The Lauterbrunnen Valley is said to be the world's deepest - there are sheer bluffs either side and 72 waterfalls cascading down the mountains. It is hard to overstate just how stunning it is here. The train journey to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken takes about 20 minutes from East station.
The views en route are beautiful. You travel right next to the River Aare; the sight of the green-blue river tumbling and crashing over rocks and stones at the side of the train is mesmerising.
Lauterbrunnen is on the valley floor, with Murren to the west and Wengen to the east. These two resorts are car-free, perched on narrow shelves of pasture way above the world below. Lauterbrunnen is lined with small souvenir shops, cafes, and hotels, and when we visited a street market, we spent an hour there, and then went to Murren, an unbelievably beautiful place.
Murren has a long tradition as a ski resort. The first Alpine downhill ski race took place here 75 years ago. It is a small, traditional Alpine village with amazing scenery and a quite village atmosphere. To get there, take the funicular from the station in the middle of Lauterbrunnen. At the top, you change to a train which takes you to the village. Schedules of both are integrated, and it is only a few steps from one to the other. The whole journey takes about 15 minutes, and on the way there are great views of the mountains and the tinkle of cowbells as you pass the sleepy Alpine cattle grazing on the slopes below. Murren, with its clean, pure mountain air, is sleepy, peaceful, and truly stunning. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.