Wengen is a car-free village at 1,274 metres perched on the sunny terrace above Lauterbrunnen's eastern valley wall. You reach it by the Wengernalp rack railway from Lauterbrunnen (14 minutes), and cars are not allowed. The result is a tranquil mountain village of chalets and hotels with extraordinary views of the Jungfrau massif across the valley.
In summer, Wengen is a superb base for walking — the panoramic trail along the valley rim, the descent to Lauterbrunnen through forests, and the connections onwards to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch railway are all excellent. In winter, the skiing is serious: the Lauberhorn race course is the world's longest World Cup downhill, and the ski area connects to Grindelwald on the other side of the ridge.