We both enjoyed an excellent value week at the high profile (and high up in the mountains) historic Swiss ski resort. Situated 1,638m above sea level the only access is by rail from Lauterbrunnen or the Schilthorbahn cablecar from Stechelberg in the valley via Gimmelwald. Thankyou, John, for the invitation to join you and Tim and for getting it all organised. Given the poor snow conditions, the resort is an excellent choice providing ski-ing for those who want it along with all sorts of other activities not dependent on the snow. The four of us enjoyed some ski-ing, albeit a bit marginal in places, tobogganing, walking/hiking around the village and even (for Bev) a bike ride down in the Lauterbrunnen valley. The ‘Chalet Fontana’ is ideally situated in the centre of the village, just opposite the Co-op, next to the ski hire shop and in front of the Allmendhubelbahn funicular railway, opened in 1912.
Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery at Mürren, 1949: Pathe News (silent movie)
TIMELINE
Mürren boasts a lot of ‘firsts’ in terms of the history of ski-ing as a leisure pursuit and the mountains as a tourist attraction. This list of events is from the Jungfrau Region Tourismus website.
1257 First written mention of the village “Uf dr Muren”
1857 The Winteregg mountain community builds the “Silberhorn” inn
1870 The Grand Hotel and Kurhaus are built
1879 First heyday. It is good manners for aristocrats, politicians, painters and scholars to seek rest in Mürren
1891 The Mürrenbahn is opened
1910 The Mürrenbahn is put into operation even in winter. Spelterini crosses the Alps in a balloon for the first time
1912 The Allmendhubelbahn begins operation. And the ski club Mürren is founded
1922 Behind the Hotel Jungfrau Sir Arnold Lunn flags the first slalom race in the history of alpine skiing
1923 The British Women Ski Club in Mürren is founded
1924 Sir Arnold Lunn founds the Kandahar Ski Club in Mürren
1928 The Inferno race is launched. Race track from Schilthorn to Lauterbrunnen 15.8km long with altitude difference of 2150m
1930 The first ski school in Switzerland is founded in Mürren
1931 The British Ski Federation organises the first Alpine World Championships in Mürren in slalom and downhill
1937 The first ski lift in the Bernese Oberland is opened on Schiltgrat
1957 Opening of the first Alpine Course Centre in Switzerland. Fred Dolder crosses the Alps in a balloon
1962 Implementation of the first International Ballooning Weeks
1965 The first section of the Schilthorn Railway Stechelberg – Gimmelwald – Mürren is opened (Initiator Ernst Feuz)
1966 The Schilthorn cable car leads up to the summit. Length 6.9 km, difference in altitude 2103 m
1969 Inauguration of revolving restaurant ‘Piz Gloria’, after James Bond “In Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was shot on the summit
1983 Opening of the Alpine Sports Centre
1992 First Inferno half marathon Lauterbrunnen – Schilthorn
1993 50th Inferno ski race
1994 Mürren gets a branch of the Swiss Sports Museum
1998 1st Inferno Triathlon Thun – Schilthorn
2003 The Inferno race is held for the 60th time
2006 New opening of the aerial cableway Lauterbrunnen – Grütschalp (replacement of the funicular railway)
2008 First Amateur Inter-Club Ski World Championship
2012 Structural renovation of the Alpine Sports Centre and 100 years of winter sports in Mürren
2013 Opening ‘Bond World 007’, Schilthorn
2014 Opening ‘Skyline Walk’ on Birg
2015 Opening ‘007 Walk of Fame’, Schilthorn
2016 Opening of ‘Thrill Walk’, Birg, snowmaking system partial ski area
20XX Major renovation of the Schilthorn Cableway and buildings: Stechelberg – Mürren