Traveling on the train from Salzburg to either Lauterbrunnen or Murren. Which village should we spend 2 nights in and why? I think they are quite close to one another so not sure where we should stay. First time in Switzerland for my daughter and we'd like to do some hiking while we're there. Any recommendations? Thank you very much for any planning help. Our trip is in June 2024.
Posted by
11159 posts
Murren, or Wengen or Grindelwald, are high up in the mountains with beautiful views.. Lauterbrunnen is down in a valley and did not appeal to us at all. Seemed dark.
Posted by
Indiana
808 posts
Wengen or Murren, and since your trip is in 4 months, you need to make reservations ASAP.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16278 posts
With only 2 nights, you have one full day for a good hike. You could choose that hike now, and stay in the village closest to it.
The 2 most popular moderate hikes are the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Panoramaweg hike above Wengen, and the North Face trail above Mürren.
The Männlichen hike requires a cablecar ride up from Wengen, and a train back down to Wengen from Kleine Scheidegg (or you can choose to walk, but it is on a road next to the train tracks, and not terribly scenic).
The North Face trail can be done as a loop from Mürren, or you can ride the funicular up to Allmendhubel and pick up the trail there. We prefer to hike up.
https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/experiences/panorama-trail.html
Posted by
1 posts
Having spent some time in that area last summer, I would definitely choose Mürren over Lauterbrunnen. Our days spent there were our favorites. And I would highly recommend the Kleine Scheidegg hike. Exquisite! Lauterbrunnen is more crowded and commercial. Still beautiful, but not quite as serene. Mürren is also a great hub for a variety of activities and experiences. Enjoy!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16278 posts
Just to clarify, if your choice is the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg hike, then you are much better off staying in Wengen. It is a nice village, carfree like Mürren, with a number of good hotels. The village is larger than Mürren, and some prefer it for the greater variety of shops and restaurants. Were you to stay in Mürren and choose that same hike, you would have to travel from Múrren back down to Lauterbrunnen by either train plus cablecar, or cablecar plus bus, then take the little train up to Wengen and walk through town to the cablecar up to Mannlichen. That means 4 seaparate means of conveyance in each direction, each with a cost in time and money.
Posted by
Huntington Beach CA
1113 posts
Murren for sure! It's an adorable little town with beautiful views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Lauterbrunnen is in the valley and you'll be looking up at all that gorgeous scenery but to me will feel a bit claustrophobic. If your haven't watched Rick's Switzerland show yet, please do so. We were in Murren for 3 nights on one of his tours and the stay was definitely a Wow moment as Rick likes to say. Most of our tour group agreed it was a highlight of our tour,
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Wow - thank you so much to everyone who's replied! I really appreciate the knowledge that you've shared here! I've gone ahead and made a reservation at the Hotel Regina in Murren which was half the price of Drei Burge Hotel and more within my budget. Wengen sounds amazing too and we'll have to make time for it next trip. There are so many amazing hikes in the area that we'll just have to decide when we get there. Thanks again!