Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald

Gimmelwald

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Hostels in Gimmelwald

Address

28-30 Rue Rothschild, Gimmelwald Berne, Switzerland

Location/Contact

Online booking is not offered for this hostel, contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed above).

The Hostelz.com Review

A hostel lost in the middle of the Swiss Alps, Gimmelwald lies at the end of the Lauterbrunnen valley under the foot of the massive Schilthorn towering 2970 metres. The mountain hostel offers consoling conversation after a day of serenity in the Alps. Groceries, beer, wine, pizza, kitchen, a pool table, internet, and laundry facilities make the Mountain Hostel a place you can call home. There is pretty much nothing in Gimmelwald, but the much larger city above is Murren and offers a supermarket (Coop) as well as a tourist office. The walk to Murren is a casual 40 minute walk uphill.

The great couple, Petra and Walter, running the show are to thank and enjoy making sure you enjoy your stay. Showers cost 1 CHF for 3 minutes of hot water. Groceries are no more expensive than most places in Switzerland. The price is kept low because you are expected to respect, so it begins to feel like a home away from home. Being in a place so far away pulls together the humanity in us and is exemplified here at the Mountain Hostel.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review

Ratings & Comments

4.4 Average from 35 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by Lee, U.K.

March 2009

Spoilt by noisy guests
Stayed here one night, summer 2008. Clean, cheap, reasonably well-equipped, beautiful location. But the place was dominated by people whose only response to their surroundings was to drink as much as possible and make a lot of noise until at least 3 a.m. No intervention by staff. A total contrast to our experiences in the mountain hotels and huts of the region. At this hostel, on that day, quieter guests just could not relax or sleep, or get into conversation with one another.

Comment by Adam--Minneapolis, American

September 2008

Fun -- not a good night's rest
This was a place that was highly recommended to us by a friend. We had a great time here in the evenings, chatting and playing cards with others in the main room, but when it came time to sleep, it was very difficult. I do not consider myself a light sleeper, but in our room (the "lovers" room) there was one guy who was snoring (which is ok as something you cannot control) and there was a different guy who farted (loud farts) all through the night. It was tough too because there are four beds all pushed directly up against each other, as someone else said, with no space between them. Summary -- great atmosphere and fun to meet others; not a good place to stay if you are wanting to sleep.

Comment by Jordan Baxter, English

September 2008

The best place i have ever been, ever
This hostel is an absolutely brilliant place, the best place i have ever been in my life. you cannot really describe how awesome this place really is. the staff are great (the best people you will ever meet). if you stay in the mountain hostel you will never forget it. the only negative i have about the place is when you go home you just wish you were still there. if you stay here or you have stayed there you will know what i mean. The atmosphere is perfect, the views are stunning, the hostel is kept clean and tidy. it even has a free wood heated hot tub, and pool table! It Has free internet access and has a bar serving food and drinks. you'll never stay anywhere like this i promise! If i had the choice between the mountain hostel and a five-star hotel, honestly i would choose the mountain hostel every time!

Comment by Chris, USA

July 2008

Highlight of my trip
I had a great time at Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald. I originally planned to spend seven nights here, but after some trouble with trains, I did not hesitate to book three more nights. You meet so many awesome people in this hostel and the staff are very friendly. I plan to come back in the future.

Comment by Ruben Smith, USA

July 2008

Paradise on earh
I was in gimmelwald for three nights. sorry Petra and family i couldnt stay longer. too bad i had to catch the plane back home. i'm sure i would have stayed there for the rest of the summer. I cant believe that people could be unhappy with this place. it's absolutely wonderful. i loved that place, that's all that counts -- and i will be back for sure.

Comment by Myra, Australia

July 2008

The most Amazing place ever!
I booked here for two nights and we have now stayed three weeks. The staff are great and the most beautiful people that we have met on our trip. The beds are changed after every guest, the owner responded to the fire alarm in a flash, the showers cost because of the high cost of fuel and accessibility to the area to get the fuel here. This place is amazing, no words or pictures can really describe it. You just have to come here yourself and check it out.

Comment by Aaron, american

July 2008

Best hostel in Europe
This hostel is amazing -- I was just there! The hostel was clean and petra and her Staff are so helpful and friendly. By the way the showers are five minutes. I am sure it's the best hostel in Europe. I travel with a budget of $30 a day so the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald is the place to stay. I will be back next summer for three weeks! thank you petra for keeping such a great hostel!

Comment by Luke, British

June 2008

Absolutely disappointing
Well they say its a once in a lifetime experience, never have they been so true! This hostel was the worst part of my traveling around europe. I can't see how people say petra is friendly, as soon as we got there we were given the cold shoulder. And what's more is that there was some stupid cow who thought she owned the place! And also thoroughly insulted the british and americans in front of them! She would even go as far as to see where you'd cooked on the cooker and maybe spilt a little water onto the hob, and ask you to clean it even though others are still cooking on it. The building is in a great area, with fantastic views and amazing guests, but the staffing was appalling and i will never recommend people to stay here, but only to not stay! Even during a fire alarm going off, no one came to check if everyone was ok, it was left up to whoever was bothered to check if everything was ok (including to see if there was a fire!). And be prepared as if you click onto the dorm bed photos, it only shows two of the eight, yes eight beds that have nothing between them, they are mattress to mattress, and the "fresh" bedding is only if the previous guest has bothered to change it, and you're not allowed to use your sleeping bag either! So if you want an unfriendly welcome, pay 1franc (=$1) for three minutes in one of the three showers, have snotty know-it-all people treat you like dirt and have staff that don't even check on anyone if there's a fire alarm then i guess this is the place for you! If not then try interlaken, murren, or even another hostel in gimmelwald, which will give you so much more for the same money! Extremely disappointed with this place, was expecting it to be the highlight, but it was far from it.

Comment by Kelvin Pan, USA

July 2007

The people makes this place the best
This hostel is more like a cabin. The people there were mostly twenty-somethings. Half the people are staying at this place due to Rick Steves. The place has bunks, and also rooms for people who want more privacy (honeymoon suite). A couple food choices are available, made to order from the kitchen. Everyone there likes the outdoors. The view is fantastic. Everything is very sturdy, made to last. When I was there, it snowed (in Late May) so I didn't get to do any hikes. I'm going to describe the things I feel are most important when considering a place to stay. Location -- Excellent. Then again, Gimmelwald is just a tiny town. This rating is more for the town than the hostel, though the hostel is the closest building to the gondola. Price -- Excellent. Food -- Good. No free food, but homemade pizza is available for order. Nothing is free in the Alps. Internet -- ok. Free, but only one computer.

Comment by Eric

November 2006

This is the best hostel in Europe. Beautiful scenery, reasonable prices, laid back yet well run. I spent a miserable night in Interlachen with a bunch of spoiled Americans (I'm American too) who were only interested in hooking up and getting high. I left bright and early for Mountain Hostel and it was the opposite -- friendly, worldly, interesting people who liked to have fun, take hikes, and take advantage of being in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I got there at the very end of my trek through Europe and only wish I had had more time to spend in Gimmelwald. It's a little out of the way but worth it. Do not miss it!

Comment by Dana

October 2006

My favorite stop on my aimless trip through Europe. Great, friendly staff and wonderful, adventurous guests (everyone was so friendly). No breakfast or anything, but there is a bar with snacks in the evenings. The restaurant-style kitchen is amazing -- buy fresh eggs, cheese, and yogurt from family farms in the tiny town. Get ready for some of the best, most breath-takingly beautiful, unreal, challenging hiking ever. Note that this place is not for everyone. All there is to do is hike and lounge around looking at the Alps. The nearest grocery store is a thirty-plus-minute hike (up-hill), in the next town, and you will have to prepare much of your own food! Also, the bunks (segregated by sex, with a "couples," or mixed-sex, room) are set up in such a way that you may find yourself essentially sharing an enormous bed with eight other people. I loved it though. I didn't want to leave, but had to when all the beds were booked. Try the Heidi's hot chocolate (hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps)!

Comment by dean

August 2006

this was the best hostel i have ever stayed in -- a full kitchen, the best view ever, a wood fired hottub, and a great time in general, not to mention some of the best hiking in the world.

Comment by Tom Miles

November 2005

This place is awesome!!! Even if it were just a rat-infested shack, the views, people and pizzas alone would earn it 4 stars. And the hot tub!! Inspired!! I would rate this place 4.9, just missing out on five with the paid showers. Gimmelwald is the most beautiful place on earth, bar none. I visited for the first time in July 2005, and am already going back in Jan. 2006, and hopefully June 2006!! I always thought that the term "breathtaking view" was hyperbole from emotional losers. But by God, these views are breathtaking. One look and you are asking the nearest stranger for information on Swiss residency!!!

Comment by Jonathan, USA

September 2005

This is probably the best hostel I've ever stayed in, and I've stayed in quite a few. Clean, great staff, great guests, great atmosphere, and Gimmelwald is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It's also really a nice touch that they sell beer and food (prepared and basic groceries) right there at reception, since the closest grocery store is a 45-minute hike uphill. Some people may complain about having to pay to use the showers, but the way I see it, with so many people and a limited number of showers, it's really the only way to keep people moving along. It really wasn't an issue for me. I didn't want to leave this place the first time, and I certainly will be staying here again.

Comment by Brandon

June 2005

This is a piece of heaven. The actual facilities are average and you'll go through those francs pretty quick with the pay showers, but the atmosphere is unbeatable! After a day of hiking with friends you've made, everyone comes back to good communal dinners, to play music, or even some Scrabble. I almost scrapped the rest of my trip and stayed here until going home. Sometimes I still wish I did.

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Hostels in Gimmelwald

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