Beyond Interlaken: Discover Meiringen, the Hidden Gem in the Heart of the Bernese Oberland

Silvanna Pacheco, September 18, 2026.

Located deep in the Hasli Valley at the eastern edge of Lake Brienz, Meiringen remains one of the Bernese Oberland’s best-kept secrets. While nearby Interlaken hums with tour buses and packed pedestrian zones, Meiringen offers authentic Swiss alpine charm without the crowds or high price tags. Book your stay in Meiringen today and experience the authentic heart of the Bernese Oberland for yourself!

Surrounded by sheer granite cliffs, glacier water, and towering peaks, Meiringen serves as a serene, budget-friendly basecamp packed with world-class sights, literary folklore, and endless outdoor adventures.

While Interlaken functions as a convenient travel hub, its main strip feels more like a tourist shopping arcade than a mountain village. Base yourself instead in Meiringen, Brienz, or Hasliberg for a far more authentic alpine experience:

More Atmosphere, Fewer Crowds: Enjoy peaceful evening strolls, quiet mountain air, and authentic restaurants where locals actually dine.
Better Value: Accommodation, daily dining, and local amenities are significantly more affordable here than in Interlaken, Grindelwald, or Lauterbrunnen.
An Unbeatable Alpine Crossroads: Meiringen sits right at the intersection of the Bernese Oberland, Central Switzerland, and the High Alps, putting multiple iconic landscapes at your doorstep.

Meiringen is exceptionally well-connected by Switzerland’s public transit network, offering train journeys along the turquoise, crystal-clear shores of Lake Brienz. Every detail of this journey can be fully tailored by our local expert team.

Staying in Meiringen doesn’t mean sacrificing convenience; its well-connected train station and central location make exploring the region effortless, whether you are heading into major mountain hubs or embarking on scenic pass routes. Check out the following connections:

Meiringen to Interlaken: 30 minutes via direct regional train along Lake Brienz.
Meiringen to Lucerne: 1 hour 15 minutes on the panoramic Luzern-Interlaken Express, crossing the Brünig Pass and skimming along Lakes Lungern and Sarnen.
Meiringen to Grindelwald: 1 hour 15 minutes with a quick train connection at Interlaken Ost.
Meiringen to High Alpine Passes: Direct Postbus routes depart from Meiringen heading up to the Grimsel Pass or do the entire 4-Pass-route.

Top Attractions in the Meiringen Region

While neighboring Interlaken attracts mass crowds, the Meiringen region offers a vastly richer concentration of diverse Swiss experiences. Here, wild nature, literary folklore, and high-alpine engineering sit just minutes from one another. From dramatic glacial canyons and iconic waterfalls to vintage steam trains, family mountain trails, and historic open-air heritage, the sights around Meiringen highlight the absolute best of the Bernese Oberland without the endless queues.

Aare Gorge
Over thousands of years, the Aare River carved a deep, narrow trench through the Kirchet limestone rock. A 1.4-kilometer network of sturdy wooden boardwalks, tunnels, and bridges lets you walk right through this natural wonder as turquoise glacial water surges beneath you.

Reichenbach Falls & Sherlock Holmes Museum
Literary history was written on the cliffs above Meiringen. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chose the thunderous 250-meter-high Reichenbach Falls as the site for the final duel between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Take the historic 1899 funicular railway to the upper viewing platform to stand where the famous detective met his fate. Back in town, visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum, housed inside an old English church, featuring an authentic recreation of Holmes’s 221B Baker Street living room.

Hasliberg Cable Cars & Family Hikes
A cable car ascends directly from Meiringen up to the sunny Hasliberg plateau. Known as a paradise for families and hikers, it features panoramic views of the Eiger and Wetterhorn peaks. Don’t miss the Kugelweg (Marble Run Hike), where kids (and adults) trail wooden marbles along intricate, hand-crafted marble runs that wind down the mountain path between Bidmi and Reuti.

Rosenlaui Valley & Glacier Gorge
Hop on a yellow postal bus to travel into the pristine Rosenlaui Valley. Walk through the roaring Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge, where meltwater cascades through narrow rock formations. Afterward, visit the historic, Belle Époque-style Hotel Rosenlaui or hike toward Schwarzwaldalp for traditional Alpine meals.

Ballenberg Open-Air Museum
Located nearby in Hofstetten bei Brienz, this vast outdoor museum features over 100 historical Swiss buildings relocated from across the country. Walk through centuries-old farmhouses, watch traditional craftspeople work, and meet native farm animals.

Trauffer Experience & Bretterhotel
In Hofstetten bei Brienz, visit the interactive Trauffer Experience to see how Switzerland’s icon, the hand-carved, red-spotted wooden cow, is made. It is also home to the family-focused Bretterhotel, featuring custom rooms with built-in indoor slides for kids.

Brienzer Rothorn Steam Train
Take a short 10-minute train ride to Brienz, then board Switzerland’s oldest steam-driven cog railway. The train chugs up to the 2,350-meter peak of the Brienzer Rothorn, offering sweeping views of Lake Brienz and hundreds of Alpine summits. Discover what to expect on this historic steam railway adventure.

Grimselwelt & Gelmerbahn
Adrenaline seekers can venture into Grimselwelt to ride the Gelmerbahn, Europe’s steepest open-air funicular, climbing at a 106% gradient up to the shimmering Gelmersee reservoir.

Alpine Excursions: Engstlen Lake & 4-Pass Postbus Ride
Take a local bus route to Engstlen Lake, a serene high-altitude lake surrounded by Swiss pine forests. For a full-day road adventure, book the famous 4-Pass Postal Bus Route, crossing the Grimsel, Nufenen, Gotthard, and Susten passes in a single journey.

To experience the best of the Bernese Oberland without the hassle of long drives or constant hotel transfers, this carefully planned 3-day itinerary uses Meiringen as your home base. Designed around the area’s seamless transit network, each day combines majestic nature, local culture, and legendary sightseeing—allowing you to balance high-energy mountain adventures with serene, low-key evenings in the valley.

Day 1: Gorges, Waterfalls & Detective Legends
Morning: Walk through the Aare Gorge from the West entrance to the East entrance. Take the local train back to the town center.
Afternoon: Head over to the Reichenbachfall Funicular and ride up to the historic waterfall site. Return to the village to explore the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Day 2: Alpine Summits & Wild Valleys
Morning: Ride the cable car from Meiringen up to Hasliberg. Continue up to the Alpen Tower for panoramic views across the Bernese Oberland. Walk along one of the panoramic ridge paths.
Afternoon: Take the Postbus into the Rosenlaui Valley. Walk through the roaring Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge and take in the pristine alpine atmosphere. Later head back down to Meiringen for a relaxing, fondue-filled dinner.

Via Alpina “Bear Trek” Package
This trek follows the classic Bernese Oberland section of the Via Alpina from Meiringen to Lenk. Highlights include panoramic ridge walks beneath the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, visiting the spectacular Trümmelbach Falls and Lake Oeschinen, and visiting the car-free villages like Wengen and Mürren.

Day 3: Heritage & Scenic Rail Journeys
Morning: Take a short train to Brienz and spend the morning exploring the historic cottages and craft workshops at the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum.
Afternoon: Head down to the shore of Lake Brienz. Board a lake steamer or ride the historic Brienzer Rothorn steam railway up to the summit for sweeping views of the turquoise waters.
Afterwards take the 30-minute train ride back to Meiringen to wrap up your trip.

While Interlaken steals most of the headlines in the Bernese Oberland, smart travelers head a few miles east up the Hasli Valley. Nestled at the foot of dramatic Alpine passes, Meiringen offers the ideal Swiss mountain escape—without the overwhelming tour groups, inflated prices, or endless queues of its famous neighbor. Start planning your trip to Meiringen today and discover one of Switzerland’s best-kept alpine secrets.