Guide · Getting up there

Lauterbrunnen to Mürren and Gimmelwald, both ways explained

Getting from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren means choosing between two lifts on opposite ends of the valley. Here is how each works, what it costs, when it closes, and how to carry on to Gimmelwald.

Check availabilityfrom $273 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, lauterbrunnenvalleyhiking.comUpdated October 20, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes56 sources

The matching tour Guided hike Grütschalp to Mürren with Trümmelbach Falls 5.0 (1 review) 6 hoursTrümmelbach Falls entry includedPick-up at Interlaken Ost from$273per person Check availabilityCancel for free until 24 hrs ahead

Quick answer

01The routes: Cable car to Grütschalp and the train, or bus to Stechelberg and the cableway.¹
02Fastest lifts: Both cable cars take about 4 minutes.² ³
03Fares: Stechelberg to Mürren costs CHF 11.80 one way, as read on 20 October 2026.⁴
04Closures: The Stechelberg cableway is closed for maintenance from 19 to 30 October 2026.⁵
05Gimmelwald: About 43 minutes on foot from Mürren, or by cable car.⁶ ⁷

Two ways up to a car-free village

Mürren cannot be reached by car. The cableway company points out that the village is car-free, and that drivers leave theirs in the big car park beside its Stechelberg station.⁸ Lauterbrunnen Tourism names both routes from the village: the cable car to Grütschalp with a change to the BLM railway, or the bus to Stechelberg and the Schilthornbahn cable car.¹

Both routes end in the same place, a village on a sunny terrace high above the valley at 1638 m by Schilthornbahn's figure.⁹ SwitzerlandMobility gives 1650 m and calls Mürren the highest year-round populated village in the canton of Bern.¹⁰ Whatever the exact number, you step out into thin, clear air with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau directly across the gulf.

Which route to take depends on where you start and what you want to do next. The Grütschalp side suits walkers heading for the balcony path. The Stechelberg side suits anyone visiting Trümmelbach Falls or going on to Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn. You can go up one way and down the other, which shows you both ends of the valley.

A loop through both villages

Up one side, down the other

Start

Lauterbrunnen

Cable car to Grütschalp, 4 minutes.²
Next

Railway to Mürren

11 minutes along the rim.¹¹
Midday

Mürren

Car-free village on its sunny terrace.⁹ ⁸
Afternoon

Walk to Gimmelwald

About 43 minutes downhill.⁶
Return

Cableway to Stechelberg

Then the postbus to Lauterbrunnen.¹²

Route one: the Grütschalp cable car and railway

This is the route that starts right at Lauterbrunnen station. The BLM aerial cableway climbs 686 metres to Grütschalp in 4 minutes.² At the top a narrow-gauge railway takes over: four kilometres long, 11 minutes, with the trains passing at Winteregg.¹¹ Jungfraubahnen calls it the shortest railway line in the Jungfrau Region.¹³

The cableway was modernised in 2026 and reopened on 11 July at 6:06 a.m., when Jungfraubahnen confirmed that Lauterbrunnen to Mürren could again be travelled on the BLM.¹⁴ Its new cabin carries 135 people instead of 100.¹⁵ During the works the only way up was from Stechelberg, so check notices whenever you travel in spring.

The railway runs along the rim of the valley, and on a clear day the views from the window are as good as from the path. Sit facing the valley for the big peaks. If you want to walk instead, the broad path from Grütschalp takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the separate page on this site covers it in detail.¹⁶

Height gained

Metres climbed by each lift

From Jungfraubahnen, Schilthornbahn and the Männlichen cableway; the Männlichen lift is shown for comparison across the valley.² ³ ¹⁷

The two routes side by side

Grütschalp or Stechelberg

	Via Grütschalp	Via Stechelberg
Start	Lauterbrunnen station	Stechelberg, by postbus
Lift	4 min, 686 m	About 4 min, 775 m
Then	Train, 11 min	Straight into Mürren
Good for	The balcony path	Gimmelwald, Schilthorn
Closures	Works until 11 July 2026	19 to 30 October 2026

From Jungfraubahnen and Schilthornbahn as read on 20 October 2026.² ¹¹ ¹⁴ ³ ⁵ ¹²

Guided days in Mürren

Three ways to see Mürren with a guide

Lauterbrunnen-Mürren: Swiss Alps Tour from Interlaken

Village and cable car

Mürren village day

From Interlaken

Time: 7 hours
In Mürren: 3 hours
Price: from $317

See the tour

Your own guide

Private walk

Gimmelwald and Mürren

Time: 3.5 hours
Group: Private
Price: from $105

See the tour

Hike Lauterbrunnen-Mürren with Trümmelbach Waterfalls Visit

This site's hike

Hike and Trümmelbach

Grütschalp to Mürren

Time: 6 hours
Group: Up to 8
Price: from $273

See the tour

Decision helper

Which way up suits your day?

Find your plan in the left column

I start at Lauterbrunnen station I also want Trümmelbach or Gimmelwald I hold a Swiss Travel Pass I travel 19 to 30 October 2026 I want to walk part of it

Via Grütschalp

The cable car leaves beside the station.¹

Via Stechelberg

The older line via Gimmelwald still runs.⁵

Via Stechelberg

That fare is zero with the pass.⁴

Via Grütschalp

The Stechelberg cableway is closed then.⁵

Grütschalp path

About 1 hour 15 minutes to Mürren.¹⁶

You can reach Mürren either by cable car (Grütschalp) from Lauterbrunnen (with a change to the BLM) or by bus to Stechelberg, followed by a cable car ride (Schilthornbahn) to Mürren.

Lauterbrunnen TourismusSource 1

Route two: the steepest cableway from Stechelberg

The second route starts at the head of the valley. A postbus runs from Lauterbrunnen to the Schilthorn cableway's valley station in Stechelberg.¹² From there the newest section of the cableway climbs 775 metres to Mürren in about 4 minutes, with a maximum gradient of 159.4%, which Schilthornbahn calls a world record for aerial cableways.³

This section began operating on 14 December 2024.¹⁸ Each of its two cabins holds 85 people.¹⁹ The Lauterbrunnen to Mürren cable car from this end therefore runs straight up the cliff rather than in stages, and the view is dramatic. Switzerland Tourism also points out that the ride passes almost within reach of the Mürrenbach Falls.²⁰

Schilthornbahn lists maintenance closures: 19 to 30 October 2026, 26 April to 7 May 2027 and 28 to 29 October 2027, with a replacement shuttle bus via Mürren from 8 am to 6 pm and limited seats.⁵ If you travel in late October, plan for the bus or the Grütschalp route, and allow for waiting time.

Map

The Lauterbrunnen Valley from Grütschalp to Stechelberg

The valley floor, its two terraces and the summits above it, then the wider region with Interlaken, Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch.

Map of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, the falls and the Schilthorn — The valley

Map of the region from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch — The region

1
Lauterbrunnen
The village sits at 795 m in a trough-shaped valley; from its station the cogwheel trains climb to Wengen and a cable car rises towards Mürren.²¹ ²²
In Google Maps ↗
2
Staubbach Falls
Lauterbrunnen's landmark drops about 297 metres right beside the village; the path to its foot is open in summer only.²³ ²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
3
Trümmelbach Falls
Ten glacier falls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift, about 3 km beyond the village; bus 141 stops at the entrance.²⁵ ²⁶ ²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
4
Stechelberg
End of the valley road and valley station of the cable car to Mürren, which climbs 775 metres in about 4 minutes.³
In Google Maps ↗
5
Grütschalp
Top of the 4-minute cable car from Lauterbrunnen, at 1486 m, and start of the walk to Mürren.² ²⁸
In Google Maps ↗
6
Winteregg
Middle station of the little railway to Mürren, at 1578 m, where the trains pass each other.²⁹ ¹¹
In Google Maps ↗
7
Mürren
Car-free village on a terrace high above the valley; Schilthornbahn gives it 1638 m.⁹ ⁸
In Google Maps ↗
8
Gimmelwald
Car-free hamlet at 1,367 metres between Stechelberg and Mürren, the start of walks into the Sefinental.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
9
Wengen
Car-free village at 1,274 metres on the sunny side, reached by the Wengernalp Railway from Lauterbrunnen.³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
10
Kleine Scheidegg
Pass at 2061 m where the Wengernalp Railway meets the Jungfrau Railway, below the Eiger North Face.³¹ ³²
In Google Maps ↗
11
Männlichen
Top of the cable car from Wengen and start of the Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg, 4.5 km.³³ ³⁴
In Google Maps ↗
12
Schilthorn
Summit at 2,970 metres with the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, by cable car from Stechelberg via Mürren and Birg.³⁵ ³⁶
In Google Maps ↗
13
Interlaken Ost
Where the Berner Oberland Bahn starts: Lauterbrunnen is 24 minutes away from platform 2A.³⁷
In Google Maps ↗
14
Zweilütschinen
The junction where the BOB train splits: the front runs on to Lauterbrunnen, the rear to Grindelwald.³⁷ ³⁸
In Google Maps ↗
15
Grindelwald
Village at 1,050 metres at the foot of the Eiger, around 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train.³⁹ ⁴⁰ ⁴¹
In Google Maps ↗
16
Jungfraujoch
Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 metres, reached by the Jungfrau Railway from Kleine Scheidegg.⁴² ³²
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before you ride up

Check

Maintenance dates on both cableways
Which pass or railcard you hold
The postbus times to Stechelberg

Bring

A warm layer for the terrace
Walking shoes for Gimmelwald
Sun protection at altitude

Cost calculator

Price a guided Mürren day for your group

Enter your group size to compare three guided options.

Mürren village day7 hoursfrom $317 Private walk3.5 hoursfrom $105 Hike and Trümmelbach6 hoursfrom $273

People 2

Total from$634

each from $317

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Group totals here multiply the lowest per-person price GetYourGuide quotes for each valley outing by the number in your party, converted at the European Central Bank's daily rate; the booking step shows the binding amount.

Video

MÜRREN, SWITZERLAND: 1-Day Guide to Mürren, Gimmelwald, Birg & Schilthorn | Weekend In Mürren

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What it costs

Schilthornbahn publishes its fares online. For an adult, the Stechelberg to Mürren ride was CHF 11.80 for a single trip and CHF 23.60 there and back, as read on 20 October 2026, valid until 12 December 2026.⁴ Holders of the Swiss Half Fare Card pay CHF 5.90 one way, and with a GA travelcard or a Swiss Travel Pass the fare is zero.⁴

Regional passes cover this ground too. Jungfraubahnen sells the Jungfrau Travel Pass for 3 to 8 days with unlimited use of mountain railways, cable cars, trains and boats in the region, and lists Lauterbrunnen and Mürren among its highlights.⁴³ The adult price for 3 days is CHF 210, as read on 20 October 2026.⁴⁴

Before you buy anything, check which railcard you already hold. A Swiss Travel Pass that makes the Stechelberg cableway free changes the arithmetic completely, while day-trippers without a pass may find two single fares simpler than a multi-day ticket. Fares change with the season, so confirm at the station on the day.

On to Gimmelwald

Gimmelwald is the quiet neighbour. Mürren Tourism describes it as a car-free village at 1,367 metres, reached by cable car or on foot in 45 minutes, and the starting point for walks into the Sefinental valley.⁷ Besides the new direct cableway, Schilthornbahn still runs its older line from Stechelberg via Gimmelwald to Mürren, so you can split the ride and see both villages.⁵

Walking from Mürren is the nicer way to arrive. On the Swiss Hiking Federation's route from Mürren station, Gimmelwald comes after 43 minutes, and the Sefinental after 1:02.⁶ The path drops through meadows with the cliffs of the valley ahead. Between Mürren and Gimmelwald a side path even runs behind the Sprutz waterfall, steep and often slippery.⁴⁵

If you want to get from Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald in one go, take the bus to Stechelberg and ride the Gimmelwald line one stop. Walking back up to Mürren afterwards is a steady climb, so it is easier the other way round: lift to Mürren, walk down to Gimmelwald, and take the cableway back to the valley.

What to do once you are up there

Mürren has its own small mountain. The Allmendhubel is a four-minute funicular ride from the village and stands at 1,907 metres.⁴⁶ ⁴⁷ Note that Schilthornbahn lists the funicular as closed for maintenance until 11 December 2026, as read on 20 October.⁴⁸ In summer a flower trail circles the top in around 20 minutes on a stroller-friendly path.⁴⁹

Walkers have plenty more. The Blumental Panorama Trail runs from Mürren station through the Blumental to the Allmendhubel, easy and about 1 hour 15 minutes.⁵⁰ The Northface Trail is longer, medium in difficulty at about 2 hours 30 minutes, with 12 information panels on the climbing history of the north faces opposite.⁵¹

For a thrill, the via ferrata between Mürren and Gimmelwald runs downhill and is open from 1 June to 31 October, graded K3, fairly difficult.⁵² Above the village the cableway continues to Birg and the Schilthorn, covered on its own page here. Paragliding also launches from Mürren, as the tourism office lists among the activities around Lauterbrunnen.⁵³

Walking up instead

You can also simply walk. SwitzerlandMobility describes the Via Alpina climb from Lauterbrunnen: a steep trail from the station into the forest that eases after about 200 m of height, passes the Staubbach and becomes a gravel road at Mittelberg along the railway.⁵⁴ It is a real climb, best saved for the way down if your knees allow.

For an easy day, the answer to how to get to Mürren from Lauterbrunnen is a lift up and a walk somewhere on top. The balcony path from Grütschalp gives the views with little effort, and the walk down to Gimmelwald adds a second village. Keep the steep valley paths for days when you are fit, the ground is dry and you have time to spare.

Whichever way you go, leave the car behind. Lauterbrunnen station has a car park with 975 spaces, and Stechelberg has a large car park at the cableway.⁵⁵ ⁸ Lauterbrunnen Tourism warns that parking in both places is limited at peak times and recommends Park and Ride outside the valley.⁵⁶

Your day above the valley