Murren
Day 5 and 6
This was the moment I had been waiting for - the chance to revisit Switzerland after all these years. Despite a few minor delays, we eagerly advanced to our destination. Our journey took us up towards Lauterbrunnen, with the valley we had left behind, visible through the tall, straight pines and winding roads. As our bus navigated each bend, we chatted nervously, narrowly avoiding buses coming the other way. However, our driver Eric was skilled at handling these roads. I couldn't help but wonder whether the founders of these small villages ever expected large buses like ours to traverse through their small towns? I think not. Finally, we arrived at the picturesque village of Lauterbrunnen. The sight was breathtaking - houses dotted the hillsides, waterfalls cascaded down from high cliffs, and cows and goats grazed in lush green fields. Words cannot do justice to the scene's beauty, so I let my pictures tell the story. We then made our way to Steckelberg, where we took a gondola up to Murren.
Eating our cheese fondue dinner at hotel
"If it scares you, it may be a good thing to try."- Seth Godin
We woke up to a beautiful, sunny morning-perfect for heading to the top of Schilthorn, which stands at 10,000 ft. At the summit, there is a revolving restaurant called Piz Gloria, which was featured in the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Additionally, there is also a Spy World exhibition to explore.
Gondola shots going up and coming down from the Schilthorn
Did you know? Areas of snow are covered with material called geotextiles to reflect the sun and protect the glacier in the summer months.
Thrill Walk at the Schilthorn. I was scared to death, but I did it!
As if the Schilthorn wasn't enough excitement, we thought a group stroll down to Grimmewald from Murren would top off the day. The cutest restaurant had this view from their back deck. What more could we ask for? Before coming here, I had ventured to paraglide... until I was PRESENT in the height of this place.... so I opted to watch the paragliders instead and enjoy my Dunkel (dark lager).
a relaxing few minutes on our room patio. Cows grazed on the hill behind our hotel.
Imagine waking up to that view! From our hotel bedroom
We were thankful for the opportunity to visit the falls here, followed by a bus ride into Lauterbrunnen village, where we had the afternoon to do as we pleased. Mike and I decided to walk back to Steckelberg and take the gondola back to Murren (just over a 3-mile walk).
Quirky! Cows are often brought to high alpine pastures in the summer months to eat the mix of fragrant herbs, flowers, and lush green grasses. The alpine meadows produce a bounty for the cows, which makes for happy cows.
Happy cows = happy cheese = happy farmers.
This cat doesn't know how lucky it is to live in such a beautiful place
We had a nice surprise from Thomas before our dinner. A mini concert with an alphorn, accordion, and some yodeling to celebrate our time in the Swiss Alps. There may have been a line dance involved but what happens in Murren stays in Murren!
Low Down:
Where we stayed: https://hoteljungfrau.ch/en/
How long we stayed: 3 nights
Highlight: every single part of this destination was a highlight!
Things to do in Murren: hike anywhere, visit the Schilthorn Piz Gloria, take the cog railway from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen, or up to Jungfrau, Kleine Scheidegg, Via Ferrata, take the Allmendhubel from Murren to an observation area and restaurant, ski in winter, explore any of the waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen valley, paraglide, to name a few
