HOTEL ALPENRUH - MÜRREN
Romantic Stay Halfway to Schilthorn
Location, location, location. There are a few times in my European travels where I feel the urge to call friends back home and say “guess where I am”. One of those was sitting in the restaurant of the Hotel Alpenruh in Murren. Looking out the widow at the Schilthorn cable car dangling across the deep chasm of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with the snowy crags of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau reaching toward the sky on the opposite side. The view was pretty much the same from my room balcony, where I could watch the hang gliders dancing in the air and catch the fire light of a spectacular dawn bathing the Eiger peak in iridescent colors.
The alpine village of sits on a ledge on the side of the valley with steep cliffs to the river below in the Bernese Oberland. There are no cars in the village as the only normal way to get there is by cable car or the Murrenbahn cog rail. The Hotel Alpenruh sits in the prime location just next to the Mürren station of the Schilthornbahn Cable (see Schilthorn Bond), and is actually owned by the same company which operates the tram and the mountain top site with its revolving restaurant. In the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, the secret agent stays on the mountain top in the lair of the villain with a bevy of beauties, but that’s just a movie set. In real life, there is no hotel on the Piz Gloria, so staying overnight in Murren is the next best option. The word Alpenruh means Alpine calm (or relaxation), and when the tram service shuts down for the night and the Mürrenbahn to Lauterbrunnen below makes its last run, you’re left in the peace of the little Alpine world, separate from the cares and bustle, with just the stunning views.
The Hotel Alpenruh of Murren is a cozy 3 star hotel in alpine chateau style. The traditional Swiss style restaurant with a view terrace offers a four-course, half-board menu as well as market-fresh à la carte specialties. The breakfast buffet is served in the restaurant, or as an option, if you have a ticket to the Schilthorn, you can have your breakfast there (see Bond Breakfast Schilthorn). If you need to leave early, they’ll even pack a sandwich to take with you. Summer and winter packages are available, for skiing or hiking.
To get to the hotel - by car, park in the lot at Stechelberg and take the cable, you’ll see the hotel right across from the station. By train, take the Mürrenbahn cable/train from Lauterbrunnen. The train station is at the opposite end of the village, about a 10 minute walk. The hotel has a small sauna free of charge and massage available. There is free wireless in the lobby. The room rates vary depending on the view, from about 120 CHF to around 200 CHF, with the valley side balconies at a bit of a premium. The balcony views are worth the extra. Okay, you may not want to get up early enough to watch the dawn, but the progress of the evening light slowing disappearing against the magnificent triplet mountains is something to call home about. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Book a deal at Hotel Alpenruh
Find best travel deals for Bernese Oberland Alps on TripAdvisor
Web
Info
Hotel Alpenruh
SEE ALSO:
HOTEL
INTERLAKEN - BYRON SLEPT HERE
INTERLAKEN
PARAGLIDING
SPORTHOTEL VICTORIA - GSTAAD
GRINDELWALD MUSEUM - EIGER EXHIBIT
