Grütschalp Cable Car

Hi Carol, I'm looking for an official source to confirm, but it does look like closures from April 13 - July 10.

There's always Wengen. :-)

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/live/operating-info/?srsltid=AfmBOop20B5Y71BbgP3iZQPgcggizNNb9SLQllyxY6xhm5rbArYh1LVM

If you click on the + and then “seasonal overview” under Lauterbrunnen-Mürren mountain rail- and cableway, you will see the closure dates for 2026—April 13 – July 10 and also Oct. 26 – Nov. 6.

During the closure, take the bus to Stechelberg and ride the Schilthornbahn cable car to Muerren.

Carrie, Thank you for taking the time to find accurate info on the Grütschalp cable car. Unfortunately, it was not the info I was hoping for because the closure will include the time we hoped to stay in Mürren. So, I guess it is back to Wengen.
It's been several years since we stayed In Mürren, but in looking over my notes on our stay, I wrote that I liked the "vibe" of the town; people seemed very casually dressed, wearing hiking shoes and carrying trekking poles. In my notes on Wengen I remarked that several women had high-end handbags and purses...even on the trails.
I appreciate the info you manage to find on all things Swiss. Thanks!

As noted you can ride the (short) bus to Stechelberg and catch the shiney, new, awesome cable car to Murren. Just one more change :)

There is no need to abandon your plan for Murren because of the closure to Grutschalp. That way is cable car + train. The other route is bus + cable car. It's really not a big deal. You catch the very frequent bus outside the train station in Lauterbrunnen and then ride the new steepest cable car in the world directly up to Murren. It is likely that it will be more crowded, since all traffic will be funneled to one cable car option instead of between two, but it doesn't mean you can't stay there if it's what you had your heart set on.

In regards to seeing people with fancy clothes in Wengen -- you can dress just as casually in Wengen as you can in Murren. None of the hotels are over the top fancy and there is no restaurant in Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Murren that you wouldn't be able to show up to in your hiking clothes.

John & Wanderweg: You both have me "rethinking" where to stay for 4 nights. We have previously stayed in both Mürren and Wengen, and although I like Wengen for the convenience, my "heart" leads me to Mürren.
I thought from Stechelberg we'd have to take 2 cable cars...first to Gimmelwald and then to Mürren. Does the new cable car bypass Gimmelwald and go directly to Mürren?
If yes, is the new station close to Hotel Alpenblick? In previous searches, I saw that you, Wanderweg, favor that hotel. Do rooms face the valley and Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch? Before I found out about the closure of the Grütschalp cable car, I was leaning toward staying at Hotel Eidelweiss, but it would be further from the cable car station.
Oops! Just looked on Google maps, and Hotel Alpenblick is further away. I was confusing it with Hotel Alpenruh.

Yes, the new cable car bypasses Gimmelwald and goes straight to Murren. The old one remains in place through Gimmelwald as well and they both enter the same station (though completely redone), next to Hotel Alpenruh. It's the steepest cable car in the world and is the first part of the new funifor system up to the Schilthorn.

In my opinion, the best hotels in town are Alpenblick, Murren Palace, Eiger and Edelweiss. Murren Palace for being an elevated experience, Alpenblick for the homey family run feel, Eiger for a nice place very convenient to the train station (which won't be of use to you in June) and Edelweiss, which technically has the best views in their upgraded rooms.

Since we have a place in Murren we obviously don't stay in hotels, but we did spend a night at the new Murren Palace this summer for fun and it is very nice. We are friends with the owners of Alpenblick and eat there regularly, so that's my experience with Alpenblick of knowing how hard they work to lovingly run their place. I've never personally stayed at Eiger or Edelweiss, so my recommendations of them come from friends and reviews I've heard from people we encounter in town. I always prioritize patronizing places run by locals, as some hotels in town have remote owners and it shows in negative ways. Like what happened to the Drei Berge Hotel (formerly the locally run and loved Bellevue) which was completely run into the ground by someone who didn't have the best interests of Murren in mind when purchasing it. Or the Hotel Jungfrau. Ugh.

In regards to convenience to the cable car, Edelweiss would be the closest, followed by Murren Palace or Eiger and furthest away would be Alpenblick. But really, it takes max 15 minutes to walk from one side of town to the other and always an easy walk, so not exactly a deal breaker on any of them. Murren Palace and Eiger do golf cart pickup for your luggage upon arrival if you'd like. The other 2 you'd have to inquire if that's of interest to you.

The views from Alpenblick are not as good. They aren't bad, but you stay there for the cozy, family run vibes. The views from Edelweiss are only good if you upgrade to the correct room. Murren Palace has views from every room. Eiger views are good, but the train station is in front of them, so I wouldn't say I'm blown away by their viewpoint.

Eidelweiss will also send a golf cart (!) Collect your and your stuff for the hotel transport. Will be there again (!) In late January.

Do you know yet what you plan to do in the area? That would be the deciding factor for me as it is less convenient getting to and from Murren. And as mentioned above, as there will only be one route to get up and down, you may face more crowds and longer wait times.

I stayed in both Murren and Wengen last year and that worked well for me. But I had more than 4 nights.

If you do decide to stay in Murren, I highly recommend the previously mentioned Hotel Edelweiss, but only if you can get a room with a view. The view was spectacular!!

Either way, you’ll have a great time.

Wanderweg: Thank you so much for your very detailed response to my post. It's so helpful to have "locals" respond to my inquiries.
Regarding the (former) Hotel Bellevue, my husband and I stayed there 5 nights in 2021 when it was owned by Ruth and Othmar. COVID was still a real deterrent and so to encourage visitors, we were given a pass that included the cable car to the Schilthorn. I think we went up 5 times during that trip. Mountains are my "happy place," so I never got tired of the scenery, especially the mountains across the valley.
Knowing that the Alpenblick is a family run hotel, I'd love to have dinner or lunch there. We too love to support local businesses.
Lucky you...to have a place in Mürren!

Carrie, IF we choose Mürren, it will be at the end of a RS Tour, so it will be "slow travel" time. On the Mürren side, I want to do the Flower Trail at the top of the Allmendhubel Funicular because we have never been there in June when the wildflowers are blooming. (Where I live, I do a weekly wildflower walk/hike in the summer with a small group of friends on the trails around our area). And...we've never taken time to have lunch at the restaurant at the top. So that's on my list....after we walk a short distance on the North Face trail to the bench looking out across the valley.
I also want to walk from Mürren to Gimmelwald and have lunch on the terrace at the Pension because it's been over 10 years since we ate there.
Further away, I want to return to Schynige Platte and do the Wildflower loop because the only other time we have been there was in September when the flowers were bloomed over.
We just did the Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidegg trail in July so don't need to go there on this trip.
Hotel Edelweiss: Are all the views "equal" for the Panorama rooms? Would it be better to be on a higher floor? I'm hesitating booking because there is a non-refundable 50 CHF fee. Also hesitating because the nightly rate is over $500!

Carol,

This video will give you an idea of the trip from Stechelberg to Mürren on the cable car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mru3lqMAUqc . It's a very quick and easy ride!

Also hesitating because the nightly rate is over $500!

What!?!?!?! Ok, at that price, I am rescinding my recommendation for the hotel.

I just checked my notes. In June 2024, I paid $721 for 3 nights. That was for a double room with a view. I aways try to book 10-11 months out when rooms are usually at their cheapest.

I don’t have a problem paying $500 for a room, but I would want a nicer hotel with a better breakfast. Breakfast here was just the typical continental offerings with no hot food. Completely fine, but not at the $500 price point.

And a note about the balcony. While I absolutely loved the view, it wasn’t a balcony I would spend a lot of time on. It literally hangs over Lauterbrunnen Valley so there is nothing under the balcony, just air. That did make me a little nervous. I would step out, look around and admire the view, take a few pictures, then get back to the safety of my room.

I think I would look for a different hotel in Murren. Or stay in Wengen instead. You won't be spending a lot of time in the room. You can just step outside for views.

Just adding that June is a fabulous time to go, especially for the wildflowers as you mentioned. They are everywhere! Try to go later in June if possible.

I missed Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidegg last year because it was not open yet. I was in Murren and Wengen from June 12 – 18. And I almost missed Schynige Platte, one of my new favorite places, because the trails opened later than usual. In looking at my photos, I went there on June 17th. I think that was the first day it opened. The train that goes up to Schynige Platte had a lot of the seats reserved, for big groups I’m guessing. So, try to get there early to wait in that line to board.

I also did a nice little downhill walk from Allmendhubel down to Murren. It wasn’t one of the big named trails. I checked my trip report and this was my description: After lunch I took the funicular up to Allmendhubel. The sign up there showed left AND right for Murren. So, I texted my sister a picture and asked which way should I go? She said left, so I went left. Fantastic views!!!!!

You mentioned the walk from Murren down to Gimmelwald. That is still one of my favorites. Since I stayed in Murren part of the time last year, I did that walk multiple times. It never gets old. And it’s so nice that the cable car can just bring you back up.

That's the way of pricing in Switzerland, especially in places that sell out like Murren, and even more so when they have an epic view. Eiger will be in that range. Murren Palace will be more than that. Alpenblick will be less, but without an epic view.

Ken: Thanks for the link to the video. Mürren looked like a Winter Wonderland. I know, you wanted me to see the cable car, but the ride was so short (as you mentioned) that I watched the whole video.

Carrie: I "almost" booked 4 nights at Hotel Edelweiss, but decided to wait until morning to find out your opinion about the price per night....so now I am "on the fence." I'll think about it for a couple of days. Interestingly, the only room that shows up on the hotel's official site is for a "Premium Double Room Panorama."

Wanderweg: Hotel prices: You are right. Price appears to be about the same for Mürren and Wengen, at least in the 2 hotels I considered for each town.
Thank you all for your insight and information on Mürren.