Grindelwald and Jungfrau Region
Grindelwald is a scenic place in the Bernese Oberland. This beautiful area has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. For tourist, sports, and other information, please visit the Grindelwald tourism website.
If you would like to get familiar with the nature, the landscape and the people of Grindelwald, you may have a look at the online brochures about the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. Conservation and development strategies and conflicts in and around the World Heritage Site are described in this article (pdf) about participatory approaches or this article (pdf) on the commons dilemma shown with alpine farmers.
Accommodation and Venue
Hotel reservations are made by us at the Hotel Hirschen, Hotel Steinbock, Hotel Central Wolter and Sunstar for all participants and teachers. You will receive the list with your personal room information 2 – 3 weeks prior to the Summer School. Dinner (all meals vegetarian) is organized in one of the hotels for everybody together. Please notify Isabel Jakob (isabel.jakob@unibe.ch) if you have dietary restrictions, e.g. gluten-free dishes (notification not later than 15 June 2024). Lunch is not organized by us, i.e. you may also go for a walk, enjoy the sun or sports facilities.
The lectures and poster sessions will be held at the Sunstar Hotel.
Climate
Grindelwald is situated at 1050 m asl. The weather conditions in August / September are typically nice, with warm days and cool nights, but be prepared for rain and temperature drops.
Excursion to Pfingstegg and Bäregg
On Wednesday afternoon, there will be a field trip including a hike of 1 – 4 hrs depending on your choice of the route. We follow mountain hiking trails. Please bring appropriate boots (outdoor sport shoes, hiking boots! … this is NOT a beach-side walk), outdoor gear (wind and rain protection) and sunglasses.
Arrival and departure
Arrival: Sunday, 1 September 2024 early afternoon. Registration starts at 13:00 at the Sunstar Hotel, the opening of the Summer School is at 14:00.
Departure: The Summer School closes on Friday, 6 September 2024 at 16:00.
Travel by train
Please see the SBB website for information about train rides to Grindelwald. There are Intercity-, Eurocity-, ICE-, and TGV-trains connecting major European cities with the train station at Interlaken Ost. Change train at Interlaken Ost to a small train that brings you to Grindelwald in 35 minutes. All Summer School hotels and the Congress Centre are in walking distance from Grindelwald railway station.
Travel by air
Best are Zurich Airport or Geneva Airport. Both have train stations with (half-)hourly connections to Grindelwald. Passengers from Zurich Airport change trains in Bern and in Interlaken Ost. The duration of the train ride is approx. 3 hrs. (Zurich Airport) or 3.5 hrs. (Geneva Airport) and costs approx. 180 CHF (2nd class, return ticket). Tickets can be bought at the airport train stations, credit cards are accepted, and train reservations are not necessary.
Insurance
Please make sure that your health and accident insurance is covered for your stay in Switzerland. The organizers of the Summer School do not take responsibilities for any kind of damage by or to its participants.
