Grindelwald is one of Europe's oldest mountain resorts, surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Its name is derived from the old German word 'grindel', meaning a piece of wood that serves as a barrier, and the 'wald', a forest closed off from the rest of the world. In the 1920s, with the 'invention' of skiing as a pleasure activity, Grindelwald lost its remoteness as members of the 'Downhill Only Club' headed to the village by train to ski. The village itself is filled with Swiss charm and is surrounded by flower-filled meadows during the summer - and open skiing fields in the winter which have made this an ideal playground for downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter.
