Mürren
Encyclopedia
Mürren is a traditional Walser
mountain village in Bernese Oberland
, Switzerland
, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,413 ft.) above sea level and unreachable by public road.
Tourism is popular through the summer and winter; the village features a view of the three towering mountains: Eiger
, Mönch
, and Jungfrau
. Mürren has a population of just 450, but has 2,000 hotel beds.
Mürren has its own school
and two churches, one Reformed and one Roman Catholic.
s, known as the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS), provides transportation from Mürren downhill to Gimmelwald
and Stechelberg
, and uphill to the summit
of the Schilthorn
and the revolving restaurant
Piz Gloria
. This was a principal filming location for the James Bond
movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service
, released in 1969
, in which Bond (George Lazenby
) made his escape from the headquarters of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
(Telly Savalas
) and fled four of Blofeld's henchmen in a car driven by his girlfriend Tracy
(Diana Rigg
). There is an additional cable car that runs directly from Mürren to Stechelberg, but this is provided solely for the movement of freight.
Mürren is also connected to Lauterbrunnen
by the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
, which consists of a narrow gauge railway and a connecting aerial tramway
. Mürren is also the lower terminus of the Allmendhubelbahn
funicular
.
Due to its altitude and inaccessibility,there are no cars in Mürren.
Within the village there is a large sports center with a 25 m swimming pool, squash courts and a sports hall. There is a large skating rink which is sometimes used for curling competitions as well as a specific curling rink that in the summer is a tennis court.The ice rink is turned into a mini-golf course during the summer months. In the summer there are also tennis courts near to the sportschalet.
, together with the districts of Wengen
, Isenfluh
, Gimmelwald
, Stechelberg
and Lauterbrunnen
. Also, the parish covers the entire valley.
hotel Blumental, Eiger Guesthouse, Eiger Swiss Quality Hotel, Sportschalet, Hotel Jungfrau and Hotel Regina.
, who, in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
, won the decisive Battle of Kandahar
.
In 1928 the Inferno ski race was set up, and continues till this day. The International Inferno Race, comprising cross-country, giant slalom and downhill races, is the longest (15.8 km, 9.8 mi.) and largest amateur ski race in the world.
Walser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...
mountain village in Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,413 ft.) above sea level and unreachable by public road.
Tourism is popular through the summer and winter; the village features a view of the three towering mountains: Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
, Mönch
Mönch
The Mönch is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains visible from far away....
, and Jungfrau
Jungfrau
The Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
. Mürren has a population of just 450, but has 2,000 hotel beds.
Mürren has its own school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
and two churches, one Reformed and one Roman Catholic.
Transport
A series of four cable carAerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
s, known as the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS), provides transportation from Mürren downhill to Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald is a small village in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, halfway up the mountain between Stechelberg and Mürren, at an elevation of 1363 meters...
and Stechelberg
Stechelberg
Stechelberg is a small village in the glacier carved Lauterbrunnen valley of the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, sitting at the base of the Jungfrau mountain...
, and uphill to the summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of the Schilthorn
Schilthorn
The Schilthorn is a 2,970 metre high summit in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland, above Mürren.It has a panoramic view which spans from the Titlis, Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger, over the Bernese Alps and the Jura mountains up to the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest...
and the revolving restaurant
Revolving restaurant
A revolving restaurant is a usually tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the revolving floor. The revolving rate varies between one and three times...
Piz Gloria
Piz Gloria
Piz Gloria is the name of the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. The cable car station and the restaurant were designed by the Bernese architect, Konrad Wolf...
. This was a principal filming location for the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
, released in 1969
1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
, in which Bond (George Lazenby
George Lazenby
George Robert Lazenby is an Australian actor and former model, best known for portraying James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.-Early life:...
) made his escape from the headquarters of Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
(Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
) and fled four of Blofeld's henchmen in a car driven by his girlfriend Tracy
Tracy Bond
Teresa "Tracy" Bond is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the James Bond film and novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service...
(Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
). There is an additional cable car that runs directly from Mürren to Stechelberg, but this is provided solely for the movement of freight.
Mürren is also connected to Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
by the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.-Operations:The...
, which consists of a narrow gauge railway and a connecting aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
. Mürren is also the lower terminus of the Allmendhubelbahn
Allmendhubelbahn
Seilbahn Mürren Allmendhubel , also Allmendhubelbahn, is a funicular in Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.The Allmendhubelbahn was brought into service in 1912, in order to simplify trade with other communes. It was soon used by many tourists and mountain hikers, and in the winter by skiers...
funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
.
Due to its altitude and inaccessibility,there are no cars in Mürren.
Recreation
There are a total of 52 km (32 mi.) of ski runs with 14 ski lifts (6 cable cars, 7 chair lifts, 3 railways and 2 drag lifts). There is also off-piste skiing, but guiding is often needed and should be used. Although there is good skiing, a popular activity is sledding (sledging). There are many paths that are used for sledding including a route from Mürren to Gimmelwald (once in Gimmelwald, you can follow the short path through the village and take a cable-car back to Mürren) and from Gimmeln to Mürren that are used solely for hiking and sledding. The "bobrun" (which was a bobsleigh track) is also used for sledding and hiking but is also a well used ski run, often used by the ski school.Within the village there is a large sports center with a 25 m swimming pool, squash courts and a sports hall. There is a large skating rink which is sometimes used for curling competitions as well as a specific curling rink that in the summer is a tennis court.The ice rink is turned into a mini-golf course during the summer months. In the summer there are also tennis courts near to the sportschalet.
Politics
Mürren is situated within the canton of Bern, in the district of Interlaken and belongs to the political commune of LauterbrunnenLauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
, together with the districts of Wengen
Wengen, Switzerland
Wengen is a village in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern, located in central Switzerland at an elevation of 1274 m above sea level, and is part of the Jungfrauregion. Wengen has approximately 1,300 year-round residents...
, Isenfluh
Isenfluh
Isenfluh is a hamlet in Switzerland, north of the road from Wilderswil to Lauterbrunnen.In 1973, Isenfluh, together with Wengen, Muerren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen, became part of the municipality of Lauterbrunnen....
, Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald is a small village in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, halfway up the mountain between Stechelberg and Mürren, at an elevation of 1363 meters...
, Stechelberg
Stechelberg
Stechelberg is a small village in the glacier carved Lauterbrunnen valley of the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, sitting at the base of the Jungfrau mountain...
and Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
. Also, the parish covers the entire valley.
Hotels
There are quite a few hotels in Murren that include hotel Alpina, hotel Alpenruh, hotel Edelwiess, hotel Alpenblick, hotel Jungfrau,hotel Blumental, Eiger Guesthouse, Eiger Swiss Quality Hotel, Sportschalet, Hotel Jungfrau and Hotel Regina.
History
Mürren has its roots as a farming village. However, it has grown in size and wealth owing to tourism in both summer and winter. Tourism and winter sports have been an important part of Mürren's history since 1911, when the first British winter tourists arrived. In 1924 the Kandahar Ski Club was set up by Sir Arnold Lunn and eight other British skiers. The club takes its name from the Roberts of Kandahar Challenge Cup, first run in 1911. This, the world's senior challenge cup for Downhill ski-racing, was presented by Lord RobertsFrederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
, who, in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
, won the decisive Battle of Kandahar
Battle of Kandahar
The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle in southern Afghanistan was fought between the British forces under command of General Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, inflicting nearly 3,000 casualties in...
.
In 1928 the Inferno ski race was set up, and continues till this day. The International Inferno Race, comprising cross-country, giant slalom and downhill races, is the longest (15.8 km, 9.8 mi.) and largest amateur ski race in the world.