Engstligenalp Waterfall

The Engstligen Falls, near Adelboden in the Bernese Highlands, consist of two waterfalls, Engstligen Fall I and II, with heights of 97 and 165 m respectively. They are listed in the Swiss inventory of landscapes of national importance.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.89 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 774 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 778 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,938 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,408 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Under dem Birg cable car. Parking is free and there are plenty of spaces.

(S/E) Take the yellow-marked path that runs beneath the cable car cables. Cross a wooden bridge and you will immediately reach a fork in the path.

(1) Turn left onto the red-marked path which climbs towards "Engstligenalp". You will reach a three-way junction.

(2) Continue climbing in the same direction. At the next junction, turn left, pass under the cable car cables again and reach a pasture.

(3) After the gate, keep to the left and reach another junction.

(4) Take the path slightly to the right that leads downhill: do not follow signs for “Berghaus Bärtschi” and “Berghotel Engstligenalp”. Walk for about a hundred metres, then turn right and cross the bridge. A little further on, leave the main path and head to the right, following the path that leads towards the pastures and reaches a farm.

(5) You can stop here: local produce is on sale. Take the path down to the right of the farm, marked in red, until you reach a fork.

(6) Before passing the gate, turn right to see the top of the upper Entschligefäll waterfall. Return to the gate.

(6) Turn right to continue downhill.

(7) Continue descending to the right: the path on the left leads to the end of a via ferrata. You will reach the foot of the upper waterfall.

(8) Cross the bridge and continue to the junction with the path up to Engstligenalp. Continue descending towards "Unter dem Birg" to the fork you passed on the way up.

(2) Take the path on the left and reach the foot of the lower waterfall (165 m high).

(9) Retrace your steps and follow the yellow-marked path on the left towards "Adelboden" until you reach the original fork.

(1) Continue straight on to reach the arrival point of the Under dem Birg cable car (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,413 m - Under dem Birg cable car car park
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 1,418 m - Junction: L/ left - R/ straight ahead
  3. 2 : km 0.66 - alt. 1,503 m - Junction: L/ left - R/ straight ahead
  4. 3 : km 2.17 - alt. 1,917 m - Entrance to the pasture
  5. 4 : km 2.39 - alt. 1,936 m - Junction, turn right
  6. 5 : km 2.75 - alt. 1,905 m - Zur Chummihütte Farm
  7. 6 : km 3.04 - alt. 1,846 m - Exit to pasture
  8. 7 : km 3.33 - alt. 1,793 m - Junction, turn right
  9. 8 : km 3.56 - alt. 1,790 m - Upper waterfall
  10. 9 : km 5.08 - alt. 1,440 m - Lower waterfall
  11. S/E : km 5.89 - alt. 1,416 m - Under dem Birg cable car car park

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
User 25772363

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well informed
In terms of visitor numbers, we set off at around 8 a.m. and most people take the cable car up, so there may be more people on the upper loop.

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Chicots
Chicots

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful waterfalls. A very pleasant hike, but quite physically demanding due to the steep climb and descent. Accurate description.

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ditrek
ditrek

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did an alternative: we took the cable car (CHF 26 per person ) from the car park (free) to Engsligenalp and then back to the Ammertenspitz summit (2612m, +700m ascent 10 km return). From the summit, a magnificent view of the Adelboden valley on one side and a glacier on the other (which I think will have disappeared in a few years' time). On the way down, the view of Engstligenalp is reminiscent of Norwegian landscapes . We walked back down Engsligenalp to the unter dem birg car park, each time making a diversion to the waterfalls , which are well worth the diversions and serve as a giant misting device!
Before getting back in the car, we sample one of Emperor Franz Joseph's favourite dishes: a Kaiserschmarren in the restaurant in front of the car park.
The walk from the arrival of the cable car to the summit of the Ammertenspitz took 2 hours 10 minutes, then 1 hour 20 minutes to return to the cable car and finally 2 hours 15 minutes for the descent via the waterfalls, making a total of 5 hours 45 minutes (although we were good walkers in low boots).
The thunderclouds on this fine summer's day spared us from the scorching sun.

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Christian delode
Christian delode

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We are a senior couple and we did this hike in about 4 hours without taking the cable car.
it's absolutely magnificent and I highly recommend this trip
it is possible to go up by cable car and come back down on foot but the price is rather high
the 2 waterfalls are worth discovering and you need to bring a mackintosh as the passage at the foot of the highest waterfall is very wet
the inn at the start of the cable car is nice and the food is good
to sum up: not to be missed

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