Meiringen is located in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. It is a small town with approximately 4,000 inhabitants. Meiringen holds two claims to fame: the birthplace of the meringue and the location for the death of Sherlock Holmes. The town also acts as an excellent base for outdoor activities with cable cars running out of the village and a number of Postbuses running into central Switzerland.
Get in
By public transport
Meiringen is on the scenic Interlaken-Lucerne train line operated by the Zentralbahn. There are hourly trains to Lucerne (1h 10min) and half-hourly trains to Brienz (10 min) and Interlaken Ost (30 min).
During the summer months a bus route over the Susten pass goes to Andermatt twice daily (roughly 2h).
By car
Motorway A8 from Interlaken ends a couple kilometres before the town. An alternative route from Interlaken goes via the main road on the other shore of the lake (via Brienz. Coming from Lucerne or Sarnen, the main motorway (also A8) ends before the Brünig pass north of Meiringen. Coming from the east into the village is the connecting road to either the Susten pass towards Andermatt or the Grimsel pass towards Valais.
Get around
Meiringen is small enough to walk around easily.
See
The town is fascinating, given the obsession of a small little town in central Switzerland with Sherlock Holmes.
- 1 Reichenbach falls. 09:00 - 17:30. The location of the "death" of Sherlock Holmes. Located on a hill above the town, the base is a 15-20 minute walk from the station. You can walk up to the falls or take the funicular. Sadly they are not as impressive as the account in the book makes them sound, being far from the most impressive falls in Switzerland, but are still not bad and worth a look for the novelty value. free, or Fr. 12 return with Funicular.
- 2 Aar Gorge. 1.4 km of walkways and tunnels through a deep gorge carved by the Aare river. An easy 20-30 minute walk from the centre of town, also the Meiringen-Innertkirchen train calls at both ends. Fr. 8.5.
- 3 Sherlock Holmes museum, Bahnhofstrasse 26, ☏ 41 33 972 50 00. Winter W Su 16:30-18:00, Summer daily 13:30-18:00. A museum on all things Sherlock Holmes. A special feature is the recreation of the living room of Baker Street 221B as it's described in the books. Fr. 4/3.
- 4 Museum Haslital, Kapellen 1, ☏ 41 33 971 25 01. June-October daily 15:00-18:00. Local history museum on the life in the valley. Free entry.
Do
- 1 Hasliberg ski area (60 km in winter, 13 lifts). The cable car leaves from the town of Meiringen, but requires a change in Reuti halfway up. Day pass Fr. 57/28.
Buy
As the supposed home town of the meringue, the sweet can be bought in many shops, sometimes with a Sherlock Holmes-themed edible image.
Eat
A number of restaurants and cafés can be found in the town.
- 1 Victoria, Bahnhofplatz 9, ☏ 41 33 972 10 40. Daily 07:00–00:30. This restaurant has been featured in the Gault Millau Guide and the prices are quite high. Offers several vegan choices on the regular menu. Around Fr. 50 for mains, tasting menu Fr. 95.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Hotel Meiringen, Bahnhofplatz 1, ☏ 41 33 972 12 12, ✉[email protected]. double in high season: Fr. 190.
Go next
- Take the train to Interlaken, which is a good base for exploring other areas of the Bernese Highlands.
- Go on to Lucerne, enjoying the scenic train ride and maybe stopping by at Sarnen on the way there.
- Drive southwards over the Grimsel pass, which is inside the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO world heritage site and go on to explore the Valais
- During the summer months you can take the postbus to Andermatt, a route which offers stunning views on the way towards the Susten pass.