Murren to Grindelwald

I think you will find that he went to the neighboring village that he writes so much about - Gimmelwald - rather than the similarly named town of Grindelwald which is two valleys over.

Muerren to Gimmelwald is an easy short downhill stroll on an asphalt path which is just wide enough to get farm equipment along, more like a narrow lane than a path. Parts of it in muerren are even lighted.

When you get to Gimmelwald in half an hour if you walk reasonably slowly you can walk back up, or take the cable car gondola down to Stechelberg in the valley or take the gondola back up to Muerren, or stay on it all the way up to the mountain top of Schilthorn at 9,748 feet.

I agree with Nigel - Gimmelwald is much more likely (it turns out Rick was in Gimmelwald the day before we arrived this past May) and the road is all paved and downhill (from Muerren to Gimmelwald).

But an easy, short stroll :-) well it depends on whether you regularly walk on 15% to 20% grades LOL!

The walk is fantastic - there are absolutely stunning views at every step - I recommend it without hesitation, but if you are a 60-something pasty-faced American (me) you might want to plan on it taking 45 minutes at a minimum.

Getting to Muerren from Luzern by train - I will defer to the Swiss train experts (we drove) - but in general I would check for trains from Luzern to Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. From Lauterbrunnen you can either take a train/cable car to Muerren or go to Stechelberg and take the Schilthorn Cable Car (Cars actually - it's a 2 step process to Muerren, 4 steps to the Schilthorn) to Gimmlewald and then to Muerren.

In fact going all the way up to the Schilthorn from Stechelberg and then getting off the Cable Car on the way down at Muerren and walking to Gimmelwald would be a perfect day - depending on the weather - the weather in October might be rainy, but I think you will be early enough to avoid snow.

Have Fun!

I was just in Switzerland a few weeks ago, and went from Luzern to Mürren with a Swiss Pass. Here's how it works:

1) You take a train from Luzern (first stop) to Interlaken Ost (last stop).
2) You then take a train from Interlaken Ost (first stop) to Lauterbrunnen (last stop). This train divides; make sure you are getting on the part that goes to Lauterbrunnen, not the part that goes to Grindelwald.
3) You then cross the street and take a lift from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp (very steep).
4) You then take a train from Grütschalp (first stop) to Mürren (last stop).

All of these trains are coordinated. If you are lost, just ask. If you miss a connection (say, because you used a bathroom in a station), the next connection will be in 15-30 minutes.

You do not need to buy tickets for any of these segments if you have a Swiss Pass valid for that day. Just get on and off the trains, and be prepared to show your pass if asked by a conductor or ticket controller.

It's not as hard as it sounds, and once you've done it a single time, it's a piece of cake to repeat (which you will, because there are only two ways out of Mürren).