A gorge, a detective and a dessert
Meiringen is a working Bernese village of about 4,700 people at the foot of the Brünig Pass, not a resort built for tourists, and that shows in the prices — a coffee and a slice of meringue at a village bakery costs a third of what the same order costs on the Jungfraujoch. What draws visitors here is a strange mix: the waterfall where Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes, a limestone gorge cut by the Aare river, a mountain plateau reached by gondola, a high alpine pass road, and the dessert that locals insist was invented in this valley. None of it requires more than a day, and most of it is walkable from the station.
The catch is seasonality. The Aareschlucht gorge, the Reichenbach Falls funicular and the Grimsel Pass all close for winter — the gorge and funicular typically from November to April, the pass road once the first heavy snow settles, usually by mid-October, reopening only in June. Turn up in January expecting to walk the gorge and you will find a locked gate. Check opening dates before building a day around Meiringen outside of June to September.
Getting to Meiringen from Lucerne
The direct route is the Luzern–Interlaken Express, the same panoramic line covered in our Luzern–Interlaken Express guide, which climbs over the Brünig Pass and drops into Meiringen after about 1 h 25. It continues to Interlaken Ost in another 20 minutes, so Meiringen works equally well as a stop on the way to Interlaken or as a destination in its own right.
Trains run roughly hourly, and a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card covers the fare — see our Swiss Travel Pass guide if you have not decided which pass suits your trip. The Tell-Pass, aimed at Central Switzerland rather than the Bernese Oberland, does not cover this line; check our Tell-Pass guide before assuming it will.
There is no need for a car to reach the village itself, though one is useful for the Grimsel Pass and for stringing together stops with Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen in a single day.
The Sherlock Holmes trail and Reichenbach Falls
In “The Final Problem”, Arthur Conan Doyle sent Holmes and Moriarty over the edge of Reichenbach Falls, a decision he came to regret when public demand forced Holmes back to life eight years later. Meiringen has leaned into the connection rather than fought it: there is a small Sherlock Holmes Museum near the English church, a bronze statue of the detective outside it, and a marked Sherlock Holmes Trail through the village and up to the falls themselves.
The falls are reached by the Reichenbachfall-Bahn, a century-old funicular running from a lower station a short walk from the centre up to a viewing platform beside the cascade. The funicular typically operates from May to October; outside that window the lower paths stay open but the platform closest to the falls does not. Round-trip tickets are modest by Swiss standards, and the ride itself takes about seven minutes.
Anyone planning a fuller Holmes-and-mountains day out of Interlaken can pair this with a wider loop — the
Zurich: Lakes Aare Gorge Grindelwald Day Tripcombines the gorge below Meiringen with a run through to Grindelwald, useful if you are based further afield and want the region covered in one booked itinerary rather than assembled from separate train legs.
The Aareschlucht gorge walk
The Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge) sits between Meiringen and Innertkirchen, a 1.4 km limestone canyon that the Aare river has cut up to 200 metres deep in places, with a boardwalk bolted into the rock face a few metres above the water. It is a genuinely dramatic short walk — narrow enough in sections that the walls close to a few metres apart, loud with the river below, and cool even on a hot July afternoon. Entry is paid at either end (Willigen, closer to Meiringen, or Innertkirchen), and walking through takes 30–45 minutes at an unhurried pace.
It is one of the better short gorge walks in Switzerland precisely because it has not been over-built: no glass platforms, no gimmicks, just a boardwalk and good lighting. Our dedicated Aare Gorge and waterfalls guide covers both entrances, opening months and how to combine it with the falls in one loop.
| Sight | Typical season | Time needed | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aareschlucht gorge walk | April–November | 30–45 min | CHF 10–12 |
| Reichenbach Falls funicular | May–October | 30 min return | CHF 15–20 return |
| Sherlock Holmes Museum | Year-round (closed Mondays off-season) | 30–45 min | CHF 5–8 |
| Hasliberg gondola | Year-round | Half day | CHF 30–40 return |
| Grimsel Pass drive/bus | June–October | Half to full day | Free road; bus fare varies |
Prices move year to year — treat this as a planning guide, not a quote, and check current tariffs before you go.
Rosenlaui and the Hasliberg
Two contrasting excursions sit either side of Meiringen. Rosenlaui, a hamlet a short bus ride up the valley towards the Grosse Scheidegg, has its own smaller glacier gorge (the Rosenlaui Gletscherschlucht) and is a genuine trailhead for hikers heading towards Grindelwald over the pass on foot — a route that belongs on the list in our best hikes near Lucerne roundup for anyone building a hiking-focused week rather than a sightseeing one. For a more leisurely way to see the valley, the
Rosenlaui Valley E Bike Tour from Interlakencovers the same ground without the climb, which matters given the valley gains several hundred metres over a short distance.
The Hasliberg is the opposite direction: a sunny plateau above Meiringen reached by gondola from the village, with wide views back down to the Aareschlucht and across to the Wetterhorn and the peaks above Grindelwald. It is a family-oriented area in summer, with an easy hut network and a bike park, and a modest ski area in winter — smaller and cheaper than the big-name resorts covered in our skiing day trips from Lucerne guide, but genuinely quieter for it.
The Grimsel Pass
South-east of Meiringen the road climbs to the Grimsel Pass at 2,164 metres, one of the more dramatic drives in the Bernese Oberland, threading past the Grimsel reservoir before dropping into Valais on the far side towards the Furka Pass. It is not a rail route — reaching it means driving, cycling, or catching a seasonal PostBus — and it closes completely once snow settles, usually from mid-October to early June, so this is firmly a summer excursion. The reward is a landscape that looks closer to Iceland than to the lake country around Lucerne: bare granite, glacial lakes, and near-total silence away from the road itself.
Cyclists treat the Grimsel as a serious climb in its own right; drivers should allow a full half-day round trip from Meiringen including stops, and expect narrow sections with tour coaches and cyclists sharing the same lane in peak summer. It does not connect neatly to any single bookable tour from Meiringen itself, which is part of why this stays a self-drive or self-organised excursion rather than a packaged one.
The meringue
The dessert’s actual origin is disputed by food historians — Italian, French and Swiss towns have all laid claim to inventing it — but Meiringen’s version of the story, whether or not it is strictly true, is embedded in the town’s identity: it gave the dessert its name in German-speaking Switzerland, and every bakery in the village sells “Meiringer Meringue”, a large crisp meringue shell served split and filled with double cream from the Bernese Oberland’s dairy herds. It bears little resemblance to the small, sweet meringues sold in supermarkets elsewhere — the Meiringen version is closer to a dessert course than a biscuit, usually CHF 8–12 with cream, and worth timing for a café stop after the gorge walk rather than eating on the move.
Where Meiringen fits in a Lucerne-based trip
Most visitors see Meiringen as a stop on the way to or from Interlaken rather than a destination requiring its own overnight stay, and the train timetable supports that: it is close enough to Lucerne for a full but unhurried day trip, and close enough to Interlaken (about 20 minutes further on the same line) to combine with a night there.
Anyone weighing up a longer Bernese Oberland loop should read our day trips from Lucerne guide and our Interlaken day trip guide alongside this one, and travellers assembling a multi-day itinerary can slot Meiringen into the alpine legs described in our 5-day summer Alps itinerary or the fuller 7-day Lucerne itinerary.
For a broader look at the falls-and-caves theme without committing to Meiringen specifically, the
Interlaken: Lake Thun Cruise St. Beatus Caves Picnicis a useful comparison excursion based out of Interlaken rather than Lucerne, and travellers who want Grindelwald’s cable cars folded into the same day should look at the
Harder Kulm and Grindelwald Private Day Tripwhich starts from the Interlaken side of the valley.
Questions about visiting Meiringen and the Aare Gorge
Is Meiringen worth a day trip from Lucerne?
Yes, for anyone interested in the Sherlock Holmes connection, gorge walking, or using it as a gateway to the Hasliberg or Grimsel Pass. It is a working village rather than a polished resort, which keeps prices lower than in Interlaken or Grindelwald, but it also means fewer English-language services outside peak summer.
How do I get from Lucerne to Meiringen?
Take the Luzern–Interlaken Express, a direct panoramic train over the Brünig Pass, taking about 1 h 25. Trains run roughly hourly and the fare is covered by a Swiss Travel Pass or discounted with a Half Fare Card.
Is the Aareschlucht gorge walk suitable for children?
Generally yes — the boardwalk is fenced and well maintained, and the 30–45 minute walk is short enough for most children. It is not suitable for buggies over its full length, and the drop to the river below is real, so supervise younger children closely on the narrower stretches.
Can I visit Reichenbach Falls without doing the full Sherlock Holmes trail?
Yes. The funicular up to the falls viewing platform can be ridden on its own; the museum and the marked walking trail through the village are separate, optional additions if the literary connection interests you.
Is the Grimsel Pass open in winter?
No. The pass road typically closes by mid-October once snow settles and does not reopen until early June. Outside that window, reaching the pass by road is not possible, and the seasonal PostBus service also stops running.
Where can I buy a real Meiringer meringue?
Any bakery or café in the village centre sells it, usually served fresh with double cream rather than pre-packaged. Expect to pay roughly CHF 8–12 for a meringue with cream at a sit-down café.
Is Meiringen better than Interlaken as a base?
For most travellers, no — Interlaken has far more accommodation, restaurants and onward connections. Meiringen works better as a half-day or full-day stop than as a base, unless the Hasliberg or Grimsel Pass specifically are the priority.
Do I need a Swiss Travel Pass for Meiringen?
Not strictly, but it covers the train from Lucerne, most local buses, and museum entry discounts, which adds up quickly if Meiringen is one stop among several. Compare the costs in our Swiss Travel Pass guide against buying single tickets before deciding.
faq:
- question: “Is Meiringen worth a day trip from Lucerne?” answer: “Yes, for anyone interested in the Sherlock Holmes connection, gorge walking, or using it as a gateway to the Hasliberg or Grimsel Pass. It is a working village rather than a polished resort, which keeps prices lower than in Interlaken or Grindelwald, but it also means fewer English-language services outside peak summer.”
- question: “How do I get from Lucerne to Meiringen?” answer: “Take the Luzern–Interlaken Express, a direct panoramic train over the Brünig Pass, taking about 1 h 25.
Trains run roughly hourly and the fare is covered by a Swiss Travel Pass or discounted with a Half Fare Card.”
- question: “Is the Aareschlucht gorge walk suitable for children?” answer: “Generally yes — the boardwalk is fenced and well maintained, and the 30–45 minute walk is short enough for most children. It is not suitable for buggies over its full length, and the drop to the river below is real, so supervise younger children closely on the narrower stretches.”
- question: “Can I visit Reichenbach Falls without doing the full Sherlock Holmes trail?” answer: “Yes.
The funicular up to the falls viewing platform can be ridden on its own; the museum and the marked walking trail through the village are separate, optional additions if the literary connection interests you.”
- question: “Is the Grimsel Pass open in winter?” answer: “No. The pass road typically closes by mid-October once snow settles and does not reopen until early June. Outside that window, reaching the pass by road is not possible, and the seasonal PostBus service also stops running.”
- question: “Where can I buy a real Meiringer meringue?” answer: “Any bakery or café in the village centre sells it, usually served fresh with double cream rather than pre-packaged.
Expect to pay roughly CHF 8–12 for a meringue with cream at a sit-down café.”
- question: “Is Meiringen better than Interlaken as a base?” answer: “For most travellers, no — Interlaken has far more accommodation, restaurants and onward connections. Meiringen works better as a half-day or full-day stop than as a base, unless the Hasliberg or Grimsel Pass specifically are the priority.”
- question: “Do I need a Swiss Travel Pass for Meiringen?” answer: “Not strictly, but it covers the train from Lucerne, most local buses, and museum entry discounts, which adds up quickly if Meiringen is one stop among several. Compare the costs against buying single tickets before deciding.”
