First
A minor summit on the slopes of the Schwarzhorn, best known as the top station of the cable car from Grindelwald. It is the start of easy walks to the Bachalpsee and the end of the long ridge hike from Schynige Platte over the Faulhorn.
- Where
- Grindelwald, Bern, Switzerland
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 46.6603, 8.0531
Get the First stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at First. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Bern volume with your photos and a note.
Near First
Bachalpsee 2.6 km
A small mountain lake at 2,265 metres, about an hour's walk from the First cable car above Grindelwald. A natural dam splits it in two, and on a still day the higher part mirrors the Schreckhorn and the Wetterhorn behind it.
Eiger 9.9 km
A 3,967 metre mountain whose north face rises more than 3,000 metres above the valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. It is the eastern end of the ridge that runs across the Mönch to the Jungfrau, and its dark north wall is one of the most famous climbs in the Alps.
Männlichen 10.0 km
A 2,343 metre mountain between the valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, reached by cable car from both sides. The ridge is a natural balcony facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and the start of a gentle walk down to Kleine Scheidegg.
Lake Brienz 10 km
A deep, green-blue lake about 14 kilometres long just north of the Alps, fed by the Aare at its eastern end and by streams falling from steep forested slopes. Interlaken sits at its western tip, and paddle steamers cross to the woodcarving village of Brienz.
Ballenberg Open-Air Museum 10 km
A spread of more than 100 old farmhouses, barns and workshops that were taken apart across Switzerland and rebuilt here near Brienz. Walking its paths is like crossing the country's regions in an afternoon, from timber chalets to stone houses.
Kleine Scheidegg 11 km
A mountain pass at 2,061 metres right beneath the Eiger, where the trains from Grindelwald and Wengen meet the Jungfrau Railway. Its name means minor watershed, since it only divides the two arms of the Lütschine river.
Schynige Platte 11 km
A mountain ridge and viewpoint at about 2,000 metres above Lake Brienz, reached by an old cog railway from Wilderswil. It is the starting point of the classic high trail over the Faulhorn to First, with the big peaks of the Bernese Oberland in view all the way.
Reichenbach Falls 12 km
A waterfall dropping 250 metres above Meiringen, reached by an old funicular. Arthur Conan Doyle chose its upper fall for the struggle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty in The Final Problem.
More hidden gems in Bern
Questions
Where is First?
First is in Grindelwald, Bern, Switzerland. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Bachalpsee (2.6 km), Eiger (9.9 km), Männlichen (10.0 km).
How do I get the First stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at First and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Bern volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to First before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Bern volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.