WENGEN / BERNESE OBERLAND
A classic holiday resort with a flair for sport and with breathtaking views
Wengen lies at 1274 m on a sheltered sunny terrace at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, 400 m above the Lauterbrunnen valley. Since 1893 the access to Wengen has been via the historic Wengernalp rack-railway from Lauterbrunnen . The summer and winter resort is rich in traditions and it is also an ideal departure point for winter sport fans and sun-worshipers;guests can reach quickly and easily the Männlichen by cable car or the Kleine Scheidegg by rack-railway. Beginners in skiing may take advantage of the nursery slopes right in the centre of the village. Non-skiers may enjoy the footpaths and the toboggan runs, the natural and artificial ice-rinks with curling rinks, or just the views from one of the sunny terraces. Wengen is famous for the Lauberhorn Ski World Cup Races
and also for the unique summer events as the Mendelssohn Music Week or the Jungrau Marathon. Unforgettable outings and walks in the UNESCO World Heritage Site belong to the programme as much as a game of crazy golf or a swim in the heated open air pool in Wengen with fantastic views to the Jungfrau.
- idyllic
- primeval
HISTORY
The village of Wengen has been mentioned for the first time in 1268. The origin of the name is uncertain as it could be either the cheek („Wangen“ = cheek slopes) or soaked meadows (Wengen).
The inhabitants lived a solitary, simple life. Nevertheless, the great plague in 1669 and reached the mountain village of Wengen. There were also natural disasters which the residents had to endure. In 1770 eight people lost their life in a major avalanche. In 1791 a landslide destroyed people’s and animal’s lives. Heavy „Foehn“ and autumn storms damaged again and again houses and forests.
The first guests arrived in the 18th century on their way from Lauterbrunnen to Wengernalp and Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald passing the mountain village of Wengen. In 1859 the first guesthouse was opened in Innerwengen. Around 1890 the first railway was built leading to Wengernalp which was the most modern mean of transport at that time and still is nowadays.
The population in 1783 had 210 inhabitants and in 1900 811.
During the Second World War British and American pilotes as well as Polish soldiers were interned. After World War II tourism started again to increase. Currently (in 2008) Wengen gets a property boom and an urban sprawl.