I read that most of the hotels in Murren, Wengen start to close in October. I was thinking of booking a hotel in Wengen, but now I am not too sure. I would like to be in a place with a little activity and not a complete ghost town, and be in a good location to see some of the sights and do some hiking. I would appreciate any suggestions - stay in Wengen or would Lauterbrunnen Gimmelwald or someplace else be better?
Thanks
I've stayed in Murren in October and it is indeed a bit of a ghost town. Most of the hotels and restaurants are indeed closed, but there are always a few that stay open year around like the Eiger Guesthouse which I highly recommend.
If your looking for someplace that is a bit busier Interlaken is a consideration.
. While it may not have as good a view of the alps vs the mountain villages, it does have a few advantages:
-while it's more commercial than the villages, it's actually less touristy as the municipality has functions outside tourism.
-in case of inclement weather/poor visibility Interlaken is a better base to visit rainy day options like Bern, the Ballenberg open air museum, or a lake cruise.
-Restraunt food is cheaper and with the added benefit of more variety of cuisines.
If you're trying to avoid a ghost town then definitely avoid Gimmelwald. The views from there are beautiful, but there's not much going on there EVER. On booking.com I see at least 14 hotels in Murren available to be booked the 1st week of October (I always recommend booking directly). The area definitely slows down, but it's also home to many families who actually live in those alpine villages.
We were in Lauterbrunnen the first week of October last year and it was incredible! The weather was great and we could still eat lunch outdoors. We like Lauterbrunnen itself as it is easier to access hikes on both sides of the valley, but have stayed in Muerren as well. I just did not like having to take extra transportation time down from Muerren when we wanted to go to Wengen, Grindelwald, etc.
I recommend against Interlaken as a rather ordinary city versus being up in the Lauterbrunnen Valley or points above it.
I would bring warm layers and gloves as mornings and higher elevations can be pretty chilly, even if you do not go all the way to the Jungfraujoch.
We enjoyed our time there so much that we are going back in mid-October and hoping for at least a few decent weather days!
I would go in a heartbeat! I've only ever been in May-June, but October sounds like a fabulous time to visit.
Hi,
We stayed in Wengen during October. It was quiet, but we loved our four nights here during this time. Enough was open and we walked, did the Jungfraujoch trip, went to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. We had cool, clear days and chilly nights. Magnificent.
Paul
