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Mürren, Switzerland
Charming village with tremendous views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Mürren is one
of our favorite resorts - for a short visit, at least. There may be other
Swiss mountain villages that are equally pretty, but none of them enjoys
views like those from Mürren across the deep valley to the rock faces
and glaciers of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau: simply breathtaking. And
then there's the Schilthorn run, which draws us back like a magnet whenever
we're driving through the Oberland.
Our visits are normally one-day affairs;
holidaymakers, we concede, are likely to want to explore the extensive
intermediate slopes of Wengen and Grindelwald, across the valley. And
you have to accept that getting there takes time.
It was in Mürren that the British more
or less invented modern skiing. Sir Arnold Lunn organized the first ever
slalom race here in 1922. Some 12 years earlier his father, Sir Henry,
had persuaded the locals to open the railway in winter so that he could
bring the first winter package tour here. Last winter, we had the great
pleasure of a chat in the bar of the hotel Eiger with Sir Arnold's son
Peter, who first skied here in November 1916 and now skis here with his
children and grandchildren. Mürren's that kind of place.
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Trail
map
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Town map
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click
on images for full-size view
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What's
Great
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What's
Not-So-Great
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Tiny, charming, traditional 'traffic-free' village,
with snowy paths and chocolate-box chalets
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Stupendous scenery, best enjoyed on the challenging run from the
panoramic Schilthorn
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Good sports center
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Good snow high up, even when the rest of the region is suffering
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Extent of local
slopes very limited no matter what your level of expertise
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Lower slopes can be in poor condition and are served by some awkward
T-bars
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Quiet, limited nightlife
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Like all other Swiss 'traffic-free' villages, Mürren is gradually
admitting more service vehicles
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Content
on this page by permission from
"Where to Ski and Snowboard Worldwide"
©Chris Gill & Dave Watts |
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