It’s easy to understand that Mürren is considered one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the Alps.
Mürren
The Cradle of Alpine Skiing
Classics
Words by: Leslie Anthony
Photos by: Mattias Fredriksson
Like a medieval aerie, the village of Mürren perches on a sunny plateau at 1,650 metres (5,413 feet) in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberlan
Whether sightseeing or skiing,
you’re cradled by mountains and flying through them — including famous 4,000-metre (13,123 feet) peaks like the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. While such an incomparable vista makes it one of the Alps’ most beautiful ski resorts, Mürren is as redolent with human history as geologic, figuring as prominently in early British-led climbing and skiing tourism as it does in modern pop culture as the location for both a Bond film and the planet’s craziest amateur ski race.
It’s easy to understand that Mürren is considered one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the Alps.
Local Knowledge
Guided by some of the Alps’ most imposing peaks, Mürren is a unique mountain town where old, Walser-style wood chalets compete for space with opulent Victorian and Belle Epoque architecture and the occasional edifice of 1960s weirdness. Accessed only by tram and rail, all conveyance in town is via horse-drawn sled or small electric vehicle. While Mürren’s majestic views never get old, the skiing might. With 16 lifts and a relatively small ski area, we recommend buying a lift pass that includes neighbouring Wengen and Grindelwald.
There are other cradles of skiing,
but Mürren, where recreation, instruction, competition and organization found footing together in the early 20th century, can be considered the birthplace of modern “ski civilization.” Pay homage to this history outside Hotel Eiger at the statue of Sir Arnold Henry Moore Lunn—mountaineer, organizer, speed demon and the world’s most lyrical and prolific ski writer.
While gentle descents define the Maulerhubel and Winteregg lifts,
and Schiltgrat draws intermediates, the lofty Birg-Schilthorn area remains the playground for the most proficient skiers and boarders. Expect expert skiing and some of the most spectacular views in the Alps.
When skiing the Birg-Schilthorn sector,
it won’t be long before someone in your group suggests Piste No. 9 — the steep, aptly named “Direttissima,” 400 metres (1,1312 feet) with a consistent steepness over 40 degrees. Just remember: it’s a dream when well-groomed and a nightmare when icy.
The backcountry off the top of Schilthorn
(2,970 metres/9,744 feet) boasts several excellent freeride runs,with an array of steep alpine chutes, bowls, ridges and cliffs on all aspects. When planning to ski these, examining the terrain in good visibility is essential — particularly entry points below Schilthorn-Piz Gloria, around Birg, Blumental and past the Kandahar chair toward Winteregg.
Mürren is a popular place for speed riding
(paragliding with skis). The ski area offers spectacular and steep slopes, and the winds are often suitable for flying. Make sure not to follow tracks – they might end up with a massive drop in a place where you might have trouble going back.
There are other cradles of skiing,
but Mürren, where recreation, instruction, competition and organization found footing together in the early 20th century, can be considered the birthplace of modern “ski civilization.” Pay homage to this history outside Hotel Eiger at the statue of Sir Arnold Henry Moore Lunn—mountaineer, organizer, speed demon and the world’s most lyrical and prolific ski writer.
Eat, Drink and be Merry
Most hotels have decent dining
(led by the Hotel Eiger Restaurant and Panoramic Restaurant Alpina), and those at the ski area’s bottom and along the street leading to the tram station expect walk-in and après traffic. Consistently highly-rated Hotel Bellevue is on the menu for many (sit in the Jägerstübli rather than the main dining room). There are even a few outstanding terraces to park yourself during a sunny afternoon.
The first revolving restaurant in the Alps,
Piz Gloria — named for the bad guys’ hideout in the 1969 James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” part of which was filmed there — offers the best views of the UNESCO World Heritage trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The food is just as spectacular; there is even (of course) a “James Bond Brunch.”
The Après ski scene in Mürren is not precisely on the Austrian level,
but the Gondelbar outside the Hotel Jungfrau is a convenient place to grab a drink at the end of the day. Bellevue Hotel’s cozy Jägerstübli is an alternative option.
Most hotels have decent dining
(led by the Hotel Eiger Restaurant and Panoramic Restaurant Alpina), and those at the ski area’s bottom and along the street leading to the tram station expect walk-in and après traffic. Consistently highly-rated Hotel Bellevue is on the menu for many (sit in the Jägerstübli rather than the main dining room). There are even a few outstanding terraces to park yourself during a sunny afternoon.
Almost any slopeside restaurant in Mürren has beautiful views,
but the Schilthornhütte might have the most stunning one. At 2,433 metres (7,982 feet), the panorama straight across Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau are jaw-dropping. Mürren Ski Club owns the restaurant, and you can reach it within minutes from the Muttleren or Kandahar chairlifts.
The Restaurant Allmendhubel
is a rustic mountain restaurant with stunning panoramic views over the Jungfrau massif. It serves traditional Swiss food and, according to our sources, the best carbonara in Mürren.
Though there’s occasionally something interesting going on in Mürren or nearby Wengen,
most of the nightlife is down the valley in Interlaken, easily reached by train if you need a night out. Ditto dining options in Wengenand Grindelwald. However, most visitors don’t bother leaving as they’re in Mürren for the very love of its isolation.
Sleep
In the spacious lounge of the historic, four-star Hotel Eiger, the eponymous peak stampedes at you through floor-to-ceiling windows, while at Hotel Regina (erected in 1895 as the Pension Beau-Site with 21 rooms), each room boasts its view of the famed massif. Indeed, most hotels have Eiger and non-Eiger views (and pricing), including superb, family-run, three-star Hotel Jungfrau. Most intriguing is the boutique Drei Berge Hotel, built in 1907 and recently purchased by French Moroccan fashion mogul Ramdame Touhami, who crafted a colourful, eye-popping interior straight out of a Wes Anderson film.
The Inferno downhill race is pure madness — and occasional carnage. Of course, you should do it at least once.
Curling with a view at the stunning recreational center in the heart of the village.
The Inferno downhill race is pure madness — and occasional carnage. Of course, you should do it at least once.
The Jungfraubahn is a rail engineering and the highest mountain railway in Europe. From the terminal in Grindelwald, located at 3,107 feet (947 meters), to the Jungfraujoch at 11,332 feet (3,454 meters), it only takes 45 minutes.
The Jungfraubahn is a rail engineering and the highest mountain railway in Europe. From the terminal in Grindelwald, located at 3,107 feet (947 meters), to the Jungfraujoch at 11,332 feet (3,454 meters), it only takes 45 minutes.
Other Stuff
The Inferno is the oldest and largest amateur downhill race globally and was inaugurated by Sir Arnold Lunn’s Kandahar Ski Club in 1928. From the Schilthorn, the course drops 2,174 vertical metres (7,132 feet) and 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) to Lauterbrunnen. Initially, participants climbed from Mürren on skis and spent the night in a hut, then climbed three more hours in the morning to the start gate. The first winner took an hour and 45 minutes to reach the valley; today’s fastest skiers take less than 15 minutes. With one of 1,900 participants leaving the start gate every 12 seconds, the race is pure madness — and occasional carnage. The 81st edition of the Inferno takes place January 22-25th 2025.
Aficionados of curling will be stoked to find one of the best — and most scenic — outdoor curling rinks on the planet at the Mürren Recreational Centre.
To the Eiger’s right, lean the Mönch and Jungfrau, a mountainous thumb and forefinger pinching the start of Europe’s longest glacier, the Aletsch. You can reach the glacier’s lofty overlook via the Jungfraubahn — a rail engineering marvel that spirals up through the inside of the Eiger with a stop to look out over the main wall where climbers are often spotted.
Don't Miss
Sir Arnold Lunn thoroughly entrenched Mürren in British ski culture, and it was a natural choice for the climactic scene of the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” To this day, Bond mania reigns atop the Schilthorn, where you’ll find a dedicated Bond cinema, Walk-of-Fame and Spy World, a free-admission museum opened for the film’s 50th anniversary in 2019.
Bond mania reigns atop the Schilthorn, where you can find a dedicated Bond cinema, Walk-of-Fame, and Spy World.
Just the Facts
The Mürren-Schilthorn watersport area rises from 1,650 metres (5,414 feet) to almost 3,000 metres (9,842 feet), guaranteeing a snow-sure upper section through the end of April. From Mürren, a tram will first deliver you to Birg, then another to Schilthorn. Annoyingly, the trams run on a set schedule instead of continuously. On the other hand, the rest of the mountain is uncrowded, with no lift lines.
• Skiable area: ~54 km of piste in 26 trails
• Parks: 1 terrain park
• Longest run: 15 km (Schilthorn to Lauterbrunnen)
• Terrain mix: 32%/45%/23%
• Lifts: 16
• Average annual snowfall: 7-12 metres
• Vertical: 1,370 m (to Mürren); 2,174 m (to Lauterbrunnen); top elevation 2,970 m
Getting there: The train from Zurich Airport takes 3.5 hours and travels through Interlaken; the bus takes four hours. Regardless of your chosen transportation method, the route involves a tram lift from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, then a short train that disgorges passengers at Mürren’s cliff-hugging rail station.
LESLIE ANTHONY is a writer and editor who knows a thing or two about snow. Longtime Creative Director of SKIER, former Managing Editor of POWDER, and author of the book White Planet: A Mad Dash Through Modern Global Ski Culture, the resident of Whistler, British Columbia, continues to appear regularly on the masthead of the world’s top ski magazines. His favorite activity? Skiing powder, of course.
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