Meiringen, Switzerland is an underrated destination located in the stunning Bernese Oberland region. It is often overlooked by more popular nearby destinations such as Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. However, this hidden gem has so much to offer and should be added to your Switzerland itinerary! Keep reading to discover the best things to do in and around Meiringen, Switzerland.
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The Best Things to Do in and Around Meiringen, Switzerland
Table of Contents
- Explore the Aare Gorge
- Ride the Funicular to Reichenbach Falls
- Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum
- Enjoy a Traditional Meringue Treat
- Ride the Gelmerbahn Funicular
Explore the Aare Gorge
The Aare Gorge, also known as Aareschlucht, is one of Switzerland’s most impressive natural wonders. It was carved by glacial runoff during the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago.
Today, visitors can take the Canyon Walk through the narrow limestone gorge. The path is approximately 1 mile long and leads through tunnels, over bridges, and along a catwalk above the milky blue glacial river.
The gorge has an unworldly magic, and this walk ended up being one of the highlights of our Switzerland trip!
You’ll also pass by the entrance to an underground cavern from WWII. You aren’t able to enter the cavern, but a posted sign gives a little bit of its history.
The cavern dates back to 1940 and was built as a dormitory that could sleep up to 185 soldiers. It included a rec room, dining room, and offices. It was pretty luxurious with electricity, running water, flushing toilets, heaters, and wood-lined walls. Despite all the work put into building out the cavern, it was never actually used. I find this so fascinating and would love to go inside!
The gorge has an East and West Entrance. Both entrances have access to the gorge with a parking lot and ticket counter. The West Entrance is the most popular and also includes a cafe and gift shop.
Visitors can walk through one way and then take a train back to the entrance, or walk both ways. The train ride is included in the price of admission.
I recommend arriving right as it opens to enjoy the gorge all to yourselves. The morning light is also beautiful without harsh shadows. Just bring a jacket as it is a little chilly in the gorge, even in the summer.
Aare Gorge is only open seasonally from April to November, click the link for hours and pricing.
Ride the Funicular to Reichenbach Falls
When you visit Aare Gorge, you can also purchase a combo ticket for Reichenbach Falls. The ticket includes a ride on a cute little vintage funicular up to the waterfall.
The ride takes about 7 scenic minutes as the car crosses over a river and travels through groves of trees as it makes its way up the mountain.
If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you may recognize Reichenbach Falls.
It is famously known as the setting of Sherlock Holmes’ final battle with Moriarty where it is assumed that they both fall to their deaths. Once you reach the top, there is even a wooden cut-out of Sherlock Holmes for a photo op.
Reichenbach Falls is a series of 5 cascading waterfalls, with the tallest drop measuring approximately 300 feet.
If you would like to hike to the top of the waterfall, there is a well-marked trail that leads uphill for about 30 minutes.
The top of the trail actually ends at the cute little town of Zwirgi. You’ll find a hotel and a restaurant perched at the top if you would like to grab a bite to eat.
Instead of hiking back and taking the funicular down, I highly recommend renting Monster Scooters and riding them down the mountain!
You can find the self-service scooter rentals in a lot to the right of the restaurant.
These Monster Scooters are so much fun, and the ride through the trees is beautiful! Just keep in mind that you’ll be riding down a road that is shared with vehicles, so use extreme caution, especially around the turns.
Once you reach the bottom, there are signs in town directing you where to drop the scooters off at the Hotel Tourist. You’ll pay at the bottom self-serve station with cash or a credit card through a QR code link. If you need help, you can go into the hotel where the scooter drop-off is located and pay there.
Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum
After visiting Reichenbach Falls, you can learn more about the world’s most famous fictional detective at the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Whether you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes or not, it is still interesting to visit the museum and learn more about this fascinating character who has shaped the literary world since the late 1800s.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum is located in the old 1867 English Church in the heart of Meiringen.
The museum pays tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, featuring memorabilia, exhibits, and a reproduction of the Victorian parlor in his home at Baker Street 221b.
For an additional Sherlock Holmes experience, book a room at the Parkhotel du Sauvage. Conan Doyle stayed at this hotel while writing the chapters about the death of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls.
In the book, Holmes also stayed at this hotel (which was referred to as the Englischer Hof) the night before meeting Moriarty for the fatal encounter at the falls.
Enjoy a Traditional Meringue Treat
Meiringen is known as the birthplace of the meringue dessert, so it is only fitting to stop at a local bakery to sample these tasty treats!
It is believed that the meringue was first invented by the Swiss pastry chef, Gasparini in 1720 who named it after the town where he lived.
The simple dessert is made up of whipped egg whites and sugar, then topped with seasonal fruit and cream.
There are a few different bakeries in town where you can find meringues. We recommend the Frutal Bakery & Tea Room on Bahnhofstrasse in the middle of town.
You can purchase packaged meringues to go, or sit down and enjoy a gourmet meringue topped with fruit and cream in the Tea Room.
You can also visit the factory just outside of town where the meringues are mass-produced. The factory is located at Hausenstrasse 73 where you can schedule a one-hour guided tour.
Meiringen is a charming little town, so after you grab your treat take time to walk around and explore the other cute shops and historic sites.
A few of our other favorite towns in Switzerland include Lauterbrunnen, Lucerne, and Grindelwald. Click the links for the best things to do in each town!
Ride the Gelmerbahn Funicular
The Gelmerbahn is located about a half hour from Meiringen in the town of Handegg. Here, you will find the steepest open-air funicular railway in Europe!
You’ll first ride the funicular backward up the mountain. The railway has an incline of up to 106%, so you’ll be riding almost vertically! The cart moves slowly and the views are insane the entire way.
The track is just shy of 3/4 miles long and the ride takes about 10-12 minutes. Once you reach the top, you’ll find Gelmersee, a beautiful mountain lake.
In our opinion, Oeschinensee is the most beautiful alpine lake in Switzerland, click the link for photos and information about visiting!
There is a hiking trail around the lake and a dam that you can walk across with views of the lake and the valley.
The Gelmerbahn was originally built in 1926 to transport materials for the construction of the dam. It was opened as a tourist attraction in 2001.
Tickets for the Gelmerbahn often sell out, so you’ll want to book them in advance. Keep in mind that the funicular is only open seasonally from June to October.
When you make your reservation, you’ll pick the time for both the ascent and descent. We booked ours an hour apart, which means we had about 45 minutes at the top to walk around. We thought it was a good amount of time, but you’ll want to make it longer if you plan to hike the entire way around the lake.
Once you get back down to the bottom, be sure to check out the Handeck Fall Bridge, or Handeckfallbrücke.
This 230-foot suspension bridge was built in 2006 and spans across the Handeck Gorge and waterfall. The views are incredible and it’s amazing that this attraction is both free and easy to access.
The bridge connects from the Gelmerbahn bus station, so you’ll be crossing over the bridge if you are taking public transportation. You can also park at the bus station if the lot is full by the Gelmerbahn funicular.
A few more of the best things to do in and around Meiringen:
- Trift Bridge Hike: This moderately challenging 2-mile trail leads to a suspension bridge that spans 557 feet across the Trift Valley. It offers jaw-dropping views of the Trift Glacier and glacial lake. Just be sure to reserve the cable car tickets in advance.
- Rhone Glacier Ice Grotto: Walk through a vibrant blue ice tunnel carved into a glacier at the Rhone Glacier Ice Grotto. The walk is fairly short and there is a small fee to visit, but it is a unique experience. You’ll also pass by Hotel Belvedere, it’s located on a hairpin turn and makes a cool drone shot!
- Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge: Explore this beautiful gorge featuring waterfalls, unique rock formations, and crystal blue glacial waters.
I hope this guide will help you discover the best things to do in and around Meiringen, it truly is a Switzerland hidden gem! For our full itinerary, see our guide An Ambitious 7-Day Switzerland Itinerary.
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