coin which was discovered in the Blumental. When the Lauterbrunnen Valley first appears in the historic record, during the 13th century, it was owned by the Freiherr of Wädenswil. In 1240 the Freiherr of Wädenswil sold the Sefinen Valley to Interlaken Monastery . Over the following century, the monastery and other local lords began to expand their power in

395-442: A total of 1,090 apartments (40.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,414 apartments (52.4%) were seasonally occupied and 196 apartments (7.3%) were empty. As of 2010 , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.3 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality in 2011 was 0.66%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The cableway between Stechelberg and Schilthorn and

474-431: A total of 1,605 full-time equivalent jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 77, of which 70 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 207 of which 20 or (9.7%) were in manufacturing and 124 (59.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,321. In the tertiary sector; 132 or 10.0% were in wholesale or retail sales or

553-648: A very pure and clean source of water. Trümmelbach Falls is 3 km (1.9 mi) from Lauterbrunnen, connected by bus from the station. Notable waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen The valley also includes many glaciers, such as the Tschingelfirn and the Rottalgletscher . The municipality of Lauterbrunnen extends a considerable distance beyond the village and valley, with an area of 164.51 km (63.52 sq mi). It reaches as far as

632-508: A whole new group of winter tourists and converted the summer tourist industry into a year-round business. The tourist economy of Lauterbrunnen was devastated by World War I and II and the Great Depression . However, following the end of World War II , tourism rebounded. Many new vacation homes and chalets were built along with ski lifts, chair lifts and a heliport. On 1 January 1973, the former municipality of Isenfluh merged into

711-452: Is Per fess Argent a Semi Ibex rampant couped Sable and Vert three Piles wavy issuant from base of the first. The three stripes represent three famous waterfalls around the village. The village Lauterbrunnen has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 2,301. As of 2010 , 22.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has shrunk by 8.9%. Migration accounted for 6.5 percentage points of

790-550: Is a village and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland . The municipality comprises the other villages of Wengen , Mürren , Gimmelwald , Stechelberg , and Isenfluh , as well as several other hamlets. The population of the village of Lauterbrunnen is less than that of Wengen, but larger than that of the others. The municipality comprises

869-417: Is a 19.11 kilometres (11.87 mi) long rack railway line in Switzerland . It runs from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg , making it the world's longest continuous rack and pinion railway. The name refers to the alpine meadow of Wengernalp , above Wengen. The line is normally operated in two sections, with trains from either direction terminating at Kleine Scheidegg. At

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948-483: Is followed by three years of obligatory lower secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower secondary school, students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship . During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 247 students attending classes in Lauterbrunnen. There were 3 kindergarten classes with a total of 36 students in

1027-416: Is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.31 km (0.89 sq mi) or 1.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.08 km (0.42 sq mi) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 95.39 km (36.83 sq mi) or 58.0% is unproductive land. Of the built-up area, housing and buildings make up 0.7% and transportation infrastructure make up 0.5%. Of the forested land, 13.6% of the total land area

1106-403: Is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.5% is pastures and 18.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 10.3% is unproductive vegetation, 31.3% is too rocky for vegetation and 16.3% of the land is covered by glaciers. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms

1185-528: Is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometer in width, between limestone precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular and everywhere of extremely steep. In places the cliff walls are up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high. It is to this form that the valley owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from

1264-542: Is part of the Allianz - Jungfrau Top of Europe marketing alliance, which also includes the separately owned Berner Oberland-Bahn and Schynige Platte-Bahn . In 1875, the first plans for a railway on the route later taken by the Wengernalp line were drawn up, but the high projected costs meant that the concession expired. Fifteen years later, in 1890, Leo Heer-Bétrix gained a new 80-year concession to build and operate

1343-486: Is some dispute about the meaning of lauter . Some translate it as clear, clean or bright (which compares to the earlier Romance language meaning of the place mentioned above), while others translate it as "many" or "louder". A local explanation is that the name Lauterbrunnen means "many springs", using a modern meaning of the word lauter in German; however, this could be an example of a folk etymology . The oldest trace of

1422-543: Is the highest waterfall in Switzerland, the 417 m (1,368 ft) Mürrenbach Fall. Finally, the Mattenbachfall (cascade waterfall) with a height of 930 meters is Europe's highest waterfall and the third highest in the world. The Weisse Lütschine river flows through Lauterbrunnen and overflows its banks about once a year. The source of the river comes from melting snow high in the mountains, thus making it

1501-411: Is the introduction of a 5 to 10 Swiss franc entry fee, applicable to visitors arriving by car for the day, excluding those with pre-booked accommodations or arriving by public transport. Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the 8-kilometer (5.0 mi) Lauterbrunnen Wall . The Lauterbrunnen Valley ( Lauterbrunnental )

1580-524: Is three fatalities per year. The first fatal accident occurred in 1994, claiming the life of BASE jumper and alpinist Xaver Bongard, who had introduced the sport to the valley in 1989 after being introduced to it by Will Oxx in Yosemite. Since then, and as of July 2024, 68 BASE jumpers have died in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. In 2021, the parish of Lauterbrunnen unveiled a memorial in its cemetery, dedicated to BASE jumpers and mountaineers who lost their lives in

1659-411: The Alpine Pass Route , a long-distance hiking trail across Switzerland between Sargans and Montreux . Besides the village of Lauterbrunnen, the municipality also includes the villages of Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, and Isenfluh. Of the municipal area, 36.79 km (14.20 sq mi) or 22.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 28.84 km (11.14 sq mi) or 17.5%

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1738-528: The Bernese Oberland unsuccessfully rose up against monastery. When the monastery suppressed the rebellion, the Walser villages bore the brunt of the monastery's wrath. By the 15th century, the villages of the valley were part of the large parish of Gsteig bei Interlaken (now part of Gsteigwiler ). Between 1487 and 1488, the villagers in Lauterbrunnen built a filial church of the parish. In 1506,

1817-619: The Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) (21.5%), the Social Democratic Party (SP) (14.6%) and the FDP.The Liberals (14.3%). In the federal election, a total of 733 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 43.0%. As of  2011 , Lauterbrunnen had an unemployment rate of 1.9%. As of 2008 , there were a total of 1,908 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 147 people employed in

1896-491: The Hotel Bellevue des Alpes at Kleine Scheidegg while filming The Eiger Sanction (1975). Several scenes were filmed in and around the hotel. The 2008 film North Face , about Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser 's 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face, was shot to a great extent at the Hotel Bellevue des Alpes . Footage of the mountain's profile was also shot from Kleine Scheidegg's vantage point, though

1975-552: The Jungfrau Railway , the highest railway in Europe and a gateway to the Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area . Lauterbrunnen was first mentioned in 1240 as "in claro fonte" , a Romance language place name meaning "clear spring". By 1253, it was known to German speakers as Liuterbrunnon ; the town had an alternate spelling of Luterbrunnen by 1268. While the meaning of brunnen is undoubtedly spring or fountain, there

2054-781: The Lauterbrunnen Valley ( German : Lauterbrunnental ), located at the foot of the Bernese Alps . It is notably overlooked by the Eiger , Mönch , Jungfrau and many other high peaks. The valley, drained by the White Lütschine , comprises the Soustal, the Sefinental and the upper Lauterbrunnen Valley with Untersteinberg. The valley includes several glaciers. Together with the adjacent valley of Grindelwald ,

2133-420: The Wengernalp Railway across the pass commenced in 1891, and the line opened in 1893, as a steam hauled summer only service. The line was electrified in 1909/10, and year-round operation started in 1925 (to Lauterbrunnen) and 1960 (to Grindelwald). Construction of the Jungfrau Railway started in 1896, and it opened in stages from 1898 to 1912. Since the 1930s, Kleine Scheidegg has been the base of expeditions on

2212-652: The Wengernalpbahn , which run to Wengen , Kleine Scheidegg and on to Grindelwald; at Kleine Scheidegg connection can be made with the Jungfraubahn , which ascends inside the Eiger to the Jungfraujoch . The lower terminal of the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren , a cable car and connecting train, is adjacent to the main station and provides service to Mürren. Besides Lauterbrunnen station, there are nine other railway stations within

2291-418: The primary economic sector and about 55 businesses involved in this sector. 223 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 35 businesses in this sector. 1,538 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 195 businesses in this sector. There were 1,623 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.1% of the workforce. In 2008 there were

2370-474: The 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service , including a car chase in which Bond (played for the only time by George Lazenby ) was driven away from henchmen of Ernst Stavro Blofeld by his girlfriend Tracy di Vicenzo in a dramatic pursuit which culminated in them shaking off the pursuers in a stock car race. The 360 degree revolving restaurant Piz Gloria which crowns the Schilthorn peak

2449-602: The Grosse Scheidegg. In 1840, Christian Seiler built the inn Zur Gemse on the summit of the pass. Guests and supplies reached the inn by mule train over the pass tracks, and the inn grew into the internationally famous Hotel Bellevue . The Wengernalp co-operative opened the competing Hotel des Alps alongside the Hotel Bellevue , but sold out to the Seiler family, thus creating the merged Hotel Bellevue des Alps . In order to satisfy tourist demand, construction of

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2528-551: The Lauterbrunnen - Wengen - Kleine Scheidegg service was formed of 5 trains running at irregular intervals in every 2-hour period. Journey times varied between 44 and 51 minutes up and 54 and 60 minutes down. Following the construction of the new loop between Wengen and Allmend, the number of trains in each direction has been reduced from 5 to 4 in each 2-hour period, but departure and journey times have been standardised. Between December and March, extra trains are run on some evenings between Grindelwald and Alpiglen to carry passengers to

2607-606: The Lauterbrunnen Valley forms part of the Jungfrau Region of the Bernese Oberland , between Interlaken and the main crest of the Bernese Alps. Similarly to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen has become a major tourist destination. It is connected to Interlaken by the Bernese Oberland Railway and is the start of the Wengernalp Railway , leading to Kleine Scheidegg . The latter resort is the start of

2686-472: The Lauterbrunnen and neighboring valleys. However, around 1300, the Lord of Turn began to settle his Walser -speaking people in the nearby Lötschen Valley and into the highlands of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. By 1346, the Walser villages of Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald, Mürren, Sichellauenen and Trachsellauenen all had village governments and a certain amount of independence from the monastery. Three years later, much of

2765-731: The Spirits over the Waters") was written while he stayed at the parish house near the Staubbach Falls waterfall in Lauterbrunnen. J. R. R. Tolkien hiked from Interlaken to the Lauterbrunnen Valley while on a trip to the Continent in 1911. The landscape of the valley later provided the concept and pictorial model for his sketches and watercolours of the fictitious valley of Rivendell , the dwelling place of Elrond Half-elven and his people. Lauterbrunnen featured in several scenes from

2844-685: The Trachsellauenen silver mine, which was active in the medieval to early modern periods, are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance . The village of Gimmelwald and the Kleine Scheidegg region are both part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites . In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the Swiss People's Party (SVP) which received 29.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were

2923-413: The adjoining mountains and, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these is Staubbach Falls , less than one kilometer from the village of Lauterbrunnen. The 297 m (974 ft) high Staubbach is the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland. Also near Lauterbrunnen

3002-699: The bus to Stechelberg and then the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn cable car. In Lauterbrunnen about 1,155 or (39.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 230 or (7.9%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 230 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.0% were Swiss men, 20.9% were Swiss women, 10.0% were non-Swiss men and 9.1% were non-Swiss women. The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory kindergarten , followed by six years of primary school. This

3081-473: The center of a new Reformed parish. Mines were built in the Trachsellauenen area in the upper valley beginning in the late 16th century. An iron smelter was built in Zweilütschinen (now part of Gündlischwand ) in 1715 to process the iron ore from Trachsellauenen. Most of the money from the mines went to the noble landowners, and the villagers remained poor. In the 17th and 18th centuries the poverty

3160-538: The climbing scenes were created mostly using computer generated imagery and green screen technology . The hiking track in the area is the basis for the fictional Eiger Nordwand tracks in the racing video games Gran Turismo HD Concept , Gran Turismo 5 Prologue , Gran Turismo 5 , and Gran Turismo 6 . Wengernalp Railway 46°34′34″N 7°56′38″E  /  46.57611°N 7.94389°E  / 46.57611; 7.94389 The Wengernalp Railway ( German : Wengernalpbahn , WAB )

3239-471: The coming of the railways and the introduction of tourism to the area, the twin passes of Kleine Scheidegg and Grosse Scheidegg provided access for local livestock and dairy farmers to the important export route to Italy over the Grimsel Pass . With the coming of tourism and the opening of the first mountain hotels in the 1830s, the transit of the Kleine Scheidegg became busier, and more important than

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3318-534: The completion of a road from Interlaken in 1834 and the 1890 Bernese Oberland Railway , more hotels were needed for tourists. As new hotels were built, other tourist infrastructure was also built in the village. Cable cars were built to Mürren in 1891 and to Wengen in 1893. But the most significant piece of infrastructure was the Jungfrau railway , which was built in 1912. The Jungfrau rack railway runs 9 km ( 5 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) from Kleine Scheidegg to

3397-417: The decrease, while births and deaths accounted for 3.1. Most of the population speaks German as their first language (as of 2000 , 2,483 or 85.2%). Portuguese is the second most common (143 or 4.9%) and Croatian is the third (59 or 2.0%). There are 42 people who speak French , 40 who speak Italian and 5 who speak Romansh . As of 2008 , the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population

3476-414: The floodlit Eiger Run sledging course. The earliest railcars still in service, numbers 101 and 102 ( BDhe 4/4, built by SLM/BBC ) date from 1947, No.102 being refurbished 1985. Of the other 14 cars of this class, No's. 104 and 106–118, built between 1954 and 1964, which still survive, ten have been refurbished (all except 104 / 7 / 9 / 10) since 2000. No. 114 was refurbished along with 102 in 1985 but

3555-585: The highest point reachable by rail in Europe. Both railways operate year-round, and any passengers travelling to the Jungfraujoch must change trains at Kleine Scheidegg. The pass is linked to the summit of the Lauberhorn and to Arvengarten, on the approach to the pass from Grindelwald, by chairlifts . There are also several restaurants and hotels at the summit of the pass, including the historic Hotel Bellevue des Alpes that dates back to 1840. Prior to

3634-519: The highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch . The railway runs almost entirely within a tunnel built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and contains two stations in the middle of the tunnel where passengers can disembark to observe the neighboring mountains through windows built into the mountainside. In 1909, the English brothers Walter and Arnold Lunn popularized skiing, curling and bobsledding at Lauterbrunnen. These winter sports provided

3713-705: The hollows and on the shelving ledges of the three peaks that rise above the Trümmletental. The Eiger Glacier lies in the recess between the Eiger and the Mönch. This is separated by a huge projecting buttress of the latter mountain from the Guggi Glacier . Farther on is the Giessen Glacier , formed, at a higher level than the two last, on a shelf of the northwest side of the Jungfrau. Politically,

3792-463: The introduction of a clock-face timetable between Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg. The line is built to 800 mm gauge ( 2 ft  7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in gauge), and uses the Riggenbach rack system , as modified by Arnold Pauli. Modern stock uses Strub rack system. Nowadays, most passenger trains are made up of railcars , the powered car still being positioned at the lower end of

3871-413: The latest additions, a series of four "Panorama" cars of Class Bhe 4/8, built by Stadler arriving in 2004. The earliest coaches still listed to the company are three dating from 1893 and a single example from 1901. These have all been rebuilt twice, the final one in 1995 by the von Roll company . Later examples date from the period 1959 to 2003, some of the earlier of these have rebuilt. Building of

3950-707: The latter station, most passengers transfer to the Jungfrau Railway for the continuation of the journey to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch . There are generally no roads to Wengen and Mürren, and the train is the principal means of access. The line is owned by the Wengernalpbahn AG , a subsidiary of the Jungfraubahn Holding AG , a holding company that also owns the Jungfraubahn and Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren , Harderbahn , and Firstbahn. Through that holding company it

4029-442: The lower end of the trains. The section between Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg followed on 24 June 1910. Steam operation ceased in 1912. On 7 July 1910, a new route, longer but less steep, was opened between Lauterbrunnen to Wengen . The older route was retained for nearly a hundred more years, being finally decommissioned and dismantled in 2009 because of the steep gradient of 25% and concern over geological stability on parts of

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4108-481: The most days of precipitation was June, with an average of 14.1, but with only 133 mm (5.2 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year was October with an average of 78 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation over 9.5 days. Lauterbrunnen railway station , in the centre of Lauterbrunnen village, is served by trains of the Berner Oberland Bahn , which run to Interlaken , and by trains of

4187-444: The municipality of Lauterbrunnen. On 31 December 2009, Amtsbezirk Interlaken, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Interlaken-Oberhasli. In May 2024, it was reported the local authority had initiated a working group to explore solutions for over-tourism, drawing inspiration from Venice's trial entry fee for day trippers. One proposed measure

4266-692: The municipality of Lauterbrunnen. These are Wengwald , Wengen , Allmend , Wengernalp and Kleine Scheidegg on the Wengernalpbahn, Eigergletscher on the Jungfraubahn, and Grütschalp , Winteregg and Mürren on the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren. Post bus services link Lauterbrunnen village to Stechelberg and the Trümmelbach Falls , and to Isenfluh. An alternative route to Mürren is available using

4345-450: The municipality. In 2014 the crime rate in Lauterbrunnen was 49.2 per thousand residents. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 0 per thousand residents. The rate of violations of immigration, visa, and work permit laws was 6.6 per thousand residents. This rate is three times the rate in the district, as well as twice the rate in the canton. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's poem " Gesang der Geister über den Wassern " ("Song of

4424-428: The municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 16.7% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 16.7% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 8 primary classes and 125 students. Of the primary students, 19.2% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 20.8% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During

4503-569: The north face of the Eiger. Kleine Scheidegg is among the most celebrated mountain passes in the Swiss Alps because of its position just north of the point where the Bernese Alps makes a salient angle, whose apex is the Eiger. From there, a series of high peaks rise in line towards the northeast, on the left side of the trail that follows a direct route from Meiringen , southwest across the Grosse Scheidegg , to Kleine Scheidegg. On

4582-564: The parish appointed a full-time priest for Lauterbrunnen. In 1528, the city of Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation and began imposing it on the Bernese Oberland . Lauterbrunnen joined many other villages and the monastery in an unsuccessful rebellion against the new faith. After Bern imposed its will on the Oberland, they secularized the monastery and annexed all the monastery lands. Lauterbrunnen became

4661-418: The partly underground turning triangle at Kleine Scheidegg was constructed. In 1990, an avalanche shelter was built on the Lauterbrunnen side of the operation, whilst in 1995 Wengen station was rebuilt to include a freight delivery terminal. In 2005, Wengernalp station platforms were extended from 127 m to 181 m usable length. In 2011, a new double track loop was opened between Wengen and Allmend , allowing

4740-410: The pass at Kleine Scheidegg marks the boundary between the municipalities of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald , both of which are within the canton of Bern . The film Kleine Scheidegg (1937) was set on the eponymous pass, directed by Richard Schweizer , and starring Susanne Baader, Leopold Biberti and Emil Hegetschweiler . In the summer of 1974, Clint Eastwood and his cast and crew stayed at

4819-617: The peaks of the Eiger , Mönch and Jungfrau to the east, the Gletscherhorn , Mittaghorn , Grosshorn , Breithorn and Tschingelhorn to the south, and the Gspaltenhorn and Schilthorn to the west. The Kleine Scheidegg Pass crosses over to Grindelwald to the east, whilst the Sefinenfurgge Pass crosses to Griesalp and Reichenbach im Kandertal to the west. Both passes carry hiking trails that form part of

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4898-421: The population) did not answer the question. Between 1981 and 2010 Lauterbrunnen had an average of 136.5 days of rain or snow per year and on average received 1,207 mm (47.5 in) of precipitation . The wettest month was July during which time Lauterbrunnen received an average of 144 mm (5.7 in) of rain or snow. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 13.8 days. The month with

4977-451: The population), and there were 47 individuals (or about 1.61% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish , and 28 (or about 0.96% of the population) who were Muslim . There were 3 individuals who were Buddhist and 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 144 (or about 4.94% of the population) belonged to no church, were agnostic or atheist , and 187 individuals (or about 6.42% of

5056-429: The population, while adults (20–64 years old) made up 62.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) made up 20.2%. As of 2000 , there were 1,195 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,420 married individuals, 208 widows or widowers and 91 individuals who were divorced. As of 2000 , there were 453 households that consist of only one person and 61 households with five or more people. In 2000 ,

5135-610: The pursuit of adventure in the valley. BASE jumping is legal in Switzerland. In Lauterbrunnen, authorities require BASE jumpers to purchase a landing card from the Swiss BASE Association, although unlike skydiving, no license is required. From the 2000 census , 513 or 17.6% were Roman Catholic , while 1,973 or 67.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 34 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.17% of

5214-502: The railway. The Wengernalpbahn was founded. Construction work commenced in 1891, and the following year the first steam locomotive reached Wengen on 18 April and Kleine Scheidegg on 10 August. The full length of the line, from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald , opened on 20 June 1893 as a summer only service. The electrification of the line between Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg was completed on 3 June 1909 using 1500 V DC, with electric locomotives positioned, for safety reasons, at

5293-423: The repair of motor vehicles, 231 or 17.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 687 or 52.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 75 or 5.7% were in education and 56 or 4.2% were in health care. In 2000 , there were 360 workers who commuted into the municipality and 252 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of

5372-434: The route. In 1913, winter operations commenced between Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg , followed by year round operations over the same section in 1925. Winter operations between Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg started in 1934, followed by year round operations in 1960. In 1942, the headquarters of the railway moved from Zürich to Interlaken . In 1947, the first motorcoaches were purchased. The following year

5451-471: The same direction The busiest stretch of railway runs from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen as this is also used to transport goods to traffic-free Wengen . The railway operates two workshops at Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald Grund . The line serves the following stations: A regular interval timetable is operated between Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg with trains running every half-hour morning and afternoon, except between late October and mid December when

5530-442: The same year, there were 3 lower secondary classes with a total of 65 students. There were 10.8% who were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 10.8% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The remainder of the students attend a private or special school. As of 2000 , there were 5 students in Lauterbrunnen who came from another municipality, while 45 residents attended schools outside

5609-403: The scheduled train, allowing capacity to be optimised according to demand. This demands an extremely flexible organisation procedure and enormous care and attention with regard to dispatching trains. Since most of the line is single track, the extra trains display a green disk with a diagonal white line on the front to indicate to station staff and signal operators that there is a train following in

5688-429: The service is hourly. Journey time is 33 minutes up and 39 minutes down. Between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen, trains run all year every half-hour until early evening, followed by an hourly service. During mornings and afternoons they continue to Kleine Scheidegg, again half-hourly except between late October and mid December when the service is hourly. Journey time is 43 minutes up and 50 minutes down. Before December 2011,

5767-574: The south side of the apex at the Eiger, the still higher summits of the Mönch , Jungfrau , Gletscherhorn , and Mittaghorn follow in succession from north to south. Hidden by the Eiger from the vantage point of Grindelwald , the Mönch and Jungfrau break upon the traveller at Kleine Scheidegg in full grandeur, rising from the narrow gorge of the Trümmletental . Three comparatively large glaciers, with several minor accumulations of ice, are found in

5846-493: The stock has been carried out by SIG, with electrical equipment by Brown Boveri / Asea Brown Boveri and later by Stadler with electrical equipment by Steck , (except No. 231 which was built by SLM with electrical equipment by ABB ). The line also operates with an extensive collection of goods stock, in the main used for services between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen . [REDACTED] Media related to Wengernalp Railway at Wikimedia Commons Lauterbrunnen Lauterbrunnen

5925-497: The train, and so train compositions do not usually cross Kleine Scheidegg to travel directly from Lauterbrunnen over to Grindelwald . However, a triangular junction specially built into the mountainside at Kleine Scheidegg allows the train to be turned if necessary so that it can also be used on the other side of the col . The newest of these trains reach 28 km/h on the steepest stretch. At peak periods, additional trains can be put into operation at short intervals ahead of

6004-455: The working population, 12.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 12.3% used a private car. Lauterbrunnen is a touristic destination. It is especially known for being the mecca of wingsuit base jumping. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is renowned as a prime location for wingsuit BASE jumping, attracting enthusiasts from around the globe. This narrow valley is surrounded by steep rock faces and features 13 legal jump points. Many consider it

6083-509: Was made up of 970 Swiss men (37.9% of the population) and 301 (11.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,011 Swiss women (39.5%) and 276 (10.8%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,221 or about 41.9% were born in Lauterbrunnen and lived there in 2000. There were 592 or 20.3% who were born in the same canton, while 386 or 13.2% were born somewhere else in Switzerland and 544 or 18.7% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2010 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 17.2% of

6162-414: Was returned to works in 2002 to be brought up to the newer specifications. In 1970 a new class of railcar ( BDhe 4/4 ) was introduced, numbered 119 to 124, built by a consortium of SIG , SLM, SAAS and BBC. These were refurbished in 1998. Four further cars, class BDhe 4/8, numbered 131 to 134, and built by SLM ( Works Nos. 5363–66 inclusive ) with electrical equipment by BBC, arrived in 1988 with

6241-524: Was so widespread that many of the villagers joined mercenary regiments or emigrated. Many emigrants moved to the Carolinas in the United States. Beginning in the late 18th century, foreign mountain climbers began to use Lauterbrunnen as a starting point for their expeditions into the nearby Alps. Initially the climbers stayed in the village rectory . However, as Lauterbrunnen's fame grew and with

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