Lauterbrunnen and Mürren with a kid

You guys—Rick Steves was right! The Bernese Oberland is a must-see place in Switzerland. But I’m not sure he knew that the this area is also heavenly for children and families; we spent 5 weeks in Europe, and this was one of our favorite places.

When I think of the Bernese Oberland, I think of stunning views, epic adventures, and the best playgrounds for kids. We visited in June, and spent 4 wonderful days in this region with our 4-year-old. While we did not engage in the many hikes, that the region is known for, thanks to the mountain railways, gondolas, funiculars, and chairlifts, we still were able to visit beautiful mountain peaks and experience some of the glory of the Swiss Alps.

In this post we will share our experiences in the Lauterbrunnen and Murren areas of the Bernese Oberland region.

Where to stay in the Bernese Oberland with kids?

If you visit the Bernese Oberland with kids, you will have many towns to choose from. Lauterbrunnen (elevation 802 m/2,631 feet) is quite popular because it is in the valley, and offers access to the both Grindelwald (elevation 1,034 m) and Mürren (elevation 1,650 m/ 5,413 feet).

Lauterbrunnen is full of restaurants, campgrounds, and easy hikes. We based ourselves in Mürren, but, because it is a car-free town, it is less convenient to get to and requires a bit more expense to take the cable car or train to the top.

We wanted to be in the mountains as much as possible, and wanted quick access to the Allmendhubel playground and hikes, the via ferratta (not for kids), and the small town feeling, so Mürren was perfect for us. If we were to visit again, we would choose a different town, or consider a couple nights in the valley and a couple nights on the other side of the mountain near Grindelwald.

I would not recommend staying in Gimmelwald with kids, though it is a beautiful little area. It’s not really a town, so you would find yourself heading down or up the mountain for food and entertainment.

Mürren Hotel:

We stayed at the Eiger Guesthouse, which is conveniently located just across from the train station. We used Booking.com for this reservation. We loved the intimate feel of the small guesthouse, the breakfast each morning, and the convenience of the small restaurant downstairs. For a short stay, it was lovely for our 3-person family; if you have a larger family, or more grown-up kids, you might prefer a bigger spot, but this worked well for us, and liked knowing that we were supporting a family-run establishment. Another perk of staying at the Eiger Guesthouse was access to the Mürren Sportscenter; anyone who stays in town has access to the indoor swimming pools and hot tub.

What to do in Mürren with kids?

Allmendhubel Flower Park Playground

From Mürren you can take a short funicular up to Allmendhubel, which runs every 20 minutes. Mürren is an easy town to walk (or push a stroller about), and the base of hte funicular is not far from the Coop grocery store.

At the top of the funicular there is a small restaurant, playground, and the start of a number of hiking trails. This was a popular spot for kids and adults alike.

Restaurant near Allmendhubel Flower Park

Mürren Sportscenter (Sportzentrum Mürren)

Mürren is a small town, but has a wonderfully large indoor sports center and pool. Since we stayed in town, we were gifted a pool pass from our hotel. (This applies to visitors from Gimmelwald, too!)

For us, the perfect way to relax and wind down before dinner each night was a swim at the pool. This also gave our toddler something to look forward to after a long day of trains, cable cars, and hiking. There is also a small playground across from the sportscenter, and a pump track for bikes.

Mürren lap pool (hot tub pictured in back right corner)

Warm, toddler pool at Mürren sportscenter

Lauterbrunnen with kids

Lauterbrunnen, which is the beautiful valley town, offers a variety of restaurants, gelato shops, and waterfall hikes. There is a trail that runs parallel to the main road from one end to the other which is perfect for biking, walking, or pushing a stroller along. There’s plenty here to keep you busy for a day.

Waterfall hike with a kid

Staubbach Falls (297 m) is one of the most iconic water falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It’s also easy to access from the town, and makes for the perfect pre or post-lunch hike.

Our 4-year-old was able to complete the entirety of the walk up to the falls and back- it’s only a .4 mile hike.

There are many steps, a few landings, a tunnel, and some slippery scrambles, but all-in-all, if you have one adult per kiddo, it should be a do-able hike. At the end you will be able to pop behind the falls (but you will not walk to the top).

Trümmelbach Falls

If you have older kids, another option that is a bit more intense is to visit Trümmelbach Falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted to visit Trümmelbach Falls, and they will turn visitors away who are not wear appropriate footwear. Due to the warnings associated with this area, we opted to skip the hike, as we were concerned that the darkness and the noise from the falls inside the cave would be a bit overwhelming for our 4-year-old. If you have children who are aged 6 and up, then read more about this here.