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Is Mürren/Gimmelwald manageable for 84-yr-old using a walker?

I’m planning a June trip with my husband, adult daughter, and 84-year-old mother who uses a walker for balance. We would like to visit -- and ideally lodge in – Mürren for 2 days. We also plan to visit Gimmelwald. We're planning on very low-key for my mom. We don’t plan on actual hiking, simply enjoying the view while getting from place to place within each village.
Questions:
1) Are the streets/paved paths too steep for a senior using a walker to manage if the plan is primarily to relax and enjoy the setting and scenery during slow walks and over coffee breaks?
2) Are there recommended hotels in Mürren within a short (20-30 min), fairly-level walk from the lift?
3) Is walking from Mürren to Gimmelwald (returning by lift) a reasonable possibility for a senior with a walker? Accompanied by family, of course.
Thank you!

Edited to add: Thank you for all of the helpful suggestions! We'll look into Hotel Eiger and others along the lower road. I really appreciate your recommendations.

Posted by
485 posts
  1. Streets are paved, but not necessarily level. The lower road is more flat than the upper one, which has a big hill up as you come from the train station. It is very hard to judge what another person might find difficult though. A family member of ours who has some mobility issues is often told that a certain walk is 'so easy', but for them it is not.
  2. No. It is about a 40 minute walk with an altitude difference of 270m.

Here is information on Gimmelwald hikes, you will find a description there:

https://gimmelwald.ch/?page_id=83&lang=en

Posted by
808 posts

We have taken the walk from Murren to Gimmelwald. IMO it would not be a safe or even moderate walk for her. I would recommend that you look for a hotel close to the train station, and if your trip is this June, then you should reserve that ASAP.

Posted by
420 posts

She’ll be able to navigate the lower street (paved) just fine and get between the train station and cable car down to Gimmelwald that way, as well as restaurants/shops. It’s about a 10 minute walk. But with a walker obviously longer.

Look at Hotel Eiger. It’s literally right across the street from the train station and I think would be helpful to be close by. Then she can chose to walk additional when she’d like. She can walk from there to the cable car to ride down to Gimmelwald. There is a short little uphill paved section (30 second walk) to get to the main part of the road in Gimmelwald, which I think if she took slow would be fine.

Another option is that you can rent a wheelchair in Interlaken, which might help you all navigate more of the area whenever walking gets to be too much. We had a family member injure their foot when we were in Murren last summer and that’s what they did.

Also, in more specific regard to the walk down to Gimmelwald. It is paved, but you lose almost 1,000 feet of elevation going down, so I think that would be too much. Maybe you could do it with a wheelchair? She could walk the paved path in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Posted by
1667 posts

You mother could of course just take the cable car down to Gimmelwald and just relax on the terrace of Pension Gimmelwald there, while the rest of you walk down.

Is she going to have a walker, or a rollator? (ie. one with wheels?)

Posted by
16293 posts

Hotel Eiger would be my recommendation as well. It is right across from the small train station, but there is no noise to speak of. There is a ramped walkway up to the entry level. The balcony rooms have great views, and the restaurant and bar are very nice.

https://hoteleiger.com/en/

I spent some time trying to confirm the availability of a lift (elevator), but then realized it is a 4-star hotel, which I believe means they must have an elevator. They also have a spa area and swimming pool if your mom would enjoy either of those.

It is a nearly level walk on a paved road from here the length of the village. The cablecar station for the Schilthornbahn down to Gimmelwald is at the far end, and there may be a slight downhill to reach it.

The Eiger Guesthouse is also right there by the station, but after seeing how badly they treated an arriving guest last summer (we were outside nearby), I would neither stay there nor recommend it to anyone.

Posted by
420 posts

Hotel Eiger does have an elevator. They also have a nice restaurant, so if there are evenings where your mom doesn't want to walk to dinner you can eat right there with a view.

Posted by
14 posts

WengenK - Currently she uses a walker with front wheels and back glides. But I've been thinking a rollator might be more useful, esp. having larger wheels and 4 of them. Would you recommend one over the other? Thanks!