Birth Of A River

If you were to simply show up in the village of Mürren, Switzerland and hang out for a few days, you would pretty much be guaranteed a wonderful visit regardless of the weather. It's a postcard-perfect Swiss Alps experience, perched on the top of an impressive massif overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley, and framed in the background with the Jungfrau mountain range. The village itself is very small, with a permanent population of perhaps 300. I've enjoyed some wonderful meals, ranging from the Asian delights of Tham's Chinese Snacks, to Thai Curry Soup, the best lamb I've ever tasted, a Gorgonzola Cheeseburger, röstis galore, and fresh, C O L D milk. The local beer is Rugenbrau, brewed just down the hill outside Interlaken. Feldschlossen is another regional favourite. I wouldn't make a detour for the suds in this area, to be honest, but since my next destination was to be Munich, Germany, I wasn't too worried about the quality of the local brew. Especially when the water, from a pipe straight out of the ground, was so good!

There's much more to Mürren for the summer visitor than the view and the food. It's a natural launching pad for a series of spectacular hikes and gentle walks that will take the lucky traveller to some truly special spots. One of them is a meadow in a dead-end valley called Kilchbalm, which requires a fairly steady march of perhaps an hour or 90 minutes to access. Once there, however, you're in for a treat. A glacier, plus a series of waterfalls, gives birth to a river that eventually roars its way into the Lauterbrunnen valley. Here is a tiny video clip of the area, featuring sounds from the Swiss Alps!

To sum up, I highly recommend a visit to Mürren for anyone who wants to experience the Swiss Alps without paying St. Moritz prices.

NEXT: Maßes in München!