Travis and Alazda's European Adventure: Murren

From Austria, we boarded a train into the heart of the Alps toward our destination Murren, Switzerland. Most of day 9 involved travel to get to Murren. It is a small mountain village, 5,361 feet above sea level, requiring multiple train transfers and even a mountain cable car ride to reach it. Once we checked into our small hotel, we were able to explore the village and capture some remarkable views of the nearby mountain peaks. We returned back to our hotel for dinner and were able to enjoy some local swiss food and drinks.

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel complete with some spectacular views before setting off to wander the small village. Walking from end to end of Murren takes only 20 minutes and offers some wonderful views of the Alps. We stopped at the information station to check weather forecasts and decided on a trip up to the peak of a nearby mountain, Schilthorn.

We rode a cable car to the mountain peak at 9,748 ft which offered incredible views of the entire mountain range and the many nearby villages. We saw the giant peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (the highest point in Europe). In addition, at the top of Schilthorn we enjoyed a lunch in a revolving restaurant allowing for 360 degree panoramic views of the mountains. This peak was made famous during the late 1960's when it was featured in the James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.

From the mountain, we came back into town and picked up a bottle of wine to enjoy from our hotel balcony while we took in the mountain views.

To end the night, we stopped at a nearby ski-lodge to have a late night snack. Travis was excited as the restaurant served a dish similar to a gyro burrito. We then retired back to our hotel room in anticipation for the next day in Switzerland.

- Travis and Alazda

Mountains and nearby villages during our ascent to Murren