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Looking across the rooftops of Alpine Mürren to the rooftops of the Bernese Alps: the Bernese Oberland World Heritage Site.
Photo looking southeast from the balcony at Chalet Jungfrau to the wall of north faces of the Bernese Alps copyright Home At First.
Mürren sits high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
The village is accessible only by cablecar.
ALPINE MÜRREN
Not far southwest of the geographic center of Switzerland, mile-high (5,413′), perches chocolate box alpine Mürren. Visitors reach the village, on a steep cliff a vertical half-mile above the valley floor below — by aerial cablecars. Car-free Mürren — a village of alpine chalets — offers fantastic views of peaks and glaciers, and superb walking and hiking.
Despite Mürren’s remote eagle’s nest setting, the village serves as a fine base for exploring the Bernese Oberland. Mürren overlooks the region’s fabled alpine core, the Jungfrau Region. Its setting rightfully attracts visitors looking for the romantic Switzerland of Heidi.
Alpine Mürren’s popularity with visitors has much to do with its location midway along the cablecar route to the Schilthorn. The pyramidal 9,742′ high mountain summit lures tourists with its revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria, and associations with James Bond and extreme downhill skiing.
Mürren expects to be very busy during the ski season and during the high summer (July-August). But even at these times the village — lacking major hotels, bars, & shopping centers — quiets again at dusk. Mürren’s COOP grocery and dozen or so small family-owned restaurants handle the village’s busiest times graciously.
Active guests choose from hiking, climbing, mountain-biking, or chancing Mürren’s unique via ferrata. Less active guests find Mürren ideal for a spa, strolling the traffic-free village streets.
Every visitor enjoys a coffee, a beer, or a glass of wine at a Mürren café or in neighboring Allmendhubel, Birg, Gimmelwald, Grütschalp, and Winteregg. These latter map points celebrate grand views accessed by short cable-car or train rides.
Regardless of the pace of your visit, alpine Mürren promises you peace.
Home At First’s Swiss Mountain Homes in Mürren
Mürren: Chalets Jungfrau & Silberhorn
HOME AT FIRST offers Swiss mountain home apartments in the village of Mürren. The village, set on a remote, cliff-top perch, is the highest town in the Bernese Oberland.
While most apartments are decorated and comfortably furnished in traditional Swiss alpine style, a few feature modern furnishings. All apartments are clean, well cared for, and well-equipped. All are within reasonable walking distance to the stores, services, numerous restaurants. Home At First’s Mürren apartments lie short distances to the village’s three transportation stations.
Although alpine Mürren is built on the east slope of the Schilthorn mountain, the hillside affects few of our chalet apartments. Even our steepest Mürren apartment requires a walk of 5-8 minutes from main street restaurants & shops,
SWISS MOUNTAIN HOME HOSTING: Each apartment features a secure entry. Alpine Mürren provides a safe, prosperous, residential community environment. Importantly, all HOME AT FIRST Mürren apartments come with experienced, caring, English-speaking hosts.
VILLAGE SETTING & TRANSPORTATION: Mürren, a compact village of 450 residents, occupies a high shelf a half-mile above the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor. Located in the center of the Bernese Oberland, Mürren sits at over a mile high, highest village in the region.
Auto-free Mürren cannot be reached by public road. Two large aerial cableways carry passengers and freight between the valley floor and Mürren. One cableway ascends to Mürren from Stechelberg (via Gimmelwald) to the Schilthornbahn station on the south end of the village.
A second large cablecar operates between Lauterbrunnen valley station and the alpine station at Grütschalp. At Grütschalp, passengers and freight connect to an isolated, narrow-gauge railway (the BLM). One-car trains make the slow, incredibly scenic, 15-minute journey to the BLM railway station on Mürren’s north end.
Mürren’s third cableway station operates at the top of the village midway between Mürren’s two principal stations. The steep Allmendhubelbahn funicular — a rail vehicle that is pulled by a cable — climbs to Allmendhubel, an outcropping above the village.
The hiking & skiing paradise of alpine Mürren’s cheese alps concentrates at Allmendhubel. Several major trails and pistes intersect here. Hikers and skiers enjoy a remarkable panorama of the Bernese Alps at Allmendhubel, which has a restaurant and a children’s playground.
VILLAGE SERVICES: Despite Mürren’s small size, a dozen or so restaurants provide dining in town and on the surrounding cheese alps. Restaurants range from 4-star to snack bars to rustic Berghaus fare. Food choices include hearty alpine, traditional Swiss, Asian, Italian, and German.
The village also has two churches — one Protestant and one Roman Catholic, very close to each other near the top of Mürren. Just above the churches is alpine Mürren’s Sportzentrum (Sports Center) which houses the well-staffed Tourist Information Office, an indoor pool, a spa, a gym and games room, and outdoor soccer and skating facilities.
Mürren offers a handful of shops offering souvenirs, and sporting goods for sale & rental (including boots & poles for hiking and skiing, and mountain bikes).
During the non-skiing months of the year, Mürren has no town doctor, no police, and no bank or currency exchange.
The closest banking, physicians, and bakery are available in the valley town of Lauterbrunnen 30 minutes from Mürren.
BLM “train” nearing Mürren.
HIKING IN MÜRREN’S AMAZING ALPINE SETTING
Alpine hiking permits immersion in the magnificence of Swiss Nature. Miles of hiking trails surround Mürren, and begin right outside your chalet apartment’s door. Trails range from easy to very challenging, from short to long, from meadows, to forests, to treeline and above. Many trails offer rest and sustenance at mountain cafés and Berghaus restaurants. Cold drinking water from standpipes at mountain springs is commonplace. You will see (& hear) animals: mostly cows, some sheep and goats, and, if you watch closely, eagles, marmots, chamois, and ibex.
Hiking in the meadows above Mürren, your senses are delighted by the sweetness of the alpine air, the majesty of the Bernese Alps, and the music of cowbells. This region ranks with Switzerland’s most glorious cheese country, and the mountain cheese produced here is among Switzerland’s best.
Home At First’s Alpine Mürren Lodgings
What are Home At First’s Mürren Swiss mountain home chalet apartments like?
SEE SAMPLES: CHALET SILBERHORN • CHALET JUNGFRAU • CHALET EIGER
Chalet Eiger, Mürren: balcony view
Each Home At First Mürren chalet apartment is unique. They come in all sizes and shapes. Almost all feature Swiss Swiss mountain home chalet-style furnishings — lots of blond spruce — although some are traditional and others modern interpretations. Some have several bedrooms and baths; others may have a single bedroom and bathroom.
Almost all have terraces or balconies. Many feature balconies with very impressive alpine views. Many have balconies and windows with window boxes full of blooming geraniums in a rainbow of bright colors. (You will be invited to water the plants!) Others may have furnished patios or gardens. All are secure private quarters with private bathrooms, and all must meet Home At First standards of quality and equipment:
• HOSTING: All Home At First chalet apartments in alpine Mürren have friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, accessible hosts. Hosts may be the lodging owners or their representatives. Most live in their independent apartment in the same chalet or a neighboring chalet. Hosts will welcome you, show you around the apartment, explain its workings, and be on-call if questions, problems, or emergencies arise. Otherwise, you can expect to see a familiar, friendly face from time-to-time during your stay, working in the garden or stopping by your apartment to see how you are getting on.
• KITCHENS: Full kitchens or practical kitchenettes with at the very least: fridge, coffee maker, tea kettle, stove top range, oven and/or toaster oven and/or microwave. Most have additional counter appliances. Many have dishwashers as well as clothes washer/dryers. All kitchen and bath towels & linens provided.
• BEDROOMS: Most bedrooms have twin beds. Some twin beds can be secured and made-up together to form a large double bed. A few multi-bedroom lodgings may have a queen-size or king-size bed in one of the bedrooms, but these are rare. Larger family-size lodgings often have one bedroom with bunk beds.
• BATHROOMS: Most bathrooms have a shower stall or a bathtub with overhead shower. Some few bathrooms may have a bathtub with hand-held shower, or a bathtub for bathing only.
• LAUNDRY FACILITIES: Those apartments without clothes washer/dryers will have a common laundry room in the chalet you may use or a laundromat nearby in the village.
• PARKING: Alpine Mürren is not accessible by car. We recommend that guests coming to Mürren travel by public transportation using a Swiss Travel Pass or a regional Berner Oberland Pass. Visitors traveling by car will necessarily need to park in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg at the base of the cablecars leading up to Mürren. Such parking is quite limited and rather expensive.
• ELECTRONICS: Apartments have televisions, usually the flat-screen, cable variety. Most have free WiFi, although service can be spotty away from the chalet. Few apartments come with telephones. Bring or rent a cell phone for your trip, but remember that service can be spotty in the Swiss Alps. NOTE: WiFi service is available on some trains.
• PROXIMITY TO STORES & SERVICES: All Home At First Swiss mountain home chalet apartments in alpine Mürren are within short walking distance to stores and services, and transportation. Opening times for stores varies by season, with long opening hours most days during the high seasons.
Mürren LODGINGS
SAMPLE SWISS MOUNTAIN HOME APARTMENTS
Detailed descriptions of seven of our favorite Swiss mountain home chalet apartments in the Bernese Oberland village of Mürren. To see the illustrations in larger format on your PC, “right click” on the image, then click on the “View Image” menu item in Firefox or click on the “Open image in new tab” menu item in Chrome.
Chalet Jungfrau
MÜRREN – SOUTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
Two Swiss-quality apartments with premier balcony views
TWO 3-BEDROOM, 2-BATH apts. on the 2nd & 3rd floors
Each with a balcony providing exceptional views of the Bernese Alps
CHALET JUNGFRAU, MÜRREN
CHALET JUNGFRAU APARTMENTS
MÜRREN SOUTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
Nearest Transit: Schilthornbahn Cablecar Station, Mürren (5min.)
CHALET JUNGFRAU is a large Swiss mountain home (renovated 2009) with two identical spacious 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom chalet apartments on the 2nd floor and 3rd floor of the 4-story chalet. Each apartment has a furnished balcony with an outstanding view of the Bernese Alps, including the Jungfrau, the region’s third highest peak and most prominent along the north wall of the Bernese Alps. The two identical 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartments are comprised of:
• One apartment on 2nd floor (entry door by the entry hall); one apartment on the 3rd floor (up 16 stair steps from the entrance hall). Capacities of each apartment: 2-7 persons.
• Each apartment has a balcony accessed from the living room and from two of the three twin-bedrooms. The balconies feature grand views of Eiger, Mönch, & Jungfrau and the imposing wall of North Faces included within UNESCO’s Bernese Oberland World Heritage Site. We think these balcony views the finest of any apartment we offer in the Bernese Oberland.
• Two identical twin-bedrooms have 2 twin beds each, with window views and balcony access. All bedrooms have wardrobes with clothes-hanging space, shelf space, and drawers. All bedrooms have end tables with reading lamps, shelves, and drawers for valuables.
• A third bedroom has 3 twin beds ideal for children — with window views but without balcony access.
• The spacious living room is in a large open-plan configuration with the fully-equipped kitchen (large fridge/freezer, microwave, oven, range, dishwasher, coffeemaker, & lots of cupboard and counter space) and dining area that seats six. The living area is furnished with upholstered sofas and chairs, and a flat-screen, satellite TV that includes CNN, Bloomberg, and BBC channels.
• Both bathrooms are accessed from the common hallway. The larger master bath features a double vanity and a full tub-shower, toilet, linen closet, shelves, and a storage cabinet. The smaller second bathroom has a shower stall, vanity with cabinet, and toilet.
• The apartments have central heating with individual room registers. However, the well-insulated chalet is not heated during the summer months, and holds its comfortable interior temperatures day and night during the warm months of the year.
Your English-Speaking Hostess at Chalet Jungfrau
Annemarie, the English-speaking hostess of the two Chalet Jungfrau apartments, lives on-site in her own apartment in the chalet. In addition to being the owner and hostess at Chalet Jungfrau, the very busy Annemarie is also a working mother whose day job takes her away from the chalet a few days each week. However, she is normally at home in the evening and available for questions. She enjoys getting to know her guests and visits you occasionally to see how you are enjoying your stay and ask if you need any assistance.
THE LOCATION: Chalet Jungfrau is 5-minutes mildly-steep uphill from Mürren’s main street, a walk requiring reasonable fitness that rewards guests with unforgettable balcony views.
Chalet Jungfrau is 5-minutes walk from the Schilthorn cablecar station on Mürren’s south end. Stores, shops (including Mürren’s COOP grocery), and several restaurants are 3-8 minutes walking distance. A charming forest path leads uphill from the chalet past a waterfall to a playground and family picnic ground 5-minutes away.
Alpine Mürren’s Allmendhubel funicular station is 5-minutes walk from the chalet. Here frequent cablecars climb to a restaurant with a children’s playground, a terrific view of the Bernese Alps, and a broad selection of hiking paths that lead through Mürren’s cheese alps dotted with mountain restaurants.
ARRIVAL NOTE: there is no taxi service in car-free alpine Mürren. Guests, therefore, must be prepared to walk their luggage up to Chalet Jungfrau (5-8 minutes from the Schilthornbahn cablecar station — mostly uphill in mile-high Mürren, often after a long travel day). Pack lightly so you don’t have so much to lug up the hill! Your hostess or her representative will normally meet guests at the chalet at an appointed arrival time.
OCCUPANCY NOTE: capacity of each apartment: 2-to-7-persons. A supplement may apply for under 4-person occupancy.
ENTRANCE NOTE: once you reach Chalet Jungfrau, the chalet’s entry hall is reached via approx. 12 partially-covered stair steps up from street level.
ELECTRONICS: Chalet Jungfrau provides flat-screen satellite TV and secure WiFi (free).
LAUNDRY: there are no laundry facilities at Chalet Jungfrau. Mürren’s town laundromat is 5-minutes walk from the chalet.
Chalet Silberhorn
MÜRREN – SOUTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
Two classic chalet apartments with outstanding balcony views
TWO MULTI-BEDROOM, 1-BATH apts. on the 2nd & 3rd floors
Each with a balcony providing outstanding views of the Bernese Alps
- CHALET SILBERHORN
CHALET SILBERHORN APARTMENTS
MÜRREN SOUTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
Nearest Transit: Schilthornbahn Cablecar Station, Mürren (2min.)
CHALET SILBERHORN is a large Swiss mountain home with two guest apartments with outstanding balcony views. Located on the southern end of alpine Mürren, the chalet is slightly above the main street of the village, away from the foot traffic but still very close to the several shops, restaurants, cafés, grocery store, and the Schilthornbahn cablecar station.
• THE UPPER APARTMENT offers superb views plus size flexibility with capacity for 2-6 persons on the third (top) floor of the chalet. The apartment has 3 bedrooms: one twin bedroom with balcony access, one twin bedroom with a delightful garden view, plus a bunk-bedroom with space for two children. Also opening off the main hallway is a full bathroom with shower and twin-basined vanity. The apartment’s large, well-equipped, eat-in kitchen features a lovely garden view from large windows. A comfy living room with an upholstered chair & sofa suite opens on the balcony. The unforgettable views across Mürren’s rooftops and Main Street extend to the imposing north wall of the Silberhorn and its neighboring Bernese Alps, making the 28 stair steps up to the apartment entrance well worth the effort.
• THE LOWER APARTMENT occupies the second floor of the chalet — up 14 stair steps (2 flights of 7 steps) from the ground floor chalet entry. It sleeps 2-4 persons in two twin bedrooms. There is one bathroom (shower & twin-basined vanity), a well-equipped, eat-in kitchen, and a large living/dining room with comfy upholstered chair & sofa suite, and flat-screen TV. One bedroom and the living room open onto the large, furnished balcony, big enough to sit, snack, dine, recline, and always enjoy the sumptuous view of the Bernese Alps.
NOTE ABOUT HEATING: The apartments have central heating with individual room registers. However, the well-insulated chalet is not heated during the summer months, and holds its comfortable interior temperatures day and night during the warm months of the year.
Your Hosts at Chalet Silberhorn
YOUR HOSTS AT CHALET SILBERHORN:
Sabrina & Kurt — shown here in the traditional dress of their Swiss home region — are the owner/hosts of the two Chalet Silberhorn apartments. They reside in the chalet’s ground floor apartment with their teenage son.
Both are employed in Mürren and are readily accessible, especially after work in the evenings.
English-speaking Sabrina serves as the primary host for North American visitors.
Kurt is a native of Mürren. Sabrina’s roots are in Switzerland’s beautiful, remote Lötschental valley, as well as in the capital city of Bern. Both are active members of the community. They have outstanding local knowledge and can make recommendations for activities, restaurants, and day-trips. They enjoy getting to know their guests and are eager that you enjoy your visit to their hometown of Mürren.
THE LOCATION: Chalet Silberhorn is a 2-3-minute walk from the Schilthorn cablecar station on Mürren’s south end. Stores, shops, and several restaurants are 2-8 minutes walking distance, with the town’s COOP grocery store about 3 minutes distant.
Alpine Mürren’s Allmendhubel funicular station is 5-minutes walk from the chalet. Here frequent cablecars climb to a restaurant with children’s playground, a terrific view of the Bernese Alps, and a broad selection of hiking paths that lead through Mürren’s cheese alps dotted with mountain restaurants.
ARRIVAL NOTE: there is no taxi service in car-free alpine Mürren. Guests, therefore, must be prepared to walk their luggage up to Chalet Silberhorn (2-3 minutes from the Schilthornbahn cablecar station — slightly uphill for the last 50 yards). Your host meets incoming guests at the chalet at an appointed arrival time.
ENTRANCE NOTE: once at the Chalet Silberhorn, the chalet’s entry hall is reached via approx. 8 uncovered stair steps up from street level. The Lower Apartment entry is up 14 indoor stairs above the chalet entrance. The Upper Apartment entry is up a further 14 indoor stairs above the Lower Apartment.
OCCUPANCY NOTE: minimum capacity limits at Chalet Silberhorn’s two apartments may apply. Supplemental fees may be charged for under 4-person occupancy.
ELECTRONICS: Chalet Silberhorn’s two apartments provide flat-screen cable TV and secure WiFi (free).
LAUNDRY: laundry facilities at Chalet Silberhorn are shared by guests of both apartments, and are located on the basement floor.
Chalet Eiger
MÜRREN – NORTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
3 classic Swiss apartments with top alpine views
ONE FOUR-BEDROOM, 2-BATH & TWO 2-BEDROOM, 1-BATH APTS
2nd & 3rd Floor Apartments featuring balconies with superb views
CHALET EIGER is a large, classic Bernese Oberland Swiss mountain home at the north end of alpine Mürren with three vacation apartments furnished in traditional chalet style.
• THE LARGE 4-BEDROOM, 2-BATH APARTMENT offers superb views plus size flexibility with capacity for 4-8 persons on the third (top) floor of the chalet. This very large apartment has two balconies: one along the front of the chalet accessed off the livingroom, and one on the south side of the chalet accessed off the kitchen. Each balcony provides superb views of the Bernese Alps, and especially of the 3 signature peaks of the region: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
The upper apartment’s 4 twin bedrooms include 3 along the front of the chalet with terrific views of the Alps, and especially of the notorious Eiger. One twin bedroom is across the main hallway from the other three, and lacks a view. Also opening off the main hallway are the two full bathrooms, each with a combined tub/shower, a toilet, and a vanity. The apartment’s very large, well-equipped, eat-in kitchen features two dining tables, all the appliances one could want (including a large fridge), plus its own south-facing balcony with a fine view of the North Faces of the Bernese Alps, a World Heritage Site.
Although the large kitchen can serve as a livingroom (TV!), there is a very comfortably furnished livingroom with large L-shaped upholstered sofas, a larger TV. Opening off the living room is the balcony on the front of the chalet, with sensational views of the Eiger, Mönch, & Jungfrau, a view that makes the 40 stair steps up to the apartment entrance well worth the effort.
• TWO IDENTICAL 2-BEDROOM, 1-BATH APARTMENTS — one on the 2nd floor (up 2 flights of 10 stairs); one immediately above on 3rd floor (up 4 flights of 10 stairs). Capacity of each: 2-5 persons. Each apartment has a balcony accessed off the living room and one twin-bedroom with superb views of the Big Three peaks of the Bernese Oberland: Eiger, Mönch, & Jungfrau. The bedrooms have twin beds, a sink & mirror, two un-upholstered chairs, bed stands, and reading lights. The living rooms are furnished with upholstered chairs & sofa, and have a 5th twin bed, making maximum apartment capacity 5 persons. The apartments’ single bathrooms open off the main halls, and are equipped with toilet, basin, and tub/shower.
The kitchens are well-equipped and practical, with ranges, ovens, dishwashers, coffee makers, but small fridges. Opening off the kitchen is the dining room with a table for four and a large window with a view to the north.
Your English-Speaking Hostess at
Chalet Eiger
Jessica, the Australia-born, English-speaking hostess at Chalet Eiger, does not live on-site, but about 30-minutes away. She is the daughter-in-law of the owner, who lives next door to the chalets. Jessica visits you occasionally to see how you are enjoying your stay and ask if you need any assistance. When not on-site, she is available by telephone. Jessica is quite fond of her adopted Switzerland. Having lived in alpine Mürren for several years, she is quite knowledgeable about the village and the region, and eager that you get to know and enjoy this remarkable, delightful place.
CHALET EIGER APARTMENTS
MÜRREN NORTH • BERNESE OBERLAND
Nearest Transit: BLM Railway Station, Mürren (5min.)
CHALET EIGER — A CLASSIC BERNESE CHALET
THE LOCATION: From Chalet Eiger on the north end of Mürren it is a relatively flat walk to most of the stores and restaurants of the village. The BLM railway station is a quick, flat, 3-minute walk from the chalets. The closest restaurant is under 1-minute away, and 5 restaurants are within 6-minutes flat walk. Hiking trails lead in three directions from just outside the chalet, and mountain biking is popular along the marked roadway cycle path that parallels the railway in front of the chalet. It is a 15-minute walk to Mürren’s other transport station, the Schilthornbahn cable system, on the south end of the village.
NOTE ON THE SETTING: the BLM railway and the north end of Mürren’s main street both pass by the front of Chalet Eiger. The road sees very few vehicles, but walkers & cyclists do pass frequently, especially in fair weather. Nearly silent electric, one-car BLM passenger trains trundle slowly by like narrow-gauge trolley cars, twice hourly between 6:15AM and 9PM.
ENTRANCE NOTE: Sharing the building entrance on the ground floor is an engineering firm’s office, open 8AM-5PM Mo-Fr, but with few comings and goings.
NOTE: Chalet Eiger’s secure entrance is at street level. A common indoor stairwell leads up to all three individual apartment entries.
ELECTRONICS: Flat-screen cable TVs. Secure WiFi (free).
LAUNDRY: Chalet Eiger’s shared laundry facilities are located on the ground floor.
ARRIVAL NOTE: there is no taxi service in car-free alpine Mürren. Guests, therefore, must be prepared to walk (mostly flat; slightly downhill) their luggage to Chalet Eiger 3-5 minutes from the BLM railway station, often after a long travel day. Pack lightly so you don’t have so much to lug up the (20 to 40) stairs to your apartment at your chalet. Your hostess or her representative will normally meet guests at the chalet at an appointed time.
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