MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial A tad off the beaten path, part 7, Meiringen Aare
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We travled from Wengen to Meiringen today. Took the train down to Lauterbrunnen, another train to Zweiluschinen, then on to Grindelwald. At the train station we switched to Bus 162 to Grosse Scheidegg and Swartzwaldalp. With our Swiss Travel Passes it cost 11CH per person. We headed up all the switchbacks on pretty much a one-lane road, coming to love the Post Bus bugelhorn at every blind curve. At Schwartzwaldalp we switched to Bus 164 down through the Rosenlaui Valley. Incredible views of Wetterhorn, waterfalls, glaciers, bikers on very steep hills, very large road cows, little farms, and sharp jagged cliffs. We could not make a reservation for this bus trip (unless you were a large group, then they seemed to tag on a second bus for the overflow).
Once we were in the Meiringen Valley we could see Reichenbach Falls right away. So we checked into Hotel Meiringen just across the street from the train/bus station then started walking along the main street, crossing the Aare River to Reichenbach Funicular up to the falls. It was about a 1/2 hour walk, very pleasant.
As we traveled up the funicular we wished we could walk along the gorge up to the falls…it looked deep, green and wonderful. At the top we could see the “Star” where Sherlock Holmes pushed Moriarity over, then fell himself (but he was only “mostly dead”). We headed back down on the funicular and walked from there to the West entrance to the Aare Gorge. It took about another 1/2 hr for that walk.
At some spots in the Gorge it is 300 feet high and only a meter across, 1400 meters long. A great hike on a hot day. There are some WWII bunkers that were carved into the side of the gorge, large enough to house a dormitory, but never used. It took maybe 1.5 hr to walk through…it was longer than we had thought. Amazing that a river could cut that narrow a gorge.
After compulsary ice cream at the East Entrance, we asked the ice cream girl how to get to the train that runs between Innertkirchen and Meiringen. She laughed and said to follow her outside. She pointed over the side of the switchback road and said, “Go over there and down the steep old stone stairs, then cross the swinging bridge over the Aare River, and go through the hole in the rock wall. Push the button and the door in the rock wall will slide open when the train arrives in the tunnel behind the door”. Riiiight. (I will find a way to include a picture someday/somehow!).
So, we followed her instructions and sure enough, when the little train (MIB – Meiringen -Innertkirchen Bahn) arrived, the door in the stone wall opened and we stepped right on to the train.
Back to Meiringen to explore the Sherlock Holmes Museum. They provide you a listening device and the tour was really well done. Then we found the Frutigen Tea Room with its meringues. Ohhh… we could have lived there for a week. We kept going back to try different kinds.
After the Meringen Hotel pizza (right up there at the top in the competition), we explored the town a bit. Found an old church on Kirche Street with its door open and the choir practicing. So we sat on the front porch for a bit and listened watching dark storm clouds build.
Almost done. Back to our hotel to get a good night’s sleep before the true highlight of our trip…The Gelmerbahn & hike around GelmerSee.
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Wonderful report – thank you!
That track down to the station at the east end of the Aare Gorge comes as a bit of a surprise! I did it with two bad knees, and it nearly finished me off ;D It’s definitely fun climbing into the train through a hole in the rock face though!
I am still pining after those meringue desserts at the Frutal Tea Room in Meiringen!
Glad to see you managed to fit in the bus over the Grosse Scheidegg, and seem to have enjoyed it every bit as much as I did.
Alpenrose
Pictures of the bridge and “unique” hole-in-the-wall entrance to the Aareschlucht Ost Rail Station.
OhGeologist
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