murren or grindelwald
Mar 5th, 2007, 12:38 PM
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murren or grindelwald
We plan a one week trip to Switzerland. We would like to stay in one or two places near the Jungfrau. Any suggestion where to stay? We thought of 3 nights in Murren and 3 in Grindelwald. Last night in Zurich.
Mar 5th, 2007, 01:30 PM
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While I have no specific hotel recommendations, I think you will be satiafied with visiting the two villages.
Mürren commands a position on the west side of the valley with some inspiring views of the Jungfrau and the Mönch. The Breithorn, Gspaltenhorn, and others to the south are not exactly dwarfs either.
Grindelwald will put you in a position for some good trips higher up. I warmly recommend taking the gondola to First. The views of the Eiger are fantastic.
Mürren commands a position on the west side of the valley with some inspiring views of the Jungfrau and the Mönch. The Breithorn, Gspaltenhorn, and others to the south are not exactly dwarfs either.
Grindelwald will put you in a position for some good trips higher up. I warmly recommend taking the gondola to First. The views of the Eiger are fantastic.
Mar 5th, 2007, 03:25 PM
#3
Hi,
While not an answer to Murren or Grindelwald...
We absolutely loved staying in Wengen, the opposite side of the valley from Murren. We stayed at Hotel Eiger, whch was very nice. Stunning views from our room balcony!
www.eiger-wengen.ch
Paul
While not an answer to Murren or Grindelwald...
We absolutely loved staying in Wengen, the opposite side of the valley from Murren. We stayed at Hotel Eiger, whch was very nice. Stunning views from our room balcony!
www.eiger-wengen.ch
Paul
Mar 5th, 2007, 05:11 PM
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Both villages are actually quite near each other (as the crow flies I don’t believe they are more than 10-15 miles apart), and have similar views with slightly different directions and aspects. You can travel between them very easily by public transport in about an hour, so you can visit Murren for a whole day of walking and touring very easily from Grindelwald or vice versa. Therefore, with all that time, I am not sure it is necessary to move between them (I’m not a big advocate of moving hotels for short distances), or—more importantly—I am not sure it is necessary to spend 6 nights in the same valley. While the valley is indeed beautiful, as you have that much time, you could spend 3 nights there and 3 nights in one of the other stunning mountain areas like the Zermatt valley, the Saas Fee area, the Gstaad area, or the gorgeous Engadine area, or change gears a bit and go to the beautiful Lake Geneva area. There is excellent walking in all these areas, and breathtaking views as well. Lake Geneva has the advantage of being in wine country and has some of the best restaurants in Europe, the Engadine has some of the most charming villages anywhere (though Gstaad is quite charming itself). The Matterhorn kind of speaks for itself....
I also prefer Wengen to either Murren or Grindelwald. If I were going to spend 6 days in the Jungfrau, it would be in Wengen with a balcony room at the Caprice hotel.... www.caprice-wengen.ch
I also prefer Wengen to either Murren or Grindelwald. If I were going to spend 6 days in the Jungfrau, it would be in Wengen with a balcony room at the Caprice hotel.... www.caprice-wengen.ch
Mar 5th, 2007, 10:54 PM
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Cicerone:
Would you recommend Wengen more than Murren or Grindelwald as a base for mountain walking. I've promised my husband we'll go hiking in the mountains this summer (he's a mountain climber; I'm a city girl) and we can manage 4 walking days plus two travel days.
Would you recommend Wengen more than Murren or Grindelwald as a base for mountain walking. I've promised my husband we'll go hiking in the mountains this summer (he's a mountain climber; I'm a city girl) and we can manage 4 walking days plus two travel days.
Mar 5th, 2007, 11:26 PM
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I personally would recco Wengen because it the town from which you can access the cable car for the wonderful walk from Maennlichen to Kleine Schiedig; you could also walk all the way back to Wengnen from Kleine Schiedig as well. There are lots of other great walks from Wengen, including an easy and gorgeous walk down to the bottom of the valley to Lauterbrunnen. If your husband wanted to do something challenging like the Eiger face, he could do that from Wengen, I know basically nothing about that, but I am sure he could find out about it.
There are of course very good walks from any of the villages in the area; Murren has some great walks. I just love the Maennlichen walk and I personally think the views from Wengen are the best with both mountain and valley/waterfall views, which are not possible from the other towns. Views from Murren are quite good of the trio of Jungfrau, Eiger and Munch; they probably are slightly better than views from Wengen, but IMO Wengen has more walks, more lovely valley views, and is a much larger town with more on offer. You can make a whole day trip to Murren and do the walks there. If you like, you can also go over to the Kandersteg valley, the next valley over, and do the Oeschinensee walk.
If you don't already have them there are two excellent books on walking in Switzerland. The first is Swiss Bernense Oberland by Philip and Louise Alspach. This gives an overview of the BO and gives details on several walks. The second is the Lonely Planet book "Walking in Switzerland". This rates walks by fitness level, even walks for kids. It also gives directions for using public transport. I find both accurate and very helpful.
You husband may want to look at the Swiss Hiking Federation at http://www.swisshiking.ch/ or
Swiss Alpine Club at http://www.alpen-journal.de/links.html
There are of course very good walks from any of the villages in the area; Murren has some great walks. I just love the Maennlichen walk and I personally think the views from Wengen are the best with both mountain and valley/waterfall views, which are not possible from the other towns. Views from Murren are quite good of the trio of Jungfrau, Eiger and Munch; they probably are slightly better than views from Wengen, but IMO Wengen has more walks, more lovely valley views, and is a much larger town with more on offer. You can make a whole day trip to Murren and do the walks there. If you like, you can also go over to the Kandersteg valley, the next valley over, and do the Oeschinensee walk.
If you don't already have them there are two excellent books on walking in Switzerland. The first is Swiss Bernense Oberland by Philip and Louise Alspach. This gives an overview of the BO and gives details on several walks. The second is the Lonely Planet book "Walking in Switzerland". This rates walks by fitness level, even walks for kids. It also gives directions for using public transport. I find both accurate and very helpful.
You husband may want to look at the Swiss Hiking Federation at http://www.swisshiking.ch/ or
Swiss Alpine Club at http://www.alpen-journal.de/links.html
Mar 6th, 2007, 07:48 AM
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tadan,
My husband and I last August stayed in Grindelwald at the Hotel Gletschergarten (Room #17 I believe). Our room was a corner balcony that looked right at the alps. Absolutely beautiful. We were about a 5 minute walk into town as well as a short stroll to Gondola that takes you to First that Bob_Brown mentioned above. I too highly recommend taking the gondola to First. It took our breath away!
You really can't go wrong where you stay ... it's all just simply beautiful.
My husband and I last August stayed in Grindelwald at the Hotel Gletschergarten (Room #17 I believe). Our room was a corner balcony that looked right at the alps. Absolutely beautiful. We were about a 5 minute walk into town as well as a short stroll to Gondola that takes you to First that Bob_Brown mentioned above. I too highly recommend taking the gondola to First. It took our breath away!
You really can't go wrong where you stay ... it's all just simply beautiful.
Mar 6th, 2007, 02:48 PM
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I suggest Lauterbrunnen.
From there you can easily reach any other destination in the Berner Oberland.
To study the terrain, you really need a topographic map of the Berner Oberland. Onemapplace in Dallas may have it.
If you are fit, and want a long walk, I recommend the trail from Schynige Platte to First, a gondola station about 4,000 feet higher than the valley station in Grindelwald.
The walk for a good hiker is about 7 hours, but that varies considerably with the condition of the hikers, their speed, and any deviations from the normal route.
If you really wanted to make a "big do" out of it, I suggest getting reservations at the hotel on top of the Faulhorn for the night. Walk up from First to the Faulhorn, spend the night, and then continue on to Schynige Platte the following day.
There is a train from Wilderwil that ascends to Schynige Platte.
Wilderswil is just south of Interlaken Ost. The train station is on the line that leads to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The connections are timely and frequent.
If you wanted to make a another excursion, start in Stechelberg, which is at the south end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley where the road terminates.
From there, hike to the Oberhornsee.
The lake is at the base of the Jungfrau Massif. You can go higher if you wish.
Another walk that I like is along the lower Grindelwald Glacier. From near the church in Grindelwald take the cable car up to a station called Pfingstegg. From there go through the farm yard, and follow the trail west, toward the Eiger. At the edge of the glacier, the trail turns south well above the ice.
From the turn, the trail leads gently uphill to Stieregg, which is a rough pasture that overlooks the innards of the mountain world. (At one time there was a restaurant there, but the last I heard it had been dismantled because the ground underneath was unstable. The pasture itself sits on glacial till and washes out fairly easily.)
From that location you can cross a gully and follow a mountain trail as far as the cliffs known as the Rots Gufer. If you have the legs for it, and the equipment, you can continue on to a mountain shelter. This can be a stiff walk and I don't recommend it for one who has a fear of heights. (I quit before ascending any of the Rots Gufer.
At the time I figured I had not reached the age of 70 by being stupid.)
Another excusion that I highly recommend is the Eiger North Wall trail. I think this one is more safely done uphill from Alpiglenn to end of the trail. Alpiglenn is on the rail line from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg. The trail ends at the Eigergletscher rail station on the Jungfraubahn.
I suggest the uphill direction because much of the trail is gritty gravel that slides underfoot. I went down it and, even with hiking poles, I felt a little at risk of slipping. The uphill sections we traversed felt more secure underfoot.
The north wall of the Eiger dominates the landscape as you traverse the trail. It is a popular walk and will be full of people moving along at a good pace.
Another jumping off point is the Grimsel Pass. From the Hotel Grimsel Hospiz, a trail crossed the dam, goes through the rock and emerges a few meters further along. You can follow the trail along a glacier all the way along a glacier to to a mountain shelter hut.
There are other trails in the vicinity.
If these sound a bit much for you, then there are several easier ones. The walk from the crest of the Männlichen (a high ridge dominating the Lauterbrunnen Valley to the east) to Kleine Scheidegg is along a wide, gently sloping trail. From Kleine Scheidegg, you can walk uphill to the Eigergletscher views and, if you wish, descend along the rail line back to Wengen.
Another good hike, one I hope to do in August, is from Gimmelwald to a glacial cirque (no more ice) known as the Kilchbalm. The "Kilch" is reached along a relatively flat trail as mountain excursions go. The cirque itself is deep into the rock with cascades of water streaming down the vertical walls.
Depending on the weather, there may even be snow and ice patches on the mountain side.
When we were there, cows were grazing in the pastures along the stream. Don't worry, if you don't bother them, they sure as anything will not bother you. The drawback to the cows is that you must watch your steps very carefully. If you want to look up at the Gspaltenhorn, stop!!
If you really want to tackle a big one, you can take the trail over the Sefinen Furke from Mürren and end up on the other side in the Kiental. A bus serves the village Griesalp. You can ride downhill to the village of Reichenbach and take the train back to Interlaken via Spiez. The last bus down leaves about 16:20
If you want to hedge your bets, there are hotels in Griesalp. In fact, when I was there nearly 3 years ago, a new one was under construction.
This is a steep climb, however because of the ascent/descent of the Sefinenfurke. The distance is about 15K from Mürren, and could take 8 hours or so.
There are a few more in the area, but my top suggestions are the Stieregg trail, with an extension as far as you can take it, and the First - Schynigge Platte trail.
I have never stayed at the hotel on top of the Faulhorn, but to do so when the moon is nearly full is said to be spectacular.
From there you can easily reach any other destination in the Berner Oberland.
To study the terrain, you really need a topographic map of the Berner Oberland. Onemapplace in Dallas may have it.
If you are fit, and want a long walk, I recommend the trail from Schynige Platte to First, a gondola station about 4,000 feet higher than the valley station in Grindelwald.
The walk for a good hiker is about 7 hours, but that varies considerably with the condition of the hikers, their speed, and any deviations from the normal route.
If you really wanted to make a "big do" out of it, I suggest getting reservations at the hotel on top of the Faulhorn for the night. Walk up from First to the Faulhorn, spend the night, and then continue on to Schynige Platte the following day.
There is a train from Wilderwil that ascends to Schynige Platte.
Wilderswil is just south of Interlaken Ost. The train station is on the line that leads to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The connections are timely and frequent.
If you wanted to make a another excursion, start in Stechelberg, which is at the south end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley where the road terminates.
From there, hike to the Oberhornsee.
The lake is at the base of the Jungfrau Massif. You can go higher if you wish.
Another walk that I like is along the lower Grindelwald Glacier. From near the church in Grindelwald take the cable car up to a station called Pfingstegg. From there go through the farm yard, and follow the trail west, toward the Eiger. At the edge of the glacier, the trail turns south well above the ice.
From the turn, the trail leads gently uphill to Stieregg, which is a rough pasture that overlooks the innards of the mountain world. (At one time there was a restaurant there, but the last I heard it had been dismantled because the ground underneath was unstable. The pasture itself sits on glacial till and washes out fairly easily.)
From that location you can cross a gully and follow a mountain trail as far as the cliffs known as the Rots Gufer. If you have the legs for it, and the equipment, you can continue on to a mountain shelter. This can be a stiff walk and I don't recommend it for one who has a fear of heights. (I quit before ascending any of the Rots Gufer.
At the time I figured I had not reached the age of 70 by being stupid.)
Another excusion that I highly recommend is the Eiger North Wall trail. I think this one is more safely done uphill from Alpiglenn to end of the trail. Alpiglenn is on the rail line from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg. The trail ends at the Eigergletscher rail station on the Jungfraubahn.
I suggest the uphill direction because much of the trail is gritty gravel that slides underfoot. I went down it and, even with hiking poles, I felt a little at risk of slipping. The uphill sections we traversed felt more secure underfoot.
The north wall of the Eiger dominates the landscape as you traverse the trail. It is a popular walk and will be full of people moving along at a good pace.
Another jumping off point is the Grimsel Pass. From the Hotel Grimsel Hospiz, a trail crossed the dam, goes through the rock and emerges a few meters further along. You can follow the trail along a glacier all the way along a glacier to to a mountain shelter hut.
There are other trails in the vicinity.
If these sound a bit much for you, then there are several easier ones. The walk from the crest of the Männlichen (a high ridge dominating the Lauterbrunnen Valley to the east) to Kleine Scheidegg is along a wide, gently sloping trail. From Kleine Scheidegg, you can walk uphill to the Eigergletscher views and, if you wish, descend along the rail line back to Wengen.
Another good hike, one I hope to do in August, is from Gimmelwald to a glacial cirque (no more ice) known as the Kilchbalm. The "Kilch" is reached along a relatively flat trail as mountain excursions go. The cirque itself is deep into the rock with cascades of water streaming down the vertical walls.
Depending on the weather, there may even be snow and ice patches on the mountain side.
When we were there, cows were grazing in the pastures along the stream. Don't worry, if you don't bother them, they sure as anything will not bother you. The drawback to the cows is that you must watch your steps very carefully. If you want to look up at the Gspaltenhorn, stop!!
If you really want to tackle a big one, you can take the trail over the Sefinen Furke from Mürren and end up on the other side in the Kiental. A bus serves the village Griesalp. You can ride downhill to the village of Reichenbach and take the train back to Interlaken via Spiez. The last bus down leaves about 16:20
If you want to hedge your bets, there are hotels in Griesalp. In fact, when I was there nearly 3 years ago, a new one was under construction.
This is a steep climb, however because of the ascent/descent of the Sefinenfurke. The distance is about 15K from Mürren, and could take 8 hours or so.
There are a few more in the area, but my top suggestions are the Stieregg trail, with an extension as far as you can take it, and the First - Schynigge Platte trail.
I have never stayed at the hotel on top of the Faulhorn, but to do so when the moon is nearly full is said to be spectacular.
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