A car-free and cosy mountain village from which you can enjoy the most beautiful panoramic view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Arriving in Mürren last weekend reminded me a bit of the end of the story “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” when the snow melts and the scenery is revealed in all its green and floral splendour.
The last time we were in Mürren in February, the roads were thick with snow and I remember us all bundled up in our winter coats against the rain, so it was a delight to leave the cable car station and be greeted by warm sunshine and the charm of the village in full bloom.
We left our car in Stetchelberg again and took the cable car to Mürren where we stopped off at the hotel before beginning our first activity. We were staying the the Hotel Alpenruh where we received a warm welcome from Jan and his team who said that although our room wasn’t ready (we were very early) we could leave our luggage with them which was really helpful.
Our first stop was Allmendhubel which we could reach from the funicular just a short walk from the hotel. We arrived at the summit and immediately lost the children to the magnificent play ground which is directly outside the cable car station.
This place is brilliant for little people, with tunnels, swings, slides, plenty to climb on and even a zip line. Elio was quite hungry so I went to sit at the terrace of the panorama restaurant next door to feed him while Jean kept an eye on the other two. Jude and Alba came back to the table pink cheeked and full of excitement to eat their lunch. It’s a lovely spot for a bite to eat with plenty of choice for everyone.
After lunch we started the Flower Trail which begins just next to the play ground. It’s a really well planned path which teaches visitors about the different properties of alpine flowers and their uses. Jude really enjoyed the part where he was invited to lie on his stomach and stick his nose into some flowers to identify the smell :-). It’s very interactive for children with plenty to discover and little puzzles along the path. Alba really liked hearing the music from different mountain regions around the world and admiring the flowers we can across as she picked her favourites. The path offers wonderful views of the mountains around you and it was a really lovely activity for a sunny day.
After the flower trail we decided to walk down to Mürren. We had heard that there was a reasonably pushchair friendly path down the mountain and off we set. All started well with wide gentle paths winding downwards and in fact we recognised the route as the one we had followed on our sledges in February, but then we took a wrong turn and ended up in some very pushchair unfriendly terrain and in the end we had to take Elio out and carry him while Jean hauled his heavy pushchair over tree roots and muddy slopes. We saw a couple of other people dragging pushchairs along too so we weren’t the only ones to take a wrong turn. Make sure you look on the map before you set off and stick to the main road :-). It was a bit of an adventure in the end and I think Elio rather enjoyed being in my arms and able to see what was going on from a slightly different vantage point.
Back in Mürren and we walked the length of the village and found a place to stop for a drink before heading back to the hotel to get washed for an early dinner.
That night we ate in the hotel restaurant which is really cosy and we were happy to see a couple of other young families nearby too. We were staying at the hotel on half board and the dinner menu was very good with delicious food and generous portions.
We were staying in a family room with a double bed and two singles plus a baby bed for Elio, so back in the room we all piled into bed and watched a film together and Alba was soon snoozing next to me and even Elio slept well!
The next morning we were up early for our first outing of the day. We were heading to Piz Gloria at the top of Schilthorn for their James Bond Brunch. Marco, who kindly organised our trip advised us to arrive quite early for this as it’s a popular activity for visitors, so we took the télécabine at 8.15 and were amongst the first to arrive at the restaurant.
The last time we visited, the view from the revolving restaurant was a snowy wonderland and this time we could really see the detail of the landscape with impressive mountain ranges on every side. There is a good choice of food on the buffet which is self-service - the children always get very excited about the possibility of choosing their own breakfast and immediately headed straight for the pancakes and waffles. It’s such a special way to start the day and offers you an extraordinary view of the area. It’s a “must-do” if you are in the area (Adults CHF 35.00 / Children (6 to 15 years of age) CHF 20.00).
After breakfast, we went down to the Bond World experience. It was less busy this time so we were able to take our time exploring. Jean, Jude and Alba went straight for the helicopter model which you can get inside and pretend to fly, while I strolled around with Elio. I loved reading the behind the scenes trivia of the filming of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and imagining the impact it must have had on the village. We all enjoyed the screen where you can superimpose your face on one of the characters (Jeans was hilarious) and the bob sleigh ride which produced some very funny videos. It was really great to have a bit more time to explore this display and the children really loved it.
Following that, we went outside to the Skyline platform to look around and admire the views. Jude liked the cut out models and you can take some steps down to 007 Walk of Fame.
Our next stop was Birg, which was a stop down in the cable car, where we were going to do the Thrill Walk. The walk itself isn’t pushchair friendly so Jean and Jude went down together and I stayed with Elio who had fallen asleep, and Alba who was unusually a bit scared. We found a nice spot to sit and enjoy the sun while the boys were testing their bravery below. Jude went running off to try the suspended walk ways and tunnels without a second thought. He found it easier in the summer as the floor wasn’t so slippery and he was able to move more easily without his bulky snow suit. Alba found a spot above where she could cheer him on and was so proud of her brave big brother ❤️.
We decided to head back down to Mürren for a late lunch at the hotel while we planned what to do with the rest of the day. There are plenty of hikes to do in the area but we decided this time to walk through the village, exploring paths and see what we found. When we checked in at the hotel, we had been given some tickets to use at the local sports centre which has a swimming pool so we decided to walk down there to take a look even though we didn’t bring our swimming stuff. Jean found a football pitch and he and Jude played for a while as Alba discovered a little playground just next door. It’s such a pretty village, it’s well worth exploring the paths off the main road and discovering the lovely buildings and hidden gems. After the children had had chance to let off some steam, we went for a cool drink and continued our walk.
We decided to head back to the hotel to start to organise our suitcases a bit and let Elio rest before dinner.
For our last night in the hotel, we are dinner on the terrace where we could enjoy the changing light and the view. We ate another delicious meal and the staff were all so helpful and friendly, we felt sad that it was already our last night.
We watched another film in bed with the thunder and rain outside making it really cosy and soon everyone was asleep after a busy day.
The following morning we had breakfast in the hotel which was very nice with plenty of choice for everyone. Marco popped by to say hello and we were really happy to meet him and thank him for putting together our wonderful trip before we set off for home.
Our original plan had been to stop at Lauterbrunnen on the way home but it was raining so much, we wouldn’t have been able to see very clearly.
Mürren is definitely one of our favorite destinations in Switzerland: we love the fact it's car-free, you are facing the most beautiful mountains in Switzerland, you can start so many hikes from Mürren or the stations above, it's wonderful for children. Just go and you will see what we mean :-)
Information
SCHILTHORN CABLEWAY Ltd.
Höheweg 2 CH-3800 Interlaken Switzerland
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360°-Restaurant Piz Gloria
Hotel Alpenruh
Panorama Restaurant Allmendhubel