Switzerland Guide
The Bernese Oberland
Mürren
Car-free Mürren (1650m) is an eyrie of a village set on an elevated shelf of pasture which has managed to retain its endearing desert-island atmosphere (in the off-season at least). It's worth the journey for the views. From Mürren, the valley floor is 800m straight down, and the panorama of snowy peaks filling the sky is dazzling: you gaze across at the blank wall of the Schwarzmönch, with the great Trümmelbach gorge slicing a wedge of light into the dark rock, while the awesome trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau are ranged above and behind in picture-perfect formation.
The Schilthorn cable-car station is at the southern end of the village; at the opposite, northern, end is the Mürrenbahn BLM train station, starting point for the cliff-edge train to Grütschalp. Between the two a vintage funicular rises from between the chalets up to the Allmendhubel meadow (1907m), from where hiking trails connect to the Blumental and another trail (3hr 15min) leads up to Marchegg, then down into the rugged Saustal and through the Sprissenwald forest to Grütschalp.