Mürren is a small but incredibly picturesque location in Switzerland. It lies perched on a top of a huge cliff above Lauterbrunnen Valley. It might be one of the most beautiful Swiss villages! Because of this, it should be a part of every Switzerland itinerary.
We dedicated two days to this area after spending some time in Grindelwald and hiking to Bachalpsee. But the valley is also easily reached from Interlaken, where you shouldn’t skip the Augstmatthorn hike!
Unfortunately, we were not lucky with the weather. On our first day in Lauterbrunnen it was foggy and raining, so we had almost no views. After waiting out this whole day in a restaurant, we hoped to have better experience the next day.
And we did! It was such a lovely sunny day! We explored Lauterbrunnen early in the morning before all the crowds showed up. Then we took the cable car up to Mürren and headed to a thrilling Via Ferrata!
Despite not having any beautiful lakes, such as Oeschinensee or Seealpsee, Mürren provides many other activities. Some of them are even bucket-list experiences you won’t ever forget!
This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to reach this car-free mountain village, what’s there to see, the best activities you shouldn’t miss, and much more.
So let’s dive right in!
Where is Mürren
Mürren is a typical Swiss mountain village perched on the top of a cliff at an elevation of 1638m. It belongs to Canton Bern and is in the south central part of Switzerland in the Berner Oberland Region. It’s even the highest inhabited village in the canton!
Located above Lauterbrunnen Valley, it provides mesmerazing views of Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch.
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Getting here
It’s important to note that Mürren is a car-free village, where you can only get by a cable car and/or a mountain railway.
By car + parking
So in case you’re traveling around Switzerland by car, you have to park down in Lauterbrunnen Valley and get to Mürren using one of the options described below.
If you decide to travel from Stechelberg, you can park in the Lauterbrunnen. We parked in a huge garaged car park next to the train station. It’s paid parking and the price is 18 CHF for 24 hours. You can pay less if you only park there for a few hours.
We paid in the parking garage since we were going to take the cable car to Grütschalp from the village. However, we didn’t know that it was not in operation.
The scheduled maintenance usually occurs in the off-season. It lasts for around 10 days and it’s planned in May and October.
So if you’re visiting Wengen outside the main season, double-check the current schedule.
Since we already parked at the garage, we decided to leave our car there and take a bus to Stechelberg.
But if you plan to travel to Mürren from Stechelberg, we recommend parking in Stechelberg. It’s also cheaper at 11 CHF for 24 hours. Same as the previous, if you park for a shorter period of time you pay less.
By public transport
When getting to Mürren from Lauterbrunnen Valley, only two different options are available. At first, we planned to get a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp. From there we wanted to take a scenic mountain train via Winteregg to Mürren.
But as it was not in operation, we ended up taking a bus to Stechelberg. We then took a cable car to the nearby little mountain village Gimmelwald with a seamless transfer to Mürren. Let’s take a look at these two options in more detail.
From Lauterbrunnen
The first section of this trip is taking the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp. The earliest one departs at 06:13 and the last one at 20:35 each day. It’s not that type that goes non-stop, so check the schedule on SBB before your trip.
At Grütschalp you have to transfer to a BLM train to Mürren. The earliest one leaves at 06:19 and the last one at 20:41.
The whole journey is fast lasting only 23 minutes.
The schedules are made in a way that you don’t have to wait for too long. Since they’re interconnected, you also don’t need to worry about missing your next connection.
If you’re wondering which option is the best, here are some pros of choosing the mountain train. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful train rides in Switzerland! In addition, this connection has been running for more than 125 years.
The train only has one carriage. To enjoy the best views, you should sit on the left side when traveling to Mürren. You can marvel at the views of the majestic Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau trio. The train passes around picturesque Swiss houses and if you’re lucky, you’ll see Chamois, too!
From Stechelberg
Another slightly less interesting (but still incredible) is a cable car ride from Stechelberg. So after we parked our car at Garage Car Park, and found out Grütschalp is out of service, we had no other choice.
We decided to leave the car at the garage and take a bus to Stechelberg. We took the bus 141 which only took 16 minutes. A full-fare ticket costs 4.6 CHF, while a Half Fare Card is 2.3 CHF.
Luckily, the bus stop is close to the train station with a few more stops in Mürren. While you are not required to show your ticket to the driver, you should definitely buy one.
As soon as we arrived, we went to the ticket counter to purchase a ticket. We paid less than 11 CHF for a one-way ticket to Mürren. The cable cars are only scheduled every 30 minutes. The ride only takes 10 minutes.
We were amazed by the incredible views and the steep, almost vertical cliff edge to the top of which we were traveling. It was such an amazing ride! Once we reached Mürren, the crowd split in two. Most people changed continued to Piz Gloria, and only a few continued to Mürren with us.
Since this is also how people get to Piz Gloria, the line might be longer, and you’re likely to wait longer than that.
If you have a Swiss Travel Pass or Berner Oberland Pass all these bus, train, and cable car rides are fully included! Jungfrau Pass covers the Grütschalp route fully.
Travel discounts and passes
Swiss Travel Pass is the ultimate companion of every traveler who plans to use public transport a lot. It gives you unlimited travel by many trains, buses, boats, and cable cars. You can choose for how many days you want to purchase it.
Lately, they added a Flexible Pass option, where you don’t have to travel on consecutive days.
All the public transport options we mention in this guide are included, apart from Schilthorn where you only get a 50% discount.
A cheaper alternative is the Half Fare Card. It has the same validity but only provides a 50% discount on all the rides. Sometimes it’s lower, so check the final price in advance.
Berner Oberland Pass is mostly valid in the central region of Switzerland. It also covers an incredible amount of trains, buses, and cable cars. It’s a great option which is slightly cheaper than the Swiss Travel Pass.
It also includes many connections where you are only provided a discount with the Swiss Travel Pass. So if you plan to stay only in the area covered by Berner Oberland Pass, it’s a better option.
It also covers all the public transport options mentioned in this article. The only exception is a journey to Schilthorn, where you have a 50% discount.
Lastly, there’s Jungfrau Pass. This one is only valid in the Jungfrau Region and the minimum validity is 3 days. So unless you plan to spend that much time in the area, you better buy the other discount passes.
Jungfrau Pass is not valid for the ride from Stechelberg nor a trip to Schilthorn.
Things to do in Mürren
Visit Schilthorn & 360° restaurant Piz Gloria
Schilthorn mountain is an incredible peak at 2970m accessible by a 32-minute scenic relaxing ride by cable car. At the top, you’ll find a unique 360° revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria. You can’t often see more than 200 peaks while enjoying your lunch.
On a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc from the viewing platform.
You might recognize this restaurant from a James Bond movie – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The 007 references can be found all across the place.
But remember, since it’s a high mountain and weather is often unpredictable in the Alps, you must count on the possibility of fog.
Check the weather forecast and Live Cam to see the conditions at the top.
The cable car runs every 30 minutes from Stechelberg and takes you to Gimmelwald first. So if you’re staying in Mürren, you can catch the cable car from the neighboring village. The cableway also stops at Birg , where you need to change again.
Since your ticket is valid all day-long, you should definitely stop at Birg and enjoy the exciting attractions up there.
You can either buy tickets online in advance or at the ticket counter. If you have one of the discount passes you’ll get a 50% discount.
Birg, Skyline Walk & Thrill Walk
As mentioned above, this is where you must change the cable car to Schilthorn mountain.
Birg is a peak at 2677 meters. While it’s not as tall as Schilthorn, it’s an equally stunning location. Apart from jaw-dropping views, you can take a walk on a Skyline Walk and Thrill Walk. It’s a narrow path along the face of a cliff with a few hundred meters drop below your feet. It reminds me a lot of the First Cliff Walk in Grindelwald.
You can walk over a glass bridge, a single-rope suspension path, or crawl over a cable cage tunnel. If you’re scared of heights, some parts might feel like too much for you. But keep in mind that safety is a priority here making it impossible to get injured.
You don’t need to pay anything to visit this attractions.
Paraglide over Lauterbrunnen Valley
Due to our budget we didn’t have a chance to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience. But if you can allocate part of your budget for this, DO NOT SKIP THIS ONE! You’ll definitely remember paragliding over Lauterbrunnen Valley forever.
After all, you don’t get the chance to enjoy such incredible views from the air every day. Pass by the majestic waterfalls and see the villages from above. This surreal experience is a great investment.
Walk to Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald might be one of the most beautiful little mountain villages in Switzerland.
We did not exactly walk to Gimmelwald the classic way. We did the Via Ferrata instead and got there in the most thrilling way there is. Read more about this experience in the paragraphs below.
But if adrenaline is not something you’re after, you can simply walk between the two villages along a mountain tourist trail. It’s an easy 3-km long downhill stroll which is suitable for everyone. The hiking signs will point you in the right direction.
Since most of it is an asphalt road, it’s great for strollers, too. If you need to return back, you can either walk or take a cable car. If you’re returning back to the valley from here, ride down to Stechelebrg.
Panoramic Walk to Winteregg
Panoramic Walk to nearby mountain village Winteregg is a leisurely stroll with almost no elevation. It takes you along a scenic route, from which you can enjoy views of the surrounding mountains. It passes along lovely Swiss houses, and you might even be able to see Chamois.
It’s one of the most spectacular trails in the area. The scenery is jaw-dropping.
The Panoramic Walk is only 3.2 km long and takes less than 1 hour to complete. You don’t even need to return the same way. Take the scenic train instead!
We also recommend adding Stoos Ridge Hike to your plans, which is an epic trail!
The longer alternative is taking the cable car to Grütschalp and starting the walk there. This route is 5.1 km and takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. You can then take the BLM mountain train back to Grütschalp.
If you’re staying in Mürren, you can do the same route the other way around and take the train back to your hotel.
Photograph the majestic trio – Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau
For all the fellow photographers out there, this is a real paradise! We couldn’t stop walking around with our mouths open wide. The beauty of this area is unspeakable! I don’t know about you, but I can definitely imagine waking up every morning to these views.
We could see the famous Jungfrau trio from almost everywhere! So grab your cameras and go find the unique photo spots!
Enjoy sunset or sunrise
This area is beautiful no matter which time of day or year you visit. But when the golden hour starts, words can’t describe how pretty it is. When we finished the via ferrata in Gimmelwald, we went right to the Mountain Hostel and ordered tap beers!
We were lucky as it was the official closing of the summer season and there was a DJ. It was the most beautiful mountain outdoor party I’ve ever attended!
While it was not a party in the true sense, it felt great to sit there, listen to music, enjoy the cold beer, and watch the sun disappear behind the mountains.
If you’re lucky, you’ll see the peaks of Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönsch turn pink! That’s a dream come true for photographers.
Photography tip: The sun rises from behind Eiger, so sunset is better for photography. Also, head up to the hill above the village for the best shots!
Ski or snowboard in the winter
Most people travel to Switzerland in the summer. But if you happen to travel here in winter, you shouldn’t skip skiing or snowboarding. Mürren – Schilthorn is the highest ski area in Berner Oberland region. Freestylers will appreciate the Snowpark.
You can also enjoy lunch at the famous 360° restaurant Piz Gloria. And let’s not forget the incredible mountain views all around!
If you’re new to skiing, take a look at skiing with a local guide that also provides ski lessons below.
Explore Trümmelbach Falls
Lauterbrunnen Valley is also called the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls”. Yet most people only visit Staubach Falls, which is seen in every photo of the picturesque village. But have you heard of Trümmelbach Falls?
When we did our roadtrip, for some reason we didn’t know about this hidden gem. If we did, we’d be the first ones in the line! Just seeing those photos makes me wanna return to Switzerland and visit this place.
It’s the only series of underground waterfalls easily accessible by the public. You can visit 10 different waterfalls with the help of a lift, tunnels, and platforms.
What fascinates me the most is that all the water (20,000 liters per second) is meltwater from the glaciers of Eiger, Jungfrau, and Mönch.
Via Ferrata Mürren
One of the most thrlling experiences one can do in the area! We were both excited and slightly frightened of the Via Ferrata Mürren. If you haven’t heard about it yet, here’s a short description.
We started the ferrata walking through a forest along the cliff on which the whole village was built. The path was rather easy with occasional ropes that provided support. The difficulty was increasing leading us to the most exciting section.
Soon, we found ourselves standing on small metal rugs traversing along the edge of a cliff with a few hundred meters of air below our feet. We could see Lauterbrunnen from above. This was definitely the highlight of this whole experience!
It’s definitely not for those scared of heights. But we are no via ferrata pros. In facts, this was the second one I did! So if you have some experience with hiking and steady foot, you don’t need anything else! The difficulty level of this ferrata is beginner-friendly!
After passing a cable tightrope above a waterfall and a few more exciting ladders, we got to another incredible “attraction” – the Nepal Bridge.
Nepal Bridge
The world-famous suspension bridge can be found at the end of Via Ferrata Mürren. But you don’t need to the the whole ferrata, you can simply walk for a few minutes to get to the bridge from Gimmelwald.
The Nepalbrücke is not the most stable bridge ever, though. It leads over a canyon with is a few hundred meters deep. So the thrill of heights is definitely there.
Unless you have proper via ferrata equipment and a harness, I wouldn’t walk over the bridge. It’s just half a meter wide and it has no proper railings. Despite my carabiners being clipped to the rope which had the function of a railing, I felt uneasy walking across the bridge.
What I found the most fascinating was the optical illusion – the bridge seemed to be incredibly steep on both ends when I looked at it from afar. To be honest, it took me a few minutes of psychological preparation 😀
But after seeing a family with two young kids passing over the bridge casually, I just had to do it.
I would say that even if you don’t have the courage to walk over the bridge, it’s worth sacrificing those few minutes to go and take a look at it. It’s UNREAL!
Hike to Allmendhubel via Flower Trail
What we loved about Switzerland when hiking was passing across all those fairy-tale like alpine meadows with lush green grass and colorful flowers. And there’s no better trail to enjoy this environment than Flower Trail!
You can discover more than 150 different flowers along the way. Kids will certainly appreciate the playground at the top of Allmendhubel.
This short hike is of low difficulty. The distance is only around 5km and there’s little elevation gain. Since there are multiple paths, you can choose the one you like the most.
If you want to skip the hike, you can also take a funicular train up to Allmendhubel. It operates all year round except for a few weeks between the end of October and the beginning of December. It’s open from 09:00 until 17:00.
The full-fare one-way ticket costs 8.8 CHF. Check SBB for the exact schedule and prices. Great news! This trip is also covered by Berner Oberland and Swiss Travel Pass. Half-Fare Card gives you a 50% discount.
Rent a bicycle and discover biking trails
Switzerland is surely known for its amazing hikes, but we should not forget about the amount of biking trails, either. Mürren is no exception. A biking trail leads from Gimmelwald, passes Allmendhubel and goes to Winteregg.
If that’s still not enough for you, you can actually bike down to the valley and finish the loop by biking up from Stechelberg. Seeing that mountain from cable car, I don’t even want to imagine how extremely difficult that would be.
Of yourse, you can always make the biking trip much shorter and custmize it to your level of fitness.
Intersport provides bike rentals in the area.
If you’re looking for an easier biking trip, how about an e-bike tour of the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls”?
Where to eat in Mürren
- Alti Metzg – A place to enjoy a traditional fondue or a house soup which changes on a daily basis.
- Restaurant Stägerestübli – Traditional meals with great views. Try raclette, spätzli, or rösti here.
- Café LIV – A perfect place for a coffee stop with some cake. They also sell tasty sandwiches.
- Tham restaurant – An authentic Asian food which is cooked to perfection and extremely scrumptious.
Best time to visit Mürren
Deciding when to come to Mürren? The simple answer is it all depends on what you’re after! So let’s take a closer look at each season to help you decide when to plan your holiday and what to expect.
Summer
Summer is definitely the best time to visit the area in order to enjoy lovely sunny days. A great advantage is that most activities and experiences will be opened and in full-operation. This means you can get the most out of your visit.
The only downside is the fact that the perfect conditions make it the most popular time to visit, resulting in higher prices and more crowds. To avoid this, plan your visit during the weekday and avoid local holidays.
Make sure to book your hotels in advance, too.
Autumn
We visited the Berner Oberland region in autumn and had a great time. The whole place had a completely different vibe.
While there were fewer people, the weather was more unpredictable with many rainy days. We had to find an alternative program for two days during our 10-day road trip because of rain. Fog is also more common. But that often comes with dramatic views!
The surrounding nature starts to turn from lush green to an orange and yellow hue. It creates an interesting contrast with the snowy peaks in the background.
The downside is that in the autumn months, scheduled maintenance often takes place. This results in cable cars and funiculars being out of operation, thus limiting your options. We couldn’t get to Grütschalp and take the scenic mountain train.
Winter
Winter offers countless opportunities for skiers and snowboards. But if hitting the slopes is not your thing, you can enjoy many sledging trails with your little ones.
Additionally, many winter hiking trails and snowshoe trails offer the perfect opportunity to spend time outdoors and enjoy the snow-covered country. Sitting by a cozy fireplace with a hot soup is a great way to finish your winter day in Switzerland.
Spring
Spring is the perfect season for budget travelers. Everything is usually cheaper before the main season starts. You can already visit most of the attractions. But keep in mind that there might be some limitations due to leftover snow from winter.
This results in hiking trails as well as some mountain passes still being closed.
Final thoughts on Mürren
We went to Mürren thinking there was not much to do in such a small village. But we were surprised by the wide array of different kinds of activities. Suddenly, we felt like we didn’t allocate enough time for this area.
We hope you’ll find our guide helpful and it will help you plan the perfect mountain retreat in Mürren!
