Murren and Wengen Après-ski

My kind of après-ski: a view worth sitting down for

By Dean, Ski Miquel’s Resort Manager in Lauterbrunnen

When I am helping guests plan a Lauterbrunnen chalet-hotel ski holiday, the skiing gets plenty of attention. Quite right too. But I also have strong opinions about where to sit afterwards, preferably with a mountain panorama doing most of the entertaining.

My favourite stops sit on both sides of the valley: Mürren and Winteregg after a Schilthorn-side day, or the Lauberhorn and Wengen after skiing around Kleine Scheidegg. I plan these as different outings, rather than an ambitious cross-valley pub crawl in ski boots.

The trick is to match the stop to the journey home. I finish the skiing before making it a drinks session, check the transport, and leave enough time to get back to Chalet-Hotel Rosa. Nobody wants their most impressive sprint of the week to be towards a departing train.

Mürren: Allmendhubel sunshine and the Alpenruh terrace

I like the Panorama Restaurant Allmendhubel for a sunny pause above Mürren. It is reached by the funicular from the village, and its broad terrace is a splendid place to let the shoulders drop. The snowy slopes spread out around it; on a clear day, lunch can become a remarkably long exercise in looking up.

Back in Mürren, Hotel Alpenruh is one of my favourites. The terrace looks out towards the great mountain scenery across the valley, and the hotel is beside the Schilthorn cableway station. I like the contrast: a welcoming Alpine hotel at my back and a frankly excessive amount of Switzerland in front.

These are options for different points in the day, not compulsory stops. I'd check the Schilthorn’s current transport and restaurant information and Hotel Alpenruh before making plans, especially at the edges of the season.

Winteregg: my convenient mountain stop

When I am finishing towards Winteregg, the restaurant beside the railway stop makes a wonderfully convenient pause. I can swap turns for a table without adding a detour to the journey home. The building’s timber-and-stone character feels thoroughly at home here, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau providing the rather extravagant backdrop.

I like having both terrace and indoor space: mountain sunshine is lovely, but there are days when the most beautiful view is the one enjoyed through a window with warm hands.

The restaurant’s current information is the place to check menus and opening arrangements. Afterwards, I take the train towards Grütschalp, then the cable car to Lauterbrunnen. I check the last connections before settling in; the timetable is the one guest at the table who refuses to relax.

Wengen: Start Bar views, then a village finish

On the Wengen side, my advice is not to hurry straight into the village. Start Bar, beside the Lauberhorn downhill start, deserves a stop while I am still enjoying the mountain. Looking towards the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau from here is one of my favourite slope-side views anywhere.

I remember sunshine, outdoor music and the possibility of some AC/DC or Bon Jovi drifting across the snow. That is my kind of soundtrack, though I cannot book the weather or the playlist. I treat this as a mountain refreshment stop while there is skiing still to do.

For the descent I check the open, signed pistes: red 42 and red 44 can link towards blue 36 into Wengen. I never assume the race course is available, particularly around events. Once the skis are off, I like Crystal Bar for a lively village stop, or Tanne Bar for a cosy pub atmosphere. From Wengen, the train takes me back down to Lauterbrunnen.

How I make après-ski fit the holiday

I choose one good stop that fits the day, rather than turning the afternoon into a checklist. For an easy return on the Mürren side, Winteregg is especially handy. For a village drink after the last run, Wengen gives me a train home. For scenery before the skiing is finished, Start Bar is a favourite.

Check the official slope and lift information and the day’s transport times. Opening hours, music and menus their is lots of live music and it often changes in style, the Start Bar might have anything from dance to rock, ask locally instead of promising a performance at a particular time. 

Back at Rosa, the lounge and bar give the day another sociable chapter. I find the best mountain stories improve enormously once everyone has removed their ski boots.

Choose your Lauterbrunnen chalet holiday

My resort snapshot: Lauterbrunnen sits below the car-free mountain villages of Mürren and Wengen, with transport connections that let me explore a different side of the valley on different days. I recommend it to guests who enjoy varied ski days, Swiss village character and scenic journeys as part of the holiday.

Chalet-Hotel Rosa is our traditional village base, with a cosy lounge, bar and log fire. The lifts are around six minutes’ walk away. I would check the package for your chosen dates and plan the skiing around your group’s ability, with help from our ski concierge service.

Ready to turn terrace daydreams into a holiday? View Rosa prices and available dates, contact our team to book, or explore the Lauterbrunnen resort guide. I will leave the very difficult choice of sunny seat to you.