Bernese Oberland

8 Information
Next to the Männlichen cable car, the tourist
offi ce (%033 855 14 14; www.mywengen.ch;
h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-noon & 1-6pm Sun,
closed Sat & Sun Nov & Mar-Apr) is minutes from
the train station, taking a left at Hotel Silberhorn
and continuing 100m further on. Next door is the
post offi ce.
Stechelberg
POP 260 / ELEV 922M
To witness the drama of the waterfall-gonemad
Lauterbrunnen Valley, where a staggering
72 falls cascade over perpendicular
walls of rock, make for Stechelberg. The
valley takes its name from lauter (clear) and
Brunnen (spring). To see the cataracts at
their thundering best, visit in spring when
the snow thaws or after heavy rain. Though
long a bolthole for hikers, this tiny, silent
village still feels like a well-kept secret.
Blissfully rural Alpenhof Stechelberg
(%033 855 12 02; www.alpenhof-stechelberg.ch;
r per person Sfr28; hclosed Nov) harbours lightfi
lled, neat-and-tidy rooms that off er fantastic
value for your franc. A hearty breakfast
with local dairy products is served for Sfr12.
Mürren
POP 430 / ELEV 1650M
Arriving on a clear evening, as the train
from Grütschalp fl oats along the horizontal
ridge towards Mürren, the peaks across
the valley feel so close that you could reach
out and touch them. And that’s when
you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Heidi
heaven. With its low-slung wooden chalets
and spellbinding views of Eiger, Mönch
and Jungfrau, car-free Mürren is storybook
Switzerland.
In summer, the Allmendhubel funicular
(one way/return Sfr12/7.40) takes you above
Mürren to a panoramic restaurant. From
here, you can set out on many walks, including
the famous Northface Trail (1½
hours), via Schiltalp to the west, leading
through wildfl ower-strewn meadows with
views to the glaciers and waterfalls of the
Lauterbrunnen Valley and the monstrous
Eiger north face – bring binoculars to spy
intrepid climbers. There’s also a kid-friendly
Adventure Trail (one hour).
In winter, there are 53km of prepared
ski runs nearby, mostly suited to intermediates,
and a ski school (%033 855 12 47;
CLIFFHANGER
Feel like an adventure? Little beats
Mürren’s vertigo-inducing Klettersteig
(%033 856 86 86; www.klettersteig
-muerren.ch; hmid-Jun–Oct). This highaltitude
2.2km via ferrata is one of
Switzerland’s most astonishing,
wriggling across breathtakingly
steep limestone cliff s to Gimmelwald.
Equipped with harness, helmet and
karabiner, you can fl irt with
mountaineering on ladders that snake
across the precipices and bring you to
a zip-line – whoa there goes Eiger! –
and an 80m-long suspension bridge.
Equipment can be rented for Sfr20
per day from Intersport opposite the
tourist offi ce. Or you can go with a guide
for Sfr95 by contacting Bergsteigen
für Jedermann (%033 821 61 00; www
.be-je.ch).
www.muerren.ch/skischule) charging Sfr50 for
a two-hour group lesson. Mürren is famous
for its hell-for-leather Inferno Run (www
.inferno-muerren.ch) down from Schilthorn in
late January. Daredevils have been competing
in the 16km race since 1928 and today
the course attracts 1800 intrepid amateur
skiers. It’s also the reason for all the devilish
souvenirs.
4 Sleeping & Eating
In summer, rates are up to 30% cheaper than
the high-season winter prices given below.
Eiger Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE $$
(%033 856 54 60; www.eigerguesthouse.com;
d Sfr140-190, q Sfr240; iW) Run by a funloving,
on-the-ball team, this central pick
off ers great value. Besides clean, spruced-up
rooms (the best have Eiger views), there is
a downstairs pub serving tasty grub and a
good selection of draught beers.
Hotel Jungfrau HISTORIC HOTEL $$
(%033 856 64 64; www.hoteljungfrau.ch; s Sfr80-
140, d Sfr160-280; W) Set above Mürren and
overlooking the nursery slopes, this welcoming
family-run hotel dates to 1894. Despite
’70s traces, rooms are tastefully decorated
in warm hues; south-facing ones have Jungfrau
views. Downstairs there’s a beamed
lounge with an open fi re.
133
JUNGFRAU BERNESE OBERLAND REGION 8 8STECHELBERG