Scenic Mürren

The time has come to round up all those cliches we travel writers seem to resort to when describing the Swiss Alps, because this month were talking about Mürren.

It's a small but modern, car-free village set at the foot of the Schilthorn on a terrace 2,000 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Number #1 on Gemütlichkeit's "essential" Swiss destinations, see Dec. 2001).

For our money, there is no more scenic spot in Switzerland's; a beauty among beauties. Not subtle charm but ravishing in-your-face, quadraphonic, surround-sound good looks. A knockout.

Some visit Mürren for it's remoteness and sense of being far from life's pressures; others, of course, for the walking, hiking, climbing, and other outdoor pursuits. For us, however, Mürren's mountain views are the best special effects movie ever. It's a front row seat with a giant screen. Across the narrow valley loom the great triumvirate of peaks - Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger. Almost perpetually wreathed by swirling clouds and mists, they change from minute to minute and one simply feels compelled to sit and gaze in awe. In Mürren you will eat, sleep, read, maybe even swim or workout at the village's fine Sportszentrum, but mountain-watching is the main attraction.

Despite it's isolation and glorious vistas, the town has at least one mild critic. European travel guru, Rick Steves, describes Mürren as "pre-fab rustic" and tags one of it's best hotels - the Alpenruh, our editor's choice - "yuppie rustic." He may have a point. Being of fairly recent construction, many of the town's buildings lack the authentic weathered look of older Swiss houses, and hotel rooms do have TVs, phones, private baths, and floors that don't squeak. Still, when it comes to T-shirt shops and throngs of tourists roving the streets, Mürren lags far behind the likes of Grindelwald and Zermatt. And there's nothing "pre-fab" in sight when you lift your eyes to those awesome rock piles.