We're travelling to the Lauterbrunnen area in late July. We are trying to decide whether to stay down in Lauterbrunnen or up in Murren. We want to do some mountain biking. Can bikes be taken up in the lifts/cable cars from Lauterbrunnen?
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Either way is wonderful but perhaps the lauterbrunnen will be more convenient and save some swiss francs & time for you. Each AM you can decide which side is better weather wise then go for it. the gonds and lifts are on both side for diff mtns. not sure re your bike question most people we saw were hiking or skydiving.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
ned, Either location would be good, but my preference "leans" towards Mürren. Bike Rental may be available at Stäger Sport in Murren and Imbolden Sport in Lauterbrunnen. There used to be a section in the Switzerland Guidebook that described a round trip bike ride from Gimmelwald to Lauterbrunnen, but I haven't checked lately to see if that's still listed. AFAIK, bikes can be transported on the cable cars (at least the one to Gimmelwald). I've shared the car with large hoppers of concrete, so I don't imagine bikes would be a problem. Happy travels!
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
I vote for staying in Murren. We've stayed in Murren twice... it's magical and nothing compares to the experience of staying there. You are 5000' up, engulfed by the Alps. It's amazing. You can rent bikes in Murren at the Sport Center (we did) and you can take them in the cable cars.
Posted by
Madras, OR, USA
8 posts
I have a trip planned in May to that area also. Susan do you have a good recommendation on hotels in Murren?
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Bikes can easily be taken on the gondolas up to Muerren and Gimmelwald and on the train to Wengen. The trains have a special car for bikes and skiis. The Gondolas are large enough to hold several bikes and their riders and other tourists, too.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
We have stayed in Lauterbrunnen and it was great. But, we would have preferred Murren. It was late May and we were to worried about snow up there. The snow was gone and the weather was beautiful. Murren is everything that you would expect in a Swiss alpine village. At 5,200', the views down into the valley and up to the mountain tops are breathtaking.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
Kristy, both times we stayed at Hotel Eiger, and liked it very much. We had a room with a balcony which is worth the splurge anywhere you stay, if your budget allows. Hotel Eiger is at the high end price-wise but I think all the recommendations in RS Switzerland would be good. There are also some good options in Gimmelwald listed in RS.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
Do you want to be down in a valley (albeit a very pretty valley), or up on a mountain bench with spectacular views and more sun? Nothing beats waking up in Murren and looking out the window at spectacular mountain views, IMO.
Posted by
Granite Bay, CA
1930 posts
LOVED all the cow and goat bells up on the mountain. The sound lulled me to sleep!
Posted by
Granite Bay, CA
1930 posts
LOVED all the cow and goat bells up on the mountain. The sound lulled me to sleep!
Posted by
Oakland, CA
73 posts
Stayed in Murren several times and Lauterbrunnen one time-- the last time we were there in 2010. In Murren we've stayed at Hotel Alpenruh and Hotel Blumenthal. In Lauterbrunnen we stayed at Hotel Silberhorn. We enjoyed both areas immensely--if you think you might want to travel up to other areas in addition to Murren (Wengen, Grindelwald, etc.), you might consider Lauterbrunnen as a more central base. You really can't go wrong!