Essential Guide To Mürren Switzerland

Mürren is a small village in the Swiss alps. Here you will learn everything that you need to know to plan your trip to this charming place in Switzerland.

With tips to get there, things to do and hotel recommendations.

Essential Guide to Mürren Switzerland pin picture

🗺️ Where is Mürren?

Mürren is a small village located in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. The Swiss capital Bern is about 1 hour away from Mürren.

It's about 1650 meters above sea level, facing the well-known Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.

Mürren is special because it is a car-free village up in the Swiss alps, promoting sustainable travel. The village can only be accessed by cable car or mountain train. The locals call it Mirren.

Gimmelwald is another village located about 2 kilometers in the west, that can only be accessed by cable car.

The village is situated on a rocky mountain plateau. You can't hike up from the valley, which is Stechelberg, but you can hike from Lautersbrunnen/Grütschalp to Mürren.

The village of Mürren came to fame because the James Bond movie, “On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed there.

map of Schilthorn cable car connection and Mürren

🚞 How to get to Mürren?

You have two options to get to Mürren, and those are the two only options to access the village up on the mountain. This doesn't include the hiking option.

Either you take the cable car (Schilthornbahn) or the mountain train from Lauterbrunnen.

Both connections should be open to the public all year round. If one is closed for an extended maintenance, you will have another one running. (i.e. the train connection was closed in October 2022 for a few weeks).

Cable Car

The cable car valley station is located in Stechelberg. Stechelberg is the small village located at the base of the Schwarzmönch mountain.

The cable car station is called Stechelberg LSMS and the cable car line is known as Schilthornbahn because it travels up to the Schilthorn mountain.

The village of Mürren is located on the way up to the Schilthorn peak, the so-called Pitz Gloria. Mürren is the second station.

The first station after Stechelberg is Gimmelwald, another car-free tiny village. The rock formations are beautiful!

The ride from Stechelberg to Mürren takes about 10 minutes with the cable car, and you have to change cable car in Gimmelwald.

Fortunately, the cable cars are synchronized, so while you travel up to Gimmelwald, the second cable car comes down from Mürren to Gimmelwald, so you just need to change cable cars. There is no waiting time.

Cable cars are moving up and down every 30 minutes. The first cable car up to Mürren starts at around 6 am and the last chance to come down to the valley is at 1 am. These hours might be different in off-season, so please check at the ticket counter again.

Note that these timings are just between Stechelberg and Mürren. Connections further up to the peak, to the Schilthorn or to Birg, start after 7 am and stop at about 4 pm.

A two-way ticket in 2022 from Stechelberg to Mürren (called billet in Swiss German) will cost about 22 Swiss Franc per adult. The ticket is valid for 3 days from the first use and can only be used each way one time.

The Schilthorn Mürren station is located to the south end of the village.

Mountain Train

The mountain train is a scenic relaxing ride up tot Mürren.

The station is located in Lauterbrunnen and is called BLM. The ride goes from Lauterbrunnen via Grütschalp and Winteregg via cable car and from Grütschalp to Mürren via mountain train. The total travel time is about 20 minutes long.

From Lauterbrunnen, look out for the 2461 cable car to Grütschalp via Winteregg and change to the train in Grütschalp. You will have 2 minutes to change to the R66 mountain train which is located in the same station.

From there it goes non-stop with the train to Mürren.

Mürren village from far and view to Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau

A train takes you from A to B every 30 minutes, at the earliest soon after 6 am and latest at 8 pm. A two-way trip, as per 2022 costs per adult about 22 Swiss Francs.

There is a car park in Lauterbrunnen right next to the train station. The prices are reasonable for Swiss standards, and it's a garage, so your car is safe from bad weather.

The Mürren train station is located at the northern end of the village.

funicular Mürren — Funicular to Allmendhubel in the back

🌄 Top Things to do

The best way to enjoy your time in Mürren is to take in the beauty on a stroll through the village. Half-timbered Swiss houses, green pastures and rocky mountain views will take your breath away.

Here are some more things to do and attractions to visit when in Mürren Switzerland. The village is known for summer and winter sports.

Go for a hike – Some of the most popular and well-known hikes start in Mürren. The Northface Trail, Mürren - Schilthorn - Grauseewli hike, Winteregg loop, Mürren - Grütschalp tour are considered some of the most remarkable hikes.
Sprutz Waterfall - You can join a free tour to this waterfall once a week. Inquire about the tour and register yourself at the tourism office in Mürren.
Allmendhubel – Mürren's mountain top Allmendhubel can be accessed with the funicular. There is a large playground for kids there and a restaurant with views for parents to chill.
Blumental Panorama Trail – Beautiful children-friendly flower trail. Easy to walk with small children too.
Viewpoint observation deck – Located in the center of the village. You can make stunning images there.
Nepal Bridge in Gimmelwald – Walk down to the Gimmelwald village, a 2.2 kilometer long hike. A breathtaking Nepal swing bridge awaits you there.
Schilthorn summit – Breathtaking view to the Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau mountains, and you can see Interlaken from there too. The James Bond film was filmed there, and they have a small museum. The brunch is much recommended too at the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant platform. Discover the thrill-walk at Birg, a station below the Schilthorn.
Via Ferrata – An adventurous climbing, tight rope walking and zip lining trail with a tour guide.
Paragliding – One of the must-do experiences. The place is literally known for this because the views are just fantastic!
Hire a mountain bike and discover the surrounding.
Ski areas and snowboarder – Come to ski in the highest located mountain pistes in the Canton of Bern. 54 kilometer skiing slopes await you.
Join a snowshoe trail tour in winter.

views from Mürren to the Lauterbrunnen valley

🛏️ Accommodations

Visitors can stay over at night in Mürren, and it's most definitely something you should do if this has been a dream trip for you! The charm of Mürren and the Bernese mountains is spell binding.

Most hotels have a great view to the mountains but when booking a room, make sure to ask for that. Of course higher category rooms usually have better views.

There is a good choice of hotels and room options in Mürren. Some of the most well-known hotels are the hotel regina, hotel alpenruh, hotel eiger, hotel jungfrau and hotel edelweiss.

If you are looking to book a chalet or apartment for your stay than you might like a stay with a panoramic alpine view or a 5 bedroom chalet for you and your family or friends.

Get a one-way ticket up if you are intending to stay longer than 3 days in Mürren. The two-way cable car ticket is valid for 3 days.

💡 Tips

Get the Top of Europe Pass if you intend on traveling by train from Interlaken to Mürren and if you are planning to visit the Jungfrau region and other places nearby such as Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Grindelwald and the top of Europe Jungfernjoch. You can take the mountain train from Lauterbrunnen/Grütschalp to Mürren with the top of Europe pass. The Schilthorn cable car is not included in this pass.
You can plan a complete Schilthorn day trip. Start your trip at Stechelberg and take the cable cars up to the Stechelberg. Enjoy the view with the James Bond Brunch in the turning restaurant. Travel one station down to Birg and do the thrill walk. Travel another station down to Mürren and explore the village for the rest of the day. Wear a winter jacket on the Schilthorn!
Dress in layers, it gets cold in the mountains but when the sun comes out it can get hot quickly.
There is a small Coop grocery in Mürren.
Enjoy a cheese fondue with a view in Mürren. It can't get more Swiss than that. 🙂

💭 FAQs

What's the local currency, and what's the most popular payment method in Mürren?

Swiss Franc is the local currency, and its value is close to the USD, EUR or GBP. Most stores take both cash and card payment. Yet, some smaller establishments may refuse card payment altogether. There used to be an ATM at the Schilthornbahn, but it was removed, so you might not get a chance to get cash in Mürren. It is advised to get enough Cash before traveling up to Mürren. There are ATMs in Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg. The establishments in Mürren that take credit cards usually accept Visa and Master Card only. American Express is not always accepted.

What language do they speak in Mürren Switzerland?

Locals speak Swiss German in Mürren, which is located in the Lauterbrunen Valley in the Bernese Oberland. This is the spoken language in the Bernese Oberland. It's also known as Schweizer Deutsch or Schwiizerdütsch. Many locals speak and understand English in Mürren.

What's the altitude in Mürren?

Mürren is located 5400 feet (ca. 1,646 meters) above sea level. It's about 1000 feet (304.8 m) above the Lauterbrunnen village.

Which is better Mürren or Wengen?

Both villages have their charm. Mürren is more like a typical Swiss village, Wengen reminds me of an upscale hideout. There are more commercial shops and probably more things to do in Wengen. Both villages can only be accessed via the Lauterbrunnen valley by mountain train. It's personal preference.