Visiting Mürren in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland: Read Before You Go

Mürren is an alpine village in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It enjoys an enviable perch at 1650 meters above Lauterbrunnen Valley, opposite the big three: Eiger, Jungfrau, Mönch. 

When the sun is shining, Mürren offers some of the most breathtaking vistas of the Bernese Alps in the Jungfrau region. And thanks to its seamless transit connection to Lauterbrunnen village, Mürren is easy to get to. 

Kati and I stayed 3 nights in Mürren in September. Though we appreciated the staggering beauty of its surroundings, we were disappointed by the village atmosphere, in part due to a misalignment in expectations. Much of what has been written about Mürren doesn’t accurately capture the essence of visiting this touristic village. 

In this Mürren travel guide, I’m sharing our personal experience and impressions, so that you can make an informed decision about how much time to devote to exploring this area.

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Mürren Map

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Where to Stay in Mürren

If you want to visit Mürren, you have a few options.

You can visit the village as a day trip from Lauterbrunnen, or Interlaken. 

Alternatively, you can extend your visit by staying in Mürren. If the weather is stable and conditions are clear, you’ll be very happy to stay at elevation. If, however, it’s raining and you can’t actively explore the area, you may feel stuck (and perhaps a little miserable). 

If you decide to stay overnight in Mürren, I only recommend staying in a hotel with a restaurant. If you experience a bad spell of weather, like we did, it’s far more comfortable to dine on-site. These hotels have on-site restaurants: Eiger Guesthouse Mürren (budget-midrange), Hotel Edelweiss Superior (midrange) Hotel Restaurant Alpenblick (midrange), Hotel Alpina (midrange), Hotel Eiger Mürren (4-star luxury with spa), and the newly renovated Hotel Mürren Palace (4-star luxury with spa).

Those seeking self-catering accommodations will love the top-rated Chalet Raufthubel apartments and this 3-bedroom Chalet Schönbühl

When making your booking decision, also consider proximity to the Mürren train station. Some travelers don’t like rolling their suitcases through the village. All of the accommodations listed above, excluding Chalet Schönbühl, are within a 4-minute walk of the train station. 

Look for accommodation in Mürren.

Look for accommodation in Lauterbrunnen. 

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Our Experience Staying in Mürren

Our stay in Mürren fell short of our lofty expectations, leaving us disappointed. To spare you from the same outcome, here’s an honest look at what visiting Mürren is really like.

Mürren is marketed as an idyllic car-free mountain village. Enticed by the promise of a quiet getaway in the Swiss Alps, Kati and I booked three nights in Eiger Guesthouse Mürren. In reality, Mürren was teeming with cars and trucks, largely due to the many construction sites around town. Beyond the presence of cars, it was the disruptive construction noise that marred our visit.

As overnight guests, we expected a respite from the crowds in the morning and evening. However, Mürren is seamlessly connected to Lauterbrunnen by cableway and train (20 minute journey) for most of the day. Day visitors can access the village as early as 6:24 am and leave as late as 11:51pm. So, there’s no advantage to staying in Mürren in terms of crowd avoidance.

In Mürren, many businesses are predominantly operated by non-Swiss, with most staff in customer-facing roles unable to speak German. It feels quite odd to visit a celebrated Swiss destination and have no contact with Swiss people, or Swiss culture. 

Throughout the village, there are numerous signs relating to decorum and etiquette. For example, there are signs instructing tourists to abstain from asking for takeaway coffee cups when drinking inside cafés. To state the obvious, Europeans drink their coffee in ceramic mugs, seated. Other signs state “only order what you can eat to avoid waste”, “no public toilets,” and “don’t trample grass.”

The Jungfrau region attracts many nationalities. Mürren, in particular, attracts American overnight guests. When dining in the evening, restaurants feel like country clubs, with Americans saying grace, speaking loudly, and cheerfully starting conversations with neighboring tables. As an American traveling in Switzerland, I don’t necessarily need an American-cultural experience. Know what I mean?

Mürren has bartered its soul for tourism, and the effects are irrefutable.

If we could re-do our visit, we would book one of these multi-day hikes instead: 4-day Bernese Oberland Extended Weekend Tour, 7-day Bernese Oberland Traverse, or 7-day Bernese Oberland Traverse with Via Ferratas. 

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Hiking in Mürren

Due to weather constraints, Kati and I had to abandon some of our original plans like the Via Ferrata Mürren.

On a dry, but overcast day, we walked to Gimmelwald and then all the way down to Lauterbrunnen Valley.

On our day of departure, we were able to squeeze in the panoramic Wasenegg Ridge Trail, starting at the Birg cableway station. This 3-hour point-to-point hike is scenic, quiet, and low-impact (completely downhill). If the weather is stable, prioritize this short hike. If long descents are difficult, you can reverse the route. 

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Mürren to Gimmelwald and Lauterbrunnen Hike

If you’re in Mürren on an overcast day, your options are limited, but not inexistent. A good option is walking to Gimmelwald and then all the way down to Lauterbrunnen Valley. 

A paved road connects Mürren with Gimmelwald village. To get to Lauterbrunnen Valley, follow signs to Stechelberg. Take advantage of any short cuts along the way.

The trail crosses the Sefinen-Lütschine stream and zigzags down to Sefinenfall waterfall, before reaching Stechelberg. 

At Kraftwerk Stechelberg, cross the river and continue the valley walk on the left side of the Weisse Lütschine river. 

Continue walking the length of the valley to the village of Lauterbrunnen, enjoying the many tumbling waterfalls that decorate Switzerland’s most famous alpine valley.

If you’re staying in Mürren, simply return via the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren (BLM) mountain railway.

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Trail Stats 

Starting Point | Mürren

Ending Point | Lauterbrunnen Village

Time Needed | 3:15 hours

Distance | 12.3 km point-to-point

Elevation Gain | 12 meters

Elevation Loss | 863 meters

Difficulty | Easy

Minimum Elevation | 797 meters

Maximum Elevation | 1637 meters

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Wasenegg Ridge Trail

Wasenegg is the mountain ridge that rises between Schilttal Valley and Sefinental Valley. The 8.3 km Wasenegg Ridge Trail, starting at Birg and ending in Mürren, takes about 3:30 hours to complete.

This is a moderately difficult hike (white-red-white) with some lightly secured sections along steep ledges. Hikers need to be surefooted and confident traversing rugged terrain with some light exposure. 

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Birg to Lake Grauseeli (30 minutes)

From the Mürren train station, walk through the town center to the Schilthornbahn station in Mürren (Google Maps). Purchase a one-way ticket to Birg, the middle station between Mürren and Schilthorn. 

At Birg, follow the Thrill Walk, a steel and glass walkway, around the vertical rock face.

Enjoy the viewing platform and then exit the station. Navigate around the rocky slopes of Birg and then follow the road (ski slope) downhill to the signed junction at Seewilfura (2598 m). Schilthorn, crowned by the cable car station, is visible directly ahead. 

Turn left and descend to Grauseeli (10 minutes), a small lake that mirrors the snow-dusted Bernese Alps. 

Tracing the lakeshore, the path crosses Schiltbach, the stream that flows from Grauseeli down Schilttal valley. 

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Lake Grauseeli to Wasenegg Ridge (50 minutes)

At the Grauseeli junction (2514 m), follow signs to Rotstockhütte (1:20 hours) and Gimmelwald (2:20 hours). Ignore the signs to Mürren via Schilthornhütte.

The path twists down tussock slopes, high above Schilttal valley. 

As you journey to Wasenegg ridge, the trail crosses a rocky flank, with some secured sections along a narrow ledge. 

This section of the hike requires extra caution, especially after rainfall. When we hiked this route, part of the trail was wiped out. We needed to use our hands to safely navigate this lightly exposed area.

Notice the trail signs bolted into the rock. Continue the traverse in the direction of Rotstockhütte. The Wasenegg-bound path eases across grass and wildflower slopes. 

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Wasenegg Ridge to Bryndli Summit (1 hour)

When the trail crests Wasenegg Ridge (2288 m), turn left in the direction of Bryndli (30 minutes) and Spielbodenalp (1 hour). A mountain pasture fence runs along the ridge. Stay on the right side of the fence and follow the short timber poles, which serve as waymarks. 

With Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and numerous other peaks in full view, descend along the grassy ridge.

The ridge trail narrows significantly. Cables have been installed for extra security.

Hikers can detour to Bryndli summit, which overlooks Gimmelwald and Mürren. The optional ascent is rugged, secured, and lightly exposed. 

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Bryndli Summit to Spielbodenalp (40 minutes)

From the junction below Bryndli (2132 m), it’s a 30-minute descent to Spielbodenalp, initially quite steep and muddy. 

After about 10 minutes, the trail levels. Turn left to Spielbodenalp and Mürren, wrapping around Bryndli. 

Follow the rock steps down to Spielbodenalp.

The Speilbodenalp restaurant is open from June to September on Saturdays and Sundays during the day. 

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Spielbodenalp to Mürren (30 minutes)

From the mountain pasture, there are two ways to Mürren: the upper path via Gimmelen or the lower path via Sprutz. We followed the upper path to Mürren. 

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Trail Stats 

Starting Point | Birg cable car mountain station 

Ending Point | Mürren

Distance | 8.3 km point-to-point

Time Needed | 3:30 hours

Elevation Gain | 68 meters

Elevation Loss | 1105 meters

Difficulty | Moderately Difficult

Minimum Elevation | 1650 meters

Maximum Elevation | 2684 meters

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Keep Reading about Switzerland

Switzerland:

• Best Hikes in Switzerland

Zermatt:

• 4-Day Zermatt Itinerary
• Where to Stay in Zermatt
• Best Hikes in Zermatt

Lucerne:

• 5-Day Lucerne Itinerary for Hikers
• Walenpfad Hiking Trail
• Stoos Ridge Hike
• 2-Day Stanserhorn-Engelberg Hike

Appenzell:

• Appenzell (Appenzellerland) Region Guide
• Appenzell Village: Hotels, Restaurants, and Museums
• Best Hikes in Appenzell
• 3-Day Alpstein High Trail

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