The famous "Panoram Weg" (which means "Panorama Way" in German ) stayed true to its name and offered near non-stop jaw dropping views from start to finish. You'll be walking towards 3 of the highest peaks in the Alps including Monsch (glacier central), Eiger (wide and massive) and Jungfrau (the tallest). You're moving towards structures on a scale so massive and on a nature trail so pristine that it feels like you're on another planet. Other parts of the trail look indiscernible from The Shire in Lord of the Rings.
Maybe it was the thin air at 7700 ft (2300 m) or maybe it was just the weather that day, but sound just seems to travel differently up there. The trek was serene. It was quiet, with the ring of cowbells serving as the soundtrack as animals grazed in the pastures.
Getting There
Train into the town of Wengen from whichever town you're staying at. For me, it was a short ride from Lauterbrunnen. From Wengen station, follow the signs to the Gondola to Männlichen, which will take you a few hundred feet up the to a high point on the mountain.
Route details
The Männlichen to KleineScheidegg is route 4.9 km (3 miles) and takes ~2 hours to complete. The route ends at Kleine Scheidegg which is both the entrance to the train taking you to Jungfrau (see Jungfrau to Mönsch glacier hike) and an SBB station connecting you to the surrounding towns and hikes (e.g. Grindewald)
Side Quest: Männlichen Summit (Royal Walk)
Look for signs to the Männlichen summit or "royal walk". This is a short (and steep) climb to the summit which you can complete in ~1 hour roundtrip including pictures. At the top you'll be rewarded with views of many of the high peaks including Monsch , Eiger and Jungfrau (the tallest). You'll also see a map pointing out the other major peaks. It's a great place to get your bearings / understand where you are in relation to landmarks.
Finally, you'll run into lots of cows and cowbells, which make for great photo ops.
Männlichen is also a trail entrance for hikes to the nearby towns.
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