The musical romance film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, or in short DDLJ, was written and produced by Anitya Chopra and directed by his father Yash Chopra. As we all know, Yash Chopra often used to travel to Switzerland for his movie sets and DDLJ was no exception.
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DDLJ Switzerland Scenes & Locations
The majority of the scenes were filmed in locations very close to one another in the Gstaad/Saanenland region of Switzerland. This is down the Zwesimmen Valley close to Interlaken, so can easily be combined with a trip to Interlaken and Jungfraujoch.
I have split it up by location, so you can visit all the different location scenes in one go and then move on to the next village or town.
If you are in a real hurry, you can definitely visit all locations in Gstaad and Saanen in one day.
General DDLJ Locations
A lot of the Switzerland DDLJ locations are filmed in the beautiful region of Gstaad/Saanenland, showing the stunning mountains, the endless pastures and the traditional villages. Below I will highlight the most important scenes which you can easily visit by yourself using public transport or with your own vehicle.
But here is a quick taste of some of the stunning scenery in this region that you see throughout DDLJ.
Gstaad Scenes
Located in the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is a must-see if you’re in the area. You can read more about it here.
Most of the scenes of the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” were shot in Gstaad and the tourist office even has a free pamphlet that lists all the important locations. Everything is within walking distance from the train station and in the centre of the village.
Gstaad Train Station
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During the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” Simran jumps on an old red train and Raj runs behind her and finally manages the get on the train.
From this train station, you can easily catch a train to the next location of “Saanen”. The train ride only takes 10 minutes.
Bakery “Early Beck”
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During the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” Simran runs into a bakery, takes some chocolates and runs out without paying. Raj ends up paying for the chocolates and then runs after Simran.
The bakery has a nice range of pastries, chocolates and all kinds of different bread.
Sport Zentrum Gstaad
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Set in the beautiful indoor swimming pool of the Sports Center in Gstaad, Simran and Raj dance and swim during the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main”.
The Sports Center has a large indoor swimming pool (Hallenbad), a Wellness & Fitness centre and other amenities. For prices, you can check their website.
Gstaad Promenade
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Quite a few scenes of the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” are filmed on the promenade: Simran and Raj running and dancing on the street or when they are in a horse and carriage on their way home.
The Gstaad Promenade is a pedestrianized zone through Gstaad, dotted with several shops of luxury brands, cafes and restaurants. Visitors often talk about it as a little paradise as it is lined with beautiful Swiss chalets and the atmosphere is both charming and elegant.
Saanen Scenes
Saanen might not be on the average bucket list, but it’s still worth a visit. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district which does not necessarily mean it is a big town. It is, however, a cute small Swiss village with a beautiful old town and the typical chalets that come with it. On top of that, the mountains always provide a breathtaking backdrop for all those pictures you are probably going to take!
All the locations mentioned below are very close to the train station or in the centre of town.
Saanen Football field
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Right at the beginning of the movie, Raj is seen playing rugby. This scene was shot on the football field very close to the train station and the famous bridge I will talk about later
Saanen Airport
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Also at the beginning of DDLJ, Raj is running next to a plane. The airstrip he’s running on is part of the small local airport Saanen, also called Gstaad Airport. It mostly serves smaller aircraft and helicopters.
St. Mauritius or Saanen Church
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Simran notices the beautiful Saanen Church and wants to visit it. Raj is a bit dubious at the beginning but then decides to join her.
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The Saanen Church was built in 1228 and further expanded later on. Listed as a Swiss heritage site, it is one of the many popular attractions in the area.
You will notice that the interior of the church is quite different to the one shown in the movie. That’s because that interior belongs to a different church, the St. Grat Church, located in Montbovon. I haven’t been able to verify this myself, but a lot of reports point in the direction of that specific church.
Saanen Train Station
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The scene during which Simran asks Raj whether he wants to send a postcard is filmed at the Saanen train station. And so are a few other short scenes, where, for example, trains are running through the train station, one of them the famous GoldenPass Express (MOB-train) coming or going to Gstaad.
The famous “Paalat” scene where Simran gets on the train and Raj wills her to look back, is also shot at this little train station.
The train station might look a little different from the one you see in the movie. That’s because parts of the building have been renovated during the past years.
Saanen Bridge
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Last but not least, the Saanen bridge, where Raj tells Simran he loves her. Simran explains to him that she has to marry someone she doesn’t know and that her marriage is arranged. Simran then gets on the train and Raj wants her to look back (see above).
Much later in the movie we also see Simran and Raj dancing on the very same bridge.
The DDLJ bridge is located at a short walking distance from the train station and also has a DDLJ poster pinned on it.
Zweisimmen
Zweisimmen is a quaint little Swiss village and a gateway for many activities in the region. The famous GoldenPass Express train also stops here, so it is very convenient for your DDLJ tour!
Zweisimmen Train Station
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Needless to say, a lot of DDLJ are filmed at train stations which is not surprising as trains and their infrastructure play such an important role in Switzerland.
You will see the Zweisimmen train station in the scene where Raj is in a kiosk buying a knife and Simran a cowbell. Simran tells them to hurry up, as her train is arriving soon. Unfortunately, she does miss her train which then results in the fact that she goes on a road trip with Raj.
Interlaken Scenes
Interlaken is the main hub to visit Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and the Jungfraujoch Region. In Interlaken, you can also go paragliding and land right in the centre of town. It has a lovely old town and some beautiful hotels and restaurants along the river.
And, of course, there are also lots of DDLJ Interlaken scenes that you can visit while you are there!
Interlaken Fountain
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Only a few scenes are filmed in Interlaken, one of them the scene where Raj is apologising for his behavior of the night before and gives her a plastic rose that sprays water into her face.
The fountain is very easy to find and is located on the main promenade, “Höheweg,” close to where all the paragliders land.
Hotel Metropole
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You can recognise the sign of the Hotel Metropole in the background of the scene where everyone is sitting on a terrace talking.
The sign looks a bit different now, as it has been renovated since the movie was created.
Lungernsee
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Even though I’m not fully convinced, different sources say that the scene where Simran and Raj are fishing and catching a shoe was filmed at the Lungernsee.
The Lungernsee is a real jewel of a mountain lake with the most stunning turquoise waters. You cannot see the colour of the lake (I have to admit that the turquoise colour of the lake is at its best in sunny weather) nor the exact surroundings of the lake in the movie, so I’m not 100% sure.
Nevertheless, the Lungernsee is worth a visit, especially in summer.
Mount Titlis & Jungfraujoch
During the song “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” Simran is seen dancing in the snow while Raj is watching her. Many different sources claim that this scene is set on top of the Jungfraujoch. Having lived and hiked in Switzerland for over 20 years, I can safely say this is not the case.
Looking closely at the scene, you will notice trees and a lake. At the Jungfraujoch, there are no trees as it’s at an elevation of 3454 metres and there is no lake in the vicinity. So even though the Jungfraujoch is spectacular and should be on your bucket list, it is, unfortunately, no official DDLJ scene.
Other sources say that the DDLJ scene is shot on Mount Titlis. Again, for the same reasons mentioned above, it is not possible that Mount Titlis was used as a setting. There is a DDLJ poster on Mount Titlis, so if you want to get a shot with snow and mountains in a spectacular background, it is definitely a good place to go.
Potentially, a scene was shot below Mt Titless around Lake Trübsee, however, I have not seen any evidence in either direction – yes, or no.
