Northface Trail Mürren: Hiking Guide (Map, Difficulty & Tips)

The Northface Trail in Mürren is one of the most scenic hikes in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. You’ll walk past traditional Swiss chalets, green alpine meadows and waterfalls, with spectacular views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau almost the entire way. Sharing the trail with cows is all part of the experience, and sometimes you’ll even have to wait for them to slowly wander off the path before you can continue. The trail is considered a moderate hike and takes around 2.5 hours to complete. It’s suitable for most people with a basic level of fitness, whether you’re travelling with your partner, family or friends.

Trail Overview

Northface Trail Step-by-Step Guide

Take the cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren.
Leave the cable car station and turn left.
Follow the green North Face Trail markers towards Allmendhubel.
Continue along the marked trail through alpine meadows and viewpoints.
Reach Allmendhubel after about 2.5 hours.
Stop at the restaurant or playground if you like.
Take the funicular back down to Mürren.

Where to Start

When planning the North Face Trail, the biggest decision is where to start. Most hikers take the funicular from Mürren to Allmendhubel and follow the trail downhill to Mürren. However, you can also do it the other way around by hiking up from Mürren to Allmendhubel and taking the funicular back down. I chose this option because I didn’t mind the extra uphill section and wanted to save the funicular ride for the end. If you prefer to keep the hike mostly downhill, starting with the funicular to Allmendhubel is probably the better option.

How to Get to the Northface Trail

By Public Transport

From Interlaken Ost, take a direct train to Lauterbrunnen. Trains run every 30 minutes throughout the day. You can check the latest departure times and buy tickets on the SBB website.

Good to know: The train from Interlaken Ost is divided into two sections. The front part continues to Lauterbrunnen, while the rear part goes to Grindelwald. The destinations are clearly displayed on the outside of each carriage, so just make sure you board the correct section.

Once you arrive in Lauterbrunnen, walk outside the station and take Bus 141 towards Stechelberg. Get off at Stechelberg (Schilthornbahn), where the bus stops directly in front of the cable car station.

From there, take the world’s steepest cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren. You can buy your cable car ticket in advance on the official Schilthorn website.

By Car

If you’re travelling by car, drive to the Schilthornbahn cable car station in Stechelberg. The journey from Interlaken takes around 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

Parking address:

Schilthornbahn
3824 Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland

Paid parking is available directly next to the cable car station. For current parking fees and additional travel information, visit the official Schilthorn travel information page.

Route Description

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Please note: This route description follows the North Face Trail from Mürren to Allmendhubel, finishing with a funicular ride back down to the village.

After arriving in Mürren on the world’s steepest cable car from Stechelberg, leave the cable car station and turn left. Within a few minutes, you’ll come to a large yellow hiking signpost. From this point on, just follow the green Northface Trail markers all the way to Allmendhubel.

Throughout the hike, you’ll find panorama information boards showing the names of the mountains you’re looking at.

There’s no need to rush. Take your time, enjoy the alpine scenery, and make the most of the many beautiful viewpoints along the trail.

After about 2.5 hours, you’ll arrive at Allmendhubel. If you’re feeling hungry, this is a great place to stop for lunch or a coffee at the Panorama Restaurant Allmendhubel. There’s also a playground for children, making it a nice place to take a break before catching the funicular back to Mürren.

From Allmendhubel, take the funicular back down to Mürren. The ride takes just 4 minutes, and a standard one-way ticket costs CHF 10 for adults. You can purchase your ticket online via the SBB website.

North Face Trail Map

The map below shows the route starting in Mürren, hiking the North Face Trail to Allmendhubel, and returning to Mürren by funicular. The main points are marked to make the route easier to follow.

Note: This map is based on my own GPS recording and shows the exact route I hiked from Mürren to Allmendhubel.