We have been to murren several times and just love it. We plan to make it the center of our trip. We will have 14 days and plan to fly into either Zurich or Geneva. Other areas of interest for us are Veyvey, Chillion castle, the vineyards in this area and Gruyere. We have seen that that many people speak favorably about the appenzell region and are considering ebenalp as a place to stay for a night or two. Other considerations are the St. Moritz/ Davos region and possibly Zermatt though many people speak of Zermatt as a place to avoid. We are most interested in the beauty of Switzerland not so much shopping or museums. We will have a elderly lady with us so easy hiking and strolls around lakes and the mountains are what we are looking for. Oeschienense Kanderteg looks lovely. I am hoping you can help me put together the best path to follow. should we fly into geneva and out of Zurich leaving Murren as our last destination before training to Zurich or start there and end in Geneva. We are concerned that anything after Murren will be a let down. I welcome any input or other suggestions you may have. Thank you so much in advance
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
and possibly Zermatt though many people speak of Zermatt as a place to avoid. It isn't the most charming town, but the town is not the reason to visit. Once you ascend up the sides of the valley, the mountain scenery that emerges is like nothing else in the country (yes, even better than the Lauterbrunnen valley). However...
We are most interested in the beauty of Switzerland Unfortunately, May is the third worst month of the year to visit for this reason. May is part of the shoulder season when the snow is too uneven and wet to ski, but the trails are too muddy and snowy for hiking. Much of the infrastructure for visitors also shuts down temporarily. Thirdyly, as soon as the snowpack retreats, the farmers usually use this opportunity to fertilize the pastures. How does the smell of liquified manure appeal to you? Granted, if the snow melts early, this unpleasent task could be over by May, but it might not. Finally, May tends to be a cloudy and overcast month in the mountains. Don't expect that stunning mountain scenery to shine through as often as in the summer.
If you can, I would move this trip to mid June, at the earliest. You may have some hiking options available in May, but they will be severely restricted.
Posted by
OP
san diego, CA, United States
107 posts
Thanks Tom for your insight...I will take that to heart and talk to my group about mid June instead. I was shocked when you said that the country side around Zermatt is more beautiful then Lauterbrunen...Now I must go! Any direction as to how to get from Zurich to Appenzel to (St Moritz, Davos) Zermatt to Veyvey and then to Murren and finally back to Zurich. Would that be a good path to follow? Is Appenzel a good destination directly from Zurich to rest up from Jet lag? Is there much to do there?
Thanks for your input and for any direction you can give. Any one else please feel free to offer suggestions of your past experiences and areas you would recommend
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
was shocked when you said that the country side around Zermatt is more beautiful then Lauterbrunen. Before I get declared a heretic by the Church of Rick Steves, let me clarify... I'm referring specifically to the scenery ABOVE Zermatt, not around. In the valley, the steep walls of the lower slopes block the line of site to many of the high peaks above. When you ascend higher, though, the scenery really opens up. However, you can easily see the two highest mountains, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, from the valley floor.