The Brünig Pass leads from Meiringen resp. Brienzwiler in the Bernese Oberland to Lounging and further after Giswil in the canton Obwalden. The pass leads over 1008 m above sea level without a crest tunnel, it is driven on by the narrow-gauge Brünigbahn partly with cogwheel operation. The canton road is cleared as far as possible in the winter months, the pass crossing is made winter-proof. The crossing is to be expanded as a national road; for economic reasons, no tunneling is planned in the foreseeable future.
background
The Brünig Pass connects the Central Switzerland with the Grimsel Pass-Griespass - Route to Domodossola in northern Italy; Until the conquest of the Schöllenen Gorge, this crossing was the best cross-Alpine connection to Italy, which was used by Swiss cheese and cattle traders. On the way back, grain and wine were brought with them. The salt trade also used the transition from the Brünig Pass to the Bern area.
Time and again, conflicts between Central Switzerland and Valais and, after the introduction of the Reformation, between the Catholic Central Swiss and the Reformed Bernese made the exchange of goods over the pass a problem. The transition was increasingly used for tourism, according to initial planning in the first half of the 19th century. the road was built in 1859/61 - for military - strategic considerations, the federal government contributed to the construction costs. To connect Bern to the Gotthard Railway and of course for tourist traffic between Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland and the Central Switzerland a railway was built. The meter-gauge Brünigbahn, on which cogwheel operation is necessary due to the large differences in altitude, was for a long time the only narrow-gauge SBB connection and was transferred to the Zentralbahn in 2004. It connects Lucerne With Meiringen resp. Interlaken-East.
Regions
The Brünig Pass runs between the Obwalden valley of the Sarneraa and the Haslital in the Bernese Oberland. The top of the pass is 350 m west of the canton border, this is where the village is located Brünigthat go to the community Meiringen belongs. On the Bernese side, the route splits into the southern ramp, with a road link running parallel to the Brünigbahn Meiringen and the steeper north ramp to Brienzwiler with connection to the motorway 
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Route
Of Lucerne From there you follow the Gotthard route to get to the Brünig Pass 
towards the south. After the route along the lake shore and after Hergiswil you take at the entrance to the Loppertunnel in the direction Alpnach - Sarnen; Passing the Alpnachsee can be reached on the motorway the Obwalden main place Sarnen and the Sarnersee. Along the Sarnersee is Sachseln and after that too Giswil drive around with a tunnel, after Giswil begins on a section of the old cantonal road 
the first rise.
Also Lounging At the lake of the same name, the Lungern tunnel is used to bypass, after 4½ kilometers on the cantonal road the canton border is in the Canton Bern crossed and reached the top of the pass. After a kilometer on the Bernese side, the road splits. The canton road reaches the end of the autobahn after another 4½ km after a nearly spiral tunnel at Brienzwiler. The expansion to a continuous national road connection as a two-lane road is planned; After all, the route is designed to be winter-proof and is cleared of snow in the winter months.
At the junction, a cantonal road leads south down the south ramp Meiringen, the Brünigbahn line also follows this route.
Tourist Attractions
Hardly any pass route leads past so many larger lakes, but the tunnels of the national road route for bypassing the town often take the view that is more beautiful on the old cantonal road route. At Alpnachstad is the valley station of the historic cogwheel railway to the Pilatus.
- 1 Pilatusbahn, Pilatus-Bahnen AG, Schlossweg 1, 6010 Kriens. Tel.: 41 (0)41 329 11 11, Fax: 41 (0)41 329 11 12, Email: [email protected].
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in the Obwalden main place Sarnen the town center and the historic arsenal on the Landenberg are worth seeing, the assemblies of the Landsgemeinde took place here until 1998.
On a detour via Sachseln is the 1 Chapel in Flüeli-Ranft reachable, which was built by Niklaus von Flüe on the site of the Hermitage. The place of activity of "Brother Klaus", the Swiss national patron, is popular with pilgrims and those interested in history. The first ascent of the Brünig Pass begins near Giswil.
The road leads along the Lungerersee, either bypassing the place in the tunnel, or you can plan a detour to the village of Lungern, which is picturesquely situated on the lake. The 2 Old church tower can be climbed as a lookout tower; the church of St. Catherine, which belongs to the Romanesque tower, was repeatedly damaged by floods from the Eibach, so that it had to be demolished in 1887. Also from 1 Chälrütirank there is a beautiful view of the Lungerersee.
The locality Brünig BE on the Bernese side just below the top of the pass belongs to the municipality Meiringen.
activities
- of Giswil a narrow pass road leads over the pass Faith Mountain. There are military firing ranges in the Glaubberg area, from the top of the pass to 1543 m above sea level. hikes are possible to the summit of the Fürstein, among others.
The cable car 2 Lounging around takes visitors to the Turren area. In summer you can go to a hiking area here, in winter you can go winter hiking, snowshoeing or ski tours, among others on the Höch Gumme. The quad chairlift to Alp Schönbüel and the two ski lifts to the Höch Gumme and the Arnifirst were dismantled.
- 1 Restaurant Turren. Tel.: 41 (0)41 679 75 75, Email: [email protected].
- Visit of Brünig swinging: in the expanded since 1916 1 Nature arena just below the Brünig - pass summit takes place with the Brünig swinging one of the well-known wrestling festivals in central Switzerland takes place at the end of July. Swinging is a form of wrestling that originated in the Alps and is carried out on sawdust rings; the event, one of the Swiss national sports, brings around 6,000 spectators to the arena.
Various restaurants invite you to stop off on the Brünig:
- 1 Brünig Kulm Inn, Brünigstrasse 617, 3860 Brünig - Meiringen. Tel.: 41 (0)33 971 00 40, Email: [email protected]. Open: 08: 00-22: 00 h.
- 2 Waldegg Brünigpass restaurant, Brünig Pass, 3860 Brünig. Tel.: 41 (0)33 971 11 33.
security
The Brünig Pass road is kept passable in winter; after heavy snowfall, the snow clearing work often only progresses slowly, so that winter equipment, good winter tires and, if necessary, snow chains are necessary.
In the summer months, the Brünig route is popular, especially on weekends motorcycledrivers drive; In order not to endanger yourself or others, the speed limits and the alcohol ban on the street must be observed.
trips
- to Meiringen in the Haslital
- above Innertkirchen to the Grimsel Pass and on into Valais
