Winter experiences away from the slopes

There are many snowshoeing trails that take you up Mont Soleil. These afford a range of views and are of varying degrees of difficulty. If you are looking for a brief but intense experience, take the funicular from St. Imier directly up Mont Soleil (you can hire snowshoes at the valley station). Once you are at the mountain station, put on your shoes and follow the well-signposted trail over to Mont Crosin. The route takes you across the ridge from which, when the weather is fine, you can enjoy the stunning views of the gently rolling hills below. There are two restaurants on Mont Crosin, the elegant Vert Bois, and the Chalet Mont Crosin with its delightful ambience.

Snowshoeing on Mont Soleil

On glorious winter days, the landscape around the magical Lake Lauenen sparkles like a gem-studded necklace. The lake itself is hidden under a thick layer of snow, the branches of the leafless trees are weighed down by the snow, and the peaks of the Bernese Alps surround this idyllic scene as though to protect this winter wonderland against the wind and the weather. To get a close-up view of this stunning spectacle, come for a hike along the 8-kilometre trail around the lake and – to prolong the enjoyment – stop for a break at the warm and welcoming Restaurant Mattestübli.

Winter hiking at Lake Lauenen

Snowtubing is a recreational activity in which people go sliding down a slope on an oversized swimming ring. This usually takes place on specially-prepared pistes that enable the best possible line management. Although this type of sliding fun is widely available, snowtubing on the Engstligenalp has an advantage in that there are several routes to choose from, allowing quite differing rates of speed. So now dad can take the children on their first snowtubing rides and make sure they are quite safe, and mum can go and enjoy a high-speed ride down a steeper slope.

Snowtubing on the Engstligenalp