Photo: Benoit Linero
It’s all so lovely in and around the hotel that you might feel compelled to hunker down by the fire each morning after breakfast, or take a leisurely stroll through the streets of Wengen to peruse its delightful cheese stores and cafés—but Grand Hotel Belvedere also has a more adventurous streak that’s worth exploring. In the winter, there’s skiing and snowboarding of course—but also glacier climbing, sledding, and even trail running in the snow; in the summer, you can pick your own pace too, whether that’s the hair-raising thrills of paragliding and via ferrata, or an afternoon foraging for mushrooms or cruising the lake on a jetboat.
Working on the assumption you’ll no doubt have worked up something of an appetite, which Grand Hotel Belvedere has also taken into consideration: its two restaurants are stationed in each of the different buildings to offer an entirely different feel depending on your mood. (Though both are overseen by Will Gordon, whose slow, seasonal—and most importantly, delicious—take on modern Swiss cuisine first earned him attention while working at the beloved Cambrian Hotel in Adelboden.) The main restaurant, Brasserie Belvedere, is set within the breathtaking setting of the former hotel’s dining room, with striking arches to frame the light that floods in at lunchtime and arches decorated with elaborate Art Nouveau floral motifs; the perfect backdrop for elegantly presented platters of local charcuterie and cheese, or more elaborate dishes like Gordon’s elevated take on Alpine macaroni made with Belper Knolle, or homemade pastas and perfectly crisp schnitzel.
Photo: Lucas Dutertry
Photo: Benoit Linero
For an even more casual feel, you can head down the outdoor pathway to the hotel’s Sonnenbad restaurant to raclette or a perfectly grilled bratwurst with tangy sauerkraut (or, if you’re seeking something a little lighter, a spinach salad with local berries—a surprisingly delicious combo—and a delicate plate of homemade wagyu bresaola scattered with a mushroom tapenade). Oh, and a special shout-out for the mocktails and cocktails, too, which are heavy on herbal infusions and local spirits without feeling overly medicinal, and all whizzed up in the atmospheric surroundings of the Bergwald Bar, where you can take in those views from a stool perched at the theatrically rounded white bartop.