The photo shows the "small" Montana". An English tourist family is standing in front of the old shoe store on the left, mother Anna von Allmen-Gertsch and her eldest son Fritz on the right (photo taken around 1920).
At the beginning of the 20th century, the shoemaker's cottage of Friederich von Allmen, who moved here from the neighboring village of Wengen and his wife Anna (née Gertsch,) from Nidrimatten and who lived in Mürren, stood on the Rauft. This "little Montana" (8m wide, built around 1910) consisted essentially of the present ski room with an apartment on top and a workshop underneath. To the right of it already stood the neighboring house "Murmeli" (Swiss-German for groundhog), where Anna Huggler-Varley ran her "souvenir bazaar".
On the same site, Friederich then built with his sons Fritz, Hans and Ernst in 1928-32 the "new" Montana, a solid building with walls of concrete and brick with wooden intermediate floors, 16m wide and 13m deep.
View around 1950 of the two houses Montana and Murmeli.
After the death of Friederich von Allmen, his eldest son, Fritz von Allmen, took over Haus Montana and rebuilt it in several steps. In 1932, Fritz von Allmen founded the shoe manufacturing company "Kandahar AG" and manufactured the high-quality Kandahar shoes in Mürren for 30 years. The Haus Montana provided workplaces as well as apartments for the employees on the upper floors. At the end of the 1960s, the shoe production was moved to Gwatt near Thun and the workshops in the basements were converted into apartments.
Haus Montana in summer 2000.
In 2004 Martin von Allmen, the eldest son of Fritz von Allmen, took over the two properties and in 2007-2008 extensively renovated the facade of Haus Montana. In this process, the two houses were structurally connected and united. Martin von Allmen managed the Haus Montana with a lot of heart and soul until his death. He enjoyed the mountain world of Mürren with much enthusiasm and passion.
Haus Montana with the new wooden facade in summer 2008.
Today Haus Montana is managed by the 3rd generation and offers the residents of the village of Mürren as well as Mürren-lovers living space, wonderful mountain and valley views as well as excellent culinary delights in the Tham Chinese Restaurant.