Snowshoeing in Mürren: 2 Trails, Where to Rent

Snowshoeing in Mürren takes less planning than most visitors expect. Two signposted trails start a few minutes from the station: the Chänelegg loop, about 4 km and two hours back to the village, and the Gimmelen Trail, 5 km down to Gimmelwald. Mürren is 50 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train and cable car, and the shops in the village rent the gear.

I am Pierre, and I guide snowshoe groups near Interlaken in winter. The Chänelegg loop is the one I have walked in Mürren, and the one I send people to for a first time on their own. Below: both trails with the figures SchweizMobil and the Jungfrau Railways publish, read on 3 November 2026, the way up from Interlaken, when to start, where to rent, and what to do with the afternoon.

Where can you go snowshoeing in Mürren?

On two signposted trails that Mürren Tourism lists as its highlights: the Chänelegg Trail, a loop from the village to the Chänelegg moorland and back, and the Gimmelen Trail, which runs through the forest towards the Gimmelen restaurant and down to Gimmelwald. Both are marked with pink signposts and open with the snow, not on a fixed date.

The figures differ a little depending on who publishes them. SchweizMobil, the national route network, gives the Chänelegg Trail 4 km, 240 m up and the same down, about 1 h 55, graded medium. The Jungfrau Railways describe the same loop as 3.6 km from Mürren to the Allmiboden and back, about 2 hours. Our own guide to snowshoeing near Interlaken used the federal route data in September and says 3.7 km. Three sources, three lengths: plan for about 4 km and two hours.

The Gimmelen Trail is longer and goes one way. SchweizMobil gives it 5 km, 200 m up and 480 m down, about 2 h 30, from the Schilthornbahn station in Mürren to Gimmelwald, and grades it difficult.

The table in words. The Chänelegg Trail starts and ends at the Mürren station: about 4 km, 240 m up and down, 1 h 55, medium. The Gimmelen Trail runs from the Schilthornbahn station to Gimmelwald: 5 km, 200 m up, 480 m down, 2 h 30, difficult. From Interlaken Ost, Mürren is 50 minutes away via Grütschalp and 51 minutes via Stechelberg.

How do you walk the Chänelegg loop from Mürren station?

You start at the Mürren BLM station, where the train from Grütschalp arrives, and follow the pink signs into the village. That is where I set off. SchweizMobil describes the route turn by turn: towards the village centre, right before the sports centre, through the Äegerte quarter, then along the lower panoramic path.

After that the loop crosses the line of the Allmendhubel funicular and climbs a short, steep section to the upper panoramic path. It reaches the Allmiboden, crosses a ski piste (watch for skiers), and follows the forest edge to the Chänelegg moorland. The return runs lower, via Mittelberg, back into the village.

I walked it at an easy pace and took between 1 h 30 and 2 h 30, close to the official 1 h 55. I recommend this loop for a first outing. In SchweizMobil's description, the only steep section is short and comes before the Allmiboden.

Pierre says: asked where he sends someone on snowshoes for the first time, his answer has not changed since September: the Chänelegg loop in Mürren. He starts it from the station and walks it at a relaxed pace.

Fun fact: the Chänelegg moorland at the far end of the loop covers about 4.4 hectares, and SchweizMobil says that from there you can see eight north faces. That is the reason the trail turns around where it does.

If you are not sure snowshoeing is for you, read is snowshoeing hard first. The short answer for this loop: if you walk regularly, 240 m of climbing on a marked trail is within reach.

Chänelegg or Gimmelen: which Mürren trail should you pick?

Chänelegg for a first time on snowshoes, Gimmelen for a second day or for walkers who want a longer route ending somewhere else. The Chänelegg loop brings you back to Mürren after about two hours with one short climb. The Gimmelen Trail is a one-way route with 480 m of descent, and a long descent is what visitors underestimate most on snowshoes.

The Gimmelen Trail starts at the Schilthornbahn station and follows the sled run at first. SchweizMobil describes it leaving the run at Obri Brich, crossing the Schiltbach, passing the Gimmelen restaurant, reaching its high point at Gimmelenweid, then dropping through the forest in switchbacks and along an alpine road to Gimmelwald. You finish in a different village, which needs a plan for the way home: the Schilthornbahn stops at Gimmelwald, so you can ride up to Mürren or down to Stechelberg.

The grade is my one reservation about the Gimmelen Trail. Our September guide called it blue, from the federal data; SchweizMobil showed "difficult" on 3 November 2026. Trust the sign at the start and the snow on the day, not the colour on a website.

The verdict: first time, the Chänelegg loop. If you liked it and want more, come back for the Gimmelen Trail and end the day in Gimmelwald.

Insider tip: check the Schilthornbahn timetable at Gimmelwald before you set off on the Gimmelen Trail. The cable car is your way out at the end, up to Mürren or down to Stechelberg, and you want to arrive with time to spare.

What time should you start snowshoeing in Mürren?

Early enough to walk in the sun. The mistake I see with visitors on snowshoes in Mürren is starting too late, once the sun has gone behind the ridge. The trail is the same, but the light, the warmth and the snow are not: in the shade the track hardens and the afternoon feels much colder.

The trip up does not have to start early. On Wednesday 13 January 2027, the Swiss timetable shows the 08:04 train from Interlaken Ost reaching Lauterbrunnen at 08:26, the cable car leaving at 08:36 for Grütschalp, and the small train arriving in Mürren at 08:54. There is a connection every 30 minutes, so the 09:34 or the 10:04 still gets you on the trail in good light. The other way in, by bus to Stechelberg and the Schilthornbahn, takes 51 minutes.

For the evening, the reference I can give you is Bern, where the sun sets at 17:05 on 13 January 2027 according to timeanddate. In the mountains the ridges take the sun earlier than that, which is why I tell people not to start late. The return I checked on the timetable leaves Mürren at 16:58 and reaches Interlaken Ost at 17:54, with more every 30 minutes after that.

Pierre says: asked which moment he keeps from up there, he names the sunset: "the Eiger and the Jungfrau turning pink".

So walk the trail in the sun, and be back in the village for that light rather than still on the track.

Where can you rent snowshoes in Mürren?

In the village. Mürren Tourism says snowshoes, poles and accessories can be rented in selected sports shops in Mürren, and SchweizMobil names Intersport Mürren for the Gimmelen Trail. Intersport lists three rental points: at the Schilthornbahn station (8:30 to 17:30), Enzian, and InSport Höhenmatte, with 10 % off for prepaid online booking.

What I could not find online is a price. On 3 November 2026 the Intersport rental page did not mention snowshoes at all, and no shop in Mürren published a snowshoe rate. Ask in the shop, or by email before you go if you are travelling in the holidays.

I have my own snowshoes, so I do not rent. If you have to rent, my advice is to do it in Mürren. One of the Intersport points is at the Schilthornbahn station, where the Gimmelen Trail starts. What to wear underneath is in what to wear snowshoeing.

What can you do in Mürren after the snowshoe loop?

Go sledding at the Allmendhubel. That is what I do after the loop. The Allmendhubel funicular leaves from the village, takes four minutes to the top, and the Bob Run comes back down to Mürren. The Jungfrau Region describes it as a run suited to beginners.

Check two things before you count on it. The funicular is closed for maintenance until 11 December 2026, and the Schilthornbahn had not yet published its winter fares on 3 November 2026; the fare shown until 12 December is CHF 16 return for an adult, CHF 8 with a half-fare card, GA or Swiss Travel Pass. The opening date of the Bob Run for 2026-27 was not published either. For 13 January 2027 the Swiss timetable shows a funicular every 15 minutes from 09:00 to 17:00.

The owner of a restaurant in Mürren once told me it is their favourite mountain village. After a morning on the Chänelegg and an afternoon on the sled run, it is hard to argue. The full day, Allmendhubel, sled runs and evenings, is in what to do in Mürren in winter.

Fun fact: the Chänelegg loop crosses the Allmendhubel funicular line on its way up. You cross the track in the morning and ride it in the afternoon.

Is Mürren better than Grindelwald for a first snowshoe day?

For a first day, yes, in my view. Mürren is car-free, the Chänelegg loop starts at the station and comes back to it, and there is only one short climb. Grindelwald has more trails and the Eiger North Face in front of you, but its best snowshoe route, Holenstein to Brandegg, needs a gondola up, a train down and 430 m of descent.

Asked to choose between the two for a first outing, I pick Mürren. Grindelwald suits a second day, once you know how a long descent feels on snowshoes. The seven Grindelwald trails, with rental prices, are in snowshoeing in Grindelwald, and the two villages compared without snowshoes are in Mürren or Grindelwald in winter.

Your Questions About Snowshoeing in Mürren

Is snowshoeing in Mürren hard for beginners?

Not on the Chänelegg loop. SchweizMobil grades it medium for its 240 m of climbing, and the technique itself takes a few minutes to learn: you walk, slightly wider than usual, and use the poles on the climbs. The hard part for a first-timer is not the trail but the start time and the descent. Start early, take the short steep section slowly, and turn back the way you came if the snow is too deep. The Gimmelen Trail, with 480 m of descent, is the one to leave for later.

Can you snowshoe in Mürren without a guide?

Yes, on the two signposted trails. They are marked with pink signs, Mürren Tourism lists both, and SchweizMobil publishes each with a turn-by-turn route description. Stay on the marked trail and do not cut across open slopes: the signposted route is the one meant for snowshoes, and in deep snow it is easy to lose the track. If you want a guide and a fondue at the end, our own snowshoe tour runs on the Sulwald Trail above Isenfluh, not in Mürren.

When is the snowshoe season in Mürren?

When the snow comes: there is no fixed opening date. On 3 November 2026 SchweizMobil showed "No live snow report" for both trails and no operator had published dates for 2026-27. Check the Mürren tourist office or SchweizMobil the evening before. Early in the season, keep in mind that the Allmendhubel funicular stays closed until 11 December 2026 included, and that the published cable car fares change on 12 December.

How do you get to Mürren from Interlaken for snowshoeing?

By train to Lauterbrunnen, then either the cable car to Grütschalp and the small train to Mürren (50 minutes from Interlaken Ost on 13 January 2027), or the bus to Stechelberg and the Schilthornbahn (51 minutes). The first route arrives at the BLM station, where the Chänelegg loop starts. The second arrives at the Schilthornbahn station, where the Gimmelen Trail starts and where Intersport rents equipment. Mürren is car-free, so if you drive, park in Stechelberg or Lauterbrunnen. All three ways in are described in how to get to Mürren.

Snowshoe with a guide, then a fondue

The obstacle is rarely fitness. It is not knowing which trail, which train and what time, and finding out at 15:00 in the shade. In Mürren the answer is simple: Chänelegg, a morning train, and the Allmendhubel after.

If you would rather go with a guide, our snowshoe tour with cheese fondue starts from Interlaken and runs from 26 December to 4 April, Thursday to Sunday, at CHF 129. And for the rest of the season, the full list of things to do in Interlaken in winter puts snowshoeing next to sledding in Interlaken at sunset.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interview of 3 November 2026, trail figures, timetables and fares checked at the official sources on 3 November 2026, written with AI assistance.

Source: SchweizMobil, Chänelegg Trail, SchweizMobil, Gimmelen Trail, Mürren Tourism, snowshoeing, Schilthornbahn, Allmendhubel, and Pierre's walk on the Chänelegg loop.

*Written by Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures