Lauterbrunnen vs Murren in mid-May

I guess my main concern is that while Murren is my ideal, too many of the restaurants and hiking trails will still be closed or impassable.

Thanks. The elevation/temperature relationship is useful to know. We live in the South so we aren't acclimated to the cold weather anymore and because we are backpacking, we will not be able to take a lot of cold weather specific gear.

Margie, we were there in very early June of last year. Murren and Wengen were free of snow. Murren is actually at 5,300' above sea level. However, this could be very different from year to year (the weather and not the altitude). As to whether hotels and places to eat are open at that time, I can't be sure. We stayed at the Hotel Silberhorn in Lauterbrunnen (www.silberhorn.com). It was great and the dining room was probably the best in the area. RS doesn't cover this hotel in his book but he does mention the restaruant. The hotel is above average and probably costs a bit more that those in RS' book. If we can get there again, we would stay in Murren. It's everything you would expect to see in a Swiss village. About 250 residents and no tourist cars. Great hotels. Check out the ratings on www.tripadvisor.com.

I agree with Larry. Murren is a 1000 times better than Lauterbrunnen in my humble opinion. It is absolutely magical. We stayed at Hotel Eiger and it was the best hotel we have ever stayed in anywhere, also with a great restaurant. I would really research what is typical weather for mid-May there and if it's do-able for you, I would highly recommend staying in Murren. I think you could trust the the hotel Larry mentioned and Hotel Eiger to tell you the reality of what to expect Mid-May.

Murren is almost a complete ghost town from April to early-mid May. You may find a place to stay, but most of the other businesses in town will still be closed. Also, many (but not all) of the best hiking trails will be muddy with the snow melt-off. At this time of year, Murren is still worth a visit, but you might be better served staying in the valley or in Interlaken.

And don't worry about acclimation. Unless you ascend to the summit (where you won't spend much time outside anyway), the temperatures in Murren and Gimmelwald are mild and quite pleasantin May. Rain will be more of a problem than cold weather.

Oh, and here's another season issue I forgot to mention. In the spring, the farmers of Gimmelwald are busy fertilizing the mountain pastures. Of what concern is this to a casual traveler? Well, let's just say that the fertilizer is "100% natural", if you know what I mean. They apply it using a power hose -sorry about the nasty mental image. So, with the mud from the snow melt-off and the liquified cow manure covering the pastures, your hiking options are somewhat reduced, although you should be OK if you stay on the main path and a few other well marked trails. The odor smells surprisingly mild, but definately noticable... I suspect this may be part of the reason why Murren is deserted in the spring!

We didn't catch any of that particular feature on our visit. However, during the period of late May through early June. the farmers are walking their cows with their fabulous Swiss cow bells through the streets of Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald and Murren up to the higher and, as we now know, more fragrant summer pastures. We did get to see that each morning of our stay. Also the wildflowers in the alps are in full bloom. It's really something to see.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm leading towards taking our chances on the weather/mud and staying in Murren. All we really need is a grocery store and we'll be okay.

Well Murren definitely has a grocery store...the "Coop" is right across the street from the Chalet Fontana.

Yes, Murren is not quite as lively as Wengen or Grindelwald, but it's exactly what I'm looking for which is a perfect little alpine village!

This question has been discussed many times and the postings have been excellent. I have read all of the posts and have been in contact with most of the hotels in both towns as well as many towns nearby. My comments are those of a person with no knowledge other than what I have learned from others.

Here it is.

If you want to hike and spend time in the mountains, stay in Murren. If your time is limited and you want to explore the region, stay in Laterbrunen. It will be easier to get around the area and be less expensive as well. We are going in mid-June of this year.

Each of us have different interests and it is sometimes difficult to make the right decision. Hopefully, we have made the right one for us. We will be staying at the Hotel Staubbach in Laterbrunnen.

Good luck!

You can tell by the number of posts here why this valley inspires such loyalty & return visits. I agree with Dean regarding where to stay. It depends on your age, your interests, & I'll add one more variable: whether you're driving or using a rail pass. If you're not a hiker, I wonder if there would be much to do in the higher (car-free) villages like Murren in May. Lauterbrunnen's a one-horse town, but at least you can drive from there to Grindelwald to Interlaken & points beyond. (Of course you can do this by rail also). And I'll also second Larry's recommendation of the Hotel Silberhorn. I imagine the Eiger in Murren & the Staubbach in Lauterbrunnen have similar loyal followers....at the Silberhorn we saw people in the dining room who'd obviously been coming there for many, many years...& had a warm relationship with the owners. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of these choices, as the Lauterbrunnen valley gets my vote for the most beautiful place in Europe!

We made our reservations last night at the Hotel Alpina in Murren. We will be there the first weekend after they reopen from the break between ski season and hiking season, so we will be hoping for decent weather. We are coming into this area after Paris and London and before Rome, so I'm hoping for some downtime to catch up on my journal and sleep before heading on to Rome. A sleepy town and some long walks sounds like a good place to be.

Our trips to Murren have always been late May and early June. The weather has always cooperated with us beautifully. I'm just curious - what made you choose the Hotel Alpina? Have you read the reviews on tripadvisor?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188084-d266596-Reviews-Hotel_Alpina-Murren_Bernese_Oberland_Swiss_Alps.html

I don't think the Alpina is bad, but I DO think there may be better places to stay. Murren is an exceptional place, and I hope you have a great time. We're going in June 2008 and staying at the Chalet Fontana

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188084-d199023-Reviews-Chalet_Fontana-Murren_Bernese_Oberland_Swiss_Alps.html

We had 2 days of bad weather in early August in Mürren and found it to be a problem getting down to see the Ballenberg outdoor meusem. We were using trains and buses and it took 2.5 hours each way. We also went to see the Trümmelbach waterfalls. Both were very nice, but we could have used the extra time we lost.