Holiday apartments in Grindelwald? – our conclusion

For me, sports holidays and holiday apartments are inseparable. Up to and including the 9th grade, I went with my parents and siblings to a holiday apartment in the mountains year after year during the sports holidays. In the first years we were regular guests in Grächen, followed by sports holidays in St. Stephan and Grindelwald. The change to high school and the associated different sports holiday dates than my siblings led to an abrupt end to this tradition. And so it seemed like a little revival to me a week ago when we packed our winter clothes for a long weekend in a Grindelwald holiday apartment. How do my vague childhood memories fit in with today’s image of vacation rentals?

Apartments in Grindelwald for every taste

We were invited to Grindelwald by the holiday apartment provider GriwaRent. Check-in and check-out takes place at their branch centrally located near the train station. Here we are given the key and the most important things are briefly explained. Afterwards, an employee accompanies us to our apartment, which is located in the same building. GriwaRent has a wide portfolio of its own vacation rentals and those that they manage for third parties. The company also owns an architectural firm that creates a uniform design for the apartments in its own portfolio.

We are accommodated in the new Stotzhalten ground floor apartment, which convinces at first glance with a spacious floor plan, plenty of storage space, separate shower/WC and bath/WC as well as an open living-dining area. And yes, I’m pleasantly surprised – I remembered holiday apartments as a bit stuffy (I don’t know why). After we have inspected everything and lit the fireplace, nothing stands in the way of a cozy first evening. And what could be better than a fine local Zenger fondue. Fondue is a practical holiday apartment dish because the shopping effort is limited. Although in the end I accept the short way to the Coop vis-à-vis twice, because I read the note on the fondue package that pears go well with it a bit too late – if you haven’t tried it yet: do it! In contrast to a hotel evening, which often drags on with a multi-course menu, we lie down on the sofa after fondue and zap through the TV channels. A bit like being at home.

The next morning, the GriwaRent team takes us on a sightseeing tour through Grindelwald. We get the opportunity to peek into the various apartments in their portfolio. Totally exciting! I wasn’t aware that the categorization of the vacation rental depends on how old it is. 5 stars are awarded to newly designed apartments up to a maximum age of 5 years. From the free-standing luxury chalet with its own spa area, to the cozy Chalet Lanni furnished in English country house style (space for up to 10 people) to the simply furnished apartment in the rustic Chalet Synerzit, everything is available. My favorite is Chalet Fortuna. On my Instagram profile you can see a snapshot of the interior. The 77^m2 apartment on the ground floor is stylishly designed and has a small sauna integrated into the bathroom.

Grindelwald off-piste: #1 snowshoeing

But we are not only in Grindelwald to look at holiday apartments, but also to enjoy the wonderful winter weather. Since I know both ski resorts (Männlichen and First) well, we only packed our snowshoes for the weekend. And so, after a midday refreshment, it’s off to the snowshoe trails with the legendary beefburger of the Aspen Lifestyle Hotel. The signposted Aspen Trail passes right by the hotel. However, we opt for the Eiger Trail, which offers a fantastic view over Grindelwald.

The next day is not as blessed as the lecture. That doesn’t stop us from trying yet another snowshoe tour. The choice falls on the Panorama Trail Grindelwald, which leads from the Bussalp in about 7 kilometres along the slope to the First intermediate station Bort. Also a great route. If you feel hungry along the way, you can stop off at the rustic “Rasthüsi” halfway between Bussalp and Bort. And if you want to reward yourself accordingly after successfully completing 7 kilometres, we recommend a stop at the “Schyr” right next to the Bort cable car station. They serve delicious pulled pork burgers and/or sandwiches. For the tour, a good 2.5 hours of walking time are to be calculated.

Grindelwald off-piste: #2 Tobogganing Bussalp

Actually, in addition to snowshoeing, we had planned a two-hour winter hike from First to the Faulhorn followed by a descent on the longest toboggan run in Europe down to Grindelwald. But the lack of snow between the years threw a spanner in the works. The Faulhorn-Bussalp section remained closed on the first weekend in January. As an alternative, we used the “classic” from the Bussalp down to Grindelwald. We took the first bus up on Sunday morning and had the pleasure of having the whole route to ourselves. I’ve never sledged down anywhere so relaxed.

Grindelwald off-piste: #3 thrills

We also used the weekend to see one of the newest tourist highlights of the region. The Jungfrau Region is creative in entertaining tourists and has invested in the installation of weather-independent attractions in recent years. One of them is the First Cliff Walk – a short sneaker round around the First mountain station, which can quickly become a great thrill for people with a fear of heights (shhhh

Cook for yourself or eat out?

I think for my parents, the sports holidays in the apartment were not “real” holidays. Every day I had to shop, cook and (due to the lack of a dishwasher) do the dishes by hand. And we had to take care of each of the tasks: preparing potatoes, setting the table and drying the dishes.

In order to get our fondue caquelon clean again in the Stotzhalten ground floor apartment, we also had to scrub by hand. Fortunately, the main part of the washing up was done by the dishwasher. The next two evenings we ate out. If you are ever in Grindelwald, you have to reserve an evening for Cafe 3692. The number is not a postcode (as I assumed at the beginning), but the summit altitude of the Wetterhorn. For many years, the landlord couple Myriam and Bruno Kaufmann worked as hut wardens in the Glecksteinhütte on the Wetterhorn, until they made a dream come true with the opening of Cafe 3692. This is where good food, creative work with wood and a passion for hospitality come together.

While Cafe 3692 is happy to take reservations for dinner, Uncle Tom’s hut has a hard time with this. No, they don’t take reservations, but I should call again about an hour before dinner, then a table will be kept free – huh?

Well, this concept doesn’t quite work. We finally passed by later in the evening with a growling stomach on the off chance and got a place after a short wait. But the ambience and the pizzas are really great.

We enjoyed our long winter weekend in the apartment and especially appreciated the flexibility. Especially if you are planning a holiday with children, dogs, friends or in a larger group, you will certainly find the right apartment in the GriwaRent portfolio.

More tips for your winter stay in a holiday apartment in Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland

• During the winter high season, the apartments are only rented on a weekly basis. In low season, there is usually a minimum stay of 4 nights.
• The infrastructure in most apartments includes a ski room and free wifi.
• In the run-up to arrival, additional services such as the purchase of ski passes, registration in ski schools, ski rental, etc. can be ordered via GriwaRent.
• Unfortunately, the ski passes and the guest card are not valid on the Grindelwald-Bussalp route. Only the hiking and tobogganing pass includes this route.
• The bakery-confectionery-café Ringgenberg diagonally opposite our apartment is a great breakfast alternative (especially on Sunday mornings when the Coop is closed).
• If you want to spend a romantic weekend for two in Grindelwald, you should definitely take a look at the Loveroom in Cafe 3692 – Bruno Kaufmann has created a mega great bed and breakfast room here.

Note: GriwaRent invited me to Grindelwald – all opinions and impressions are ours as always.