Gimmelwald

Gimmelwald sits on the same cliff terrace as Murren but several hundred metres lower and could hardly be more different: it has around 130 residents, in a Walser settlement first recorded in 1346 and listed as a Swiss heritage townscape, working barns, hay on the slopes and almost no hotel infrastructure beyond a hostel and a few rooms. The reason it never became a resort is prosaic - the whole hamlet is zoned as avalanche-exposed, which blocked the building that transformed its neighbour. Cows still walk the lane. It became known to English-speaking travellers through guidebook writers who used it as the example of an unspoiled Alpine village, which brought a steady trickle of walkers without changing the place much. The cable car from Stechelberg stops here on the way to Murren and the Schilthorn.

What you'll find

• A working farm hamlet - barns, hay slopes and about 130 residents.
• Avalanche zoning that blocked development - the reason it stayed as it is.
• A hostel rather than hotels - minimal accommodation by design.
• The same terrace as Murren - lower down, and unrecognisably quieter.

When to go

June to September. Half a day, or a night at the hostel.

Good to know

There are no shops and very few beds - book ahead or plan to move on. The path down from Murren is steep. It is a real village, not an attraction: farm work has right of way and yards are private.

Nearby

Murren is above on the same shelf; Stechelberg and the valley floor are below.

Key facts