LAST May, I traveled by plane, train, bus, and cable car to reach the iconic TikTok-famous hostel nestled in the mountains of Switzerland.
Aptly named The Mountain Hostel, it sits on top of Gimmelwald Mountain, a little under an hour away from the well-known city of Interlaken, and offers tons of adrenaline activities.
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The place boasts about its nearby scenic hiking trails, ski lifts, and, best of all, paragliding jumps.
My trip was spurred on by a moment of restlessness while sitting in my flat writing an 8,000-word essay.
As I procrastinated by scrolling through TikTok, I came across the most beautiful hostel I’ve ever seen.
The Mountain Hostel, initially built in 1563, is one of a few buildings on top of the car-free village, making it feel secluded and exclusive.
After seeing short clips of the jaw-dropping scenery and larger-than-life mountains, I immediately booked a solo trip to Switzerland solely to stay at the Mountain Hostel.
The hostel cost only $45 per night, a steal for the infamously expensive country, but I was not prepared for the trek it would take to get there and what my living conditions would be like once I arrived.
Two weeks after impulsively booking the hostel, I waltzed on to my $20 Ryanair flight from London City Airport to Zurich, took a three-hour train to Lauterbrunnen, and then hopped on a bus that brought me to a cable car I needed to board to reach Gimmelwald.
The over six-hour travel day finally led me to The Mountain Hostel.
The Mountain Hostel activities
The Mountain Hostel offers an array of activities, here’s a few:
- Rock Climbing
- Water rafting
- Paragliding
- Hiking
- Skiing
- Live DJs and musicians
Find out more on The Mountain Hostel website.
Once I walked off the cable car, I was stunned by the movie-like mountains surrounding the hostel. The long travel day was well worth it.
I headed up the steep hill to the reception area, which felt more like a cozy living room than a business.
The friendly receptionist led me to my female dorm, where I shared a room with about 30 other girls.
I’ve stayed in dozens of hostels before but this was unlike any one I’ve stayed in.
The bunk beds weren’t divided like in more modern hostels; all the mattresses were laid side by side.
If you rolled over, there was a good chance you may end up accidentally cuddling your roommate.
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Surprisingly, this setup helped foster a warm and friendly atmosphere, with all the guests being more aware and respectful of each other’s space.
How to get to The Mountain Hostel
The Mountain Hostel is a car-free village, so you’ll need to rely on public transportation to reach it. Getting to the hostel can be a trek, but it’s well worth it. Here’s the easiest way to get to the hostel from the Zurich airport:
- Take the train from Zurich to Interlaken Ost
- At Interlaken, take the train headed towards Lauterbrunnen
- Note: The train has TWO parts. The first half goes to Lauterbrunnen and the second half goes to Grindelwald, go on the first half
- Take the bus Lauterbrunnen – Stechelberg Schilthornbahn
- Note: The bus either takes cash OR you can download the SBB Mobile, which allows you to buy a ticket in advance
- You can also choose to walk to Schilthornbahn, I did it, and it took me around 90 minutes
- Take the gondola Stechelberg – Schilthorn
- Note: Buy the ticket either on the SBB Mobile app or at the ticket machine
- Gimmelwald will be the first stop
ADRENALINE ADVENTURE
As I settled into my new home for the next three days, one guest told me about the “life-changing” activity she did that day: paragliding.
“You have to do it,” she exclaimed.
So, naturally, I had to do it.
Later that day, I signed up to go paragliding; for $150, I could jump and get videos to brag on social media.
Sure enough, at 9 am Saturday morning, I was on a cable car from Gimmelwald to Murren, a trip that only takes about five minutes, to go paragliding.
When I arrived at the top of Murren, a slightly bigger town with a convenience store and a few restaurants, I met with my instructor, Dave, from Airtime Paragliding.
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Dave, an American expat who has lived in Switzerland for 15 years, met me by the cable car.
We walked further up the mountain until we were both out of breath.
As he prepared the paraglider, he told me that since you can’t have a car in the town, he sometimes opts to paraglide down to the parking lot that sits at the base of the mountain rather than using the cable car.
Things to know about paragliding
- Make sure you’re comfortable walking uphill, you need to walk about 10 minutes uphill before starting
- Wear layered clothing and bring good sneakers, it can get cold up in the air
- Standard airtime is about 15-20 minutes
- There is no age limit, but there is a weight limit of around 200 lbs
- Airtime paragliding takes off from Murren and lands in Stechelberg
Once the paraglide was ready and I was strapped in, the instructor told me that in order for it to fly, we needed to run down the hill as fast as possible.
Although I thought that sounded ridiculous, the two of us began to sprint down the hill.
After a few seconds of running our paraglide picked up, and we flew.
As we soared through the air, I was struck by the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps.
Snowcapped mountains surrounded us, and from above, you would never be able to tell humans lived in the area. Well, aside from the parking lot that we eventually landed in.
Prior to paragliding, I’d been skydiving twice before, but it was not the same.
The 15-minute journey didn’t have the same adrenaline-fueled rush as skydiving; instead, I was able to enjoy the panoramic views.
As we prepared to land, Dave told me to start running while still in the air, so I would quite literally hit the ground running.
Once we safely landed, he downloaded the GoPro photos he had taken during our journey and sent them to me.
We parted ways, and I took the cable car back up to Gimmelwald, where I unwound at the hostel.
The Mountain Hostel history
The hostel’s website shares the centuries-long history of the place:
The Mountain Hostel was built in 1563, it was occupied by two families which kept cows and goats in the basement and lived in the building above which was split into two.
It remained a farming home for hundreds of years until its purpose was changed in 1939 when Lina Von Allmen converted the building to a hostel for the first time.
Back then, there was not Internet. Word of mouth brought travellers from all over the world to Gimmelwald, it was wild, free and THE place to be.
In 1995, Petra and Walter Brunner put our their heart and soul renovating it to a charming yet modest state and kept the place alive for many years.
In 2020, the hostel was renovated again by the new owner, Janine, and has since been welcoming travelers from all over the world.
MORE TO OFFER
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The Mountain Hostel has so much more to offer than paragliding, hiking, and skiing.
Those looking for an even more heart-pounding experience can choose to go bungee jumping or rock climbing.
I was really looking forward to going river rafting, but unfortunately, it was snowing (yes, it still snows in Switzerland in May, as I found out), so no water activities were taking place.
Plus, in both winter and summer months, the hostel hosts live music and DJ sets for everyone to enjoy.
Those wanting to stay at the iconic area should make sure to book far in advance as it tends to get pretty busy during peak travel times.
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