Walking Holidays in Switzerland - Meiringen
Meiringen is the most prominent
settlement in the Haslital Valley which stretches from the Grimsel Pass to the
peaceful waters of Lake
Brienz at the eastern end
of the Bernese Oberland.
The valley is ideal for walking holidays exhibiting a
rich variety of landscapes with lush pastures dazzling cascades tight gorges
and several tributary valleys equally worthy of exploration.
Haslital has been used as an
important route for centuries as no fewer than five passes feed into the
valley: the Brunig Grimsel Grosse Scheidegg Susten and Jochpass. These provide easy access to the environs of
the towering peaks adorned with snow fields and bright shining glaciers found
in a great arc to the south.
Amongst them stand Titlis (3290m) the Sustenhorn (3560m) and the Wetterhorn (3760m) There’s enough here to keep the enthusiastic walker content for many a day! The Haslital also offers the Aare gorge and the impressive Open Air Folklore Museum at nearby Ballenberg.
The Centre
Meiringen a typically Swiss
market town lies on the River Aare whose white glacial waters briskly flow
into Lake Brienz a few kilometres west. It is
well served by banks shops hotels and restaurants and as its name might suggest
is the birthplace of the meringue. Its people are welcoming kind and
hospitable.
The impressive Reichenbach Falls
nearby provided the scene of the fictional death of Sherlock Holmes at the
hands of arch enemy Professor Moriarty. A statue of Holmes (complete with
deerstalker and pipe) stands in the tree lined square by the former English
church now the Sherlock
Holmes Museum.
A special feature of Meiringen as a walking centre is the access afforded to the very extensive and varied walking opportunities both in the locality and further afield. A superb integrated network of cableways post buses and trains can take you in all directions to reach spectacular locations quickly and easily. Meiringen is a perfect base for walks and excursions both in summer and winter.
The Walking
Meiringen really has something
for everyone ranging from gentle alpine meadow strolls to demanding summit
ascents. There are leisurely walks through flower strewn meadows of the
Hasilberg with the high peaks of the Bernese Oberland as a backdrop.
Take a
walk that includes the Rosenlaui Glacier, the melting waters of which cascade
down the valley in swirling torrents, cutting spectacularly through a deep
gorge before reaching the renowned and spectacular Reichenbach Falls.
Walk through pretty hamlets whilst enjoying views of the famous Eiger.
This walker’s paradise can be approached on foot directly from Meiringen but most walkers choose to travel part way by post bus to gain height.
Nearby lies the enchanting
Engstlenalp at the foot of the Joch pass, giving access to the Marmot trail
(where you might also see wild goat and ibex) and which is the start of the
‘Paradise Way’ a magnificent contour route to Meiringen famed for its flowers
and butterflies.
Visit the wild Grimsel Pass giving access to the Grimsel
glaciers, including the Rhone glacier where
you can explore the lateral moraines. Here you can make the relatively easy
ascent of the Sidelhorn (2745m) in about 2 hours. We could go on and on and on!
The potential for walking is limitless, hence many clients return year after year.
Winter Walking - Our Speciality
See our dedicated page.

A White Christmas Or New Year Walking Holiday
Why not flee the stresses and strains of this commercially demanding time of year at home and take a relaxing Christmas and/or New Year break with us?
We also offer guided walking over the period. See our guided walking program for dates. An experience you will not easily forget! You choose your arrival and departure dates within this period.
See our dedicated page.
Family Holidays
This is an excellent area for
family walking holidays and includes, especially for the children, the two
Muggestutz walks celebrating the local gnome folklore, great for both young and
old!
A fascinating crystal trail can be explored on the Grimsel Pass; visit the
Gelmer Funicular, the steepest in Europe, and
as thrilling as many a theme park ride!
Local bike rental is easily arranged
for day cycling on various terrains including the valley floor. Try an
exhilarating Trotti ‘scooter’ run down the mountain from Magisalp.
Visit the open air folklore museum at Ballenberg which offers entertainment for children from 5 years upwards. Take a lake steamer trip; travel on a steam railway; try the open air swimming pool with its water slide or one of the many other sporting and recreational activities suitable for children.
Guided Walking
They will be led by a guide who knows the area very well. The walks will be of easy and moderate grade, 5 – 6 hours a day and up to 600m in climb but often shorter in winter.
Guided walking dates -click here for dates
Self Guided Walking
Our summer self guided Walk Booklet has a total of 23 walks, many with variations, and they are being added to constantly. They range from 4-5 hours and 60m ascents to 7-8 hours and over 1000m ascents.
Our winter Walk Booklet has a selection of walks suitable for the time of year. They tend to be shorter because of walking on the snow and the shorter day.
Walk Grading
Guided - Easy & Moderate
Self Guided - Easy, Moderate & Challenging
For information about walking grades please click here
Hotel Adler ** - 2 Star The Hotel Adler is situated in a quiet street but is well placed for the station cable car and shops. Rooms are comfortable with satellite TV WC and shower. |
Hotel Meiringen *** - 3 Star The Hotel Meiringen is a modern
hotel with light and well appointed rooms each with WC shower or bath, cable
TV and telephone. |
Hotel Baer *** - 3 Star The Hotel Baer is a modern hotel
with large rooms each with en suite facilities. Most have baths TV and
telephone. |
Hotel Victoria *** - 3 Star The Victoria is owned and run by Franziska and
Simon Anderegg. It has a contemporary style throughout the public rooms and in
the bedrooms creating a calming opulent atmosphere. The rooms have satellite
TV telephone and bathroom. The standard rooms have a shower and the superior
rooms have a bath as well as being south facing and more spacious. |
Hotel Alpbach *** Superior - 3 Star The Alpbach is owned and run by the Gerber family and they are proud of their ‘superior 3*’ category the only one in Meiringen. The hotel is located in a quiet street convenient for the railway and cable car stations. |
Walking in Meiringen is available most of the year. However it is not recommended from the end of October to the middle of December as this is when fresh snow is common closing the winter paths. All the high paths are generally open from July to end of September. We offer guided walking in early summer when the flowers are most abundant and also at Christmas New Year and February for Winter walking. We have separate Walk Booklets for winter and summer for our self guided guests.
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Flights
Zurich is the closest at 2 hours 40 minutes. From Zurich there is a direct train to Luzern then change on to the narrow gauge Brunig Pass line to Meiringen. Basle and Geneva a more distant 3 hours 40 minutes away.Zurich non stop
from Heathrow Gatwick London City Luton Birmingham Manchester Edinburgh
and Dublin. Connecting flights from most UK airports.
Basle non stop from Heathrow, London City, Luton, Liverpool, East Midlands and Manchester. Connecting flights from most UK airports.
* Winter only
Train
You can travel by train from London to Meiringen utilizing Eurostar and TGV it takes about 11½ hours
We can book rail travel on Eurostar and onwards on SNCF/TGV to Switzerland. You can reach most resorts on the same day.
Straight there and back
Rail travel on Eurostar, TGV and SNCF and all seat reservations:
2nd class £60 per person supplement on with air prices
1st Class £130 per person supplement on with air prices
With a stop in Strasbourg
You may care to break the journey in each direction in a 3 star hotel, B & B, in Strasbourg. We will book you into a 3 star hotel very close to the station and the historic old town, and you will have time to explore this beautiful and famous city.Rail travel on Eurostar, TGV
and SNCF with 2 nights in a 3 star hotel in Strasbourg, 1 in each
direction. Plus all seat reservations:
2nd class £150 per person supplement on with air prices
1st Class £220 per person supplement on with air prices
Prices are a guide and subject to availability.
Self Drive
If you wish to drive to Switzerland we provide advice on where to stay en route if you wish to break the journey as well as driving directions to find the hotel. We also advise on which hotels have car parks. Just use the ‘own travel arrangement’ prices and add a half fare card if required.To drive on Swiss motorways you will need a motorway pass ‘Vignette’ we can obtain this for £26 which will save the queue at the border.
Meiringen
Available all year round
2008 and 2009
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Low Season 1st April - 30th June and 1st September to 19th December
High Season 1st January - 31st March 1st July - 31st August 20th -31st December
Guided Walking is available in Meiringen at a supplement of £155 per week which includes all travel associated with the walking
Important for details of our flight price policy click here
All
holiday prices include 7 nights half board accommodation. 'With Flights' includes rail transfers between the airport and hotel and a half fare transport card and typical flight price from London to Switzerland. Also self
guided walkers receive our unique walking booklet for your chosen area
and best local walking map.
Guideline for other airports Birmingham
£40 Manchester £40.
Own Travel prices does not include flight or Swiss card.
- Children
- Methods of payment
- Deposits and balance payments
- Holiday insurance
- Fuel supplements
Additional information for holidays in Switzerland
Fly/Rail Baggage
Check in your bag at the airport and collect it at your resort avoiding the wait at the baggage carousel. This is a system unique to Switzerland. Many hoteliers will even collect the bags for you when they arrive and
deliver them to your room. On your return check in your bag in at the railway station and at some
stations receive your boarding pass. Your bag will then be transferred to your flight and you collect it from the baggage carousel on arrival.
These services are available to but not from all resorts (Meiringen is unavailable) or with all airlines. Timing limitations also apply please check. The cost is £12 per bag per direction.
Switzerland- Internal travel
Please note we include a Swiss Card in our Standard “with flight” prices for all our centered holidays except Davos where all local busses and mountain railways are free. For Davos we include return rail tickets only
to/from Zurich Airport other airports at a supplement.
Swiss Card
Gives free transfers by rail from the airport of your choice or international border crossing to your chosen resort. Any reasonable route is permitted. It also includes a 50% discount during your stay for all rail and postbus services plus discounts on most funicular railways chair lifts gondolas and cable cars.To purchase separately £98. Upgrade to First Class £42.
Swiss transfer card
Gives free transfers by rail from the airport of your choice or international border crossing to your chosen resort. Any reasonable route is permitted. Useful for very short stays. £69 Upgrade to First Class £38Swiss half fare card
Gives 50% discount during your stay for all rail and post bus services plus discounts on most funicular railways chairlifts gondolas and cable cars. Useful for those arriving by car. £55.
Family card
Free travel on most transport for all children under 16 years travelling with their parents.
Two & Multi Centre Holidays - Switzerland
We are able to put together any 2 or 3 centre holidays. For pricing just add the extra night price at the second location to the first location’s ‘base’ price.
For example 7 nights Zermatt (Europe) and 7 nights Davos (Morosani Post) low season £639 + £427 (7 times £61) = total £1066.
Or call us and we will happily prepare a quote. For total stays of more than 10 nights we include rail tickets between locations.
For more than 13 nights we upgrade them to First Class.
Send us an enquiry now |
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