This is a 'stay put' self-guided walking holiday. Getting around in Switzerland is so easy that based in a good centre like Meiringen you can fill a week with excellent day walks at any time of the year. This Alpine town is a natural route centre situated at the convergence of three of Switzerland’s major passes. Meiringen is on the main railway line from Luzern to Interlaken and trains run to and from those towns on an hourly timetable. Interlaken is a 30-minute journey and Luzern is 1 hour 10 mins. Transfers from Zürich airport are a pleasure with the last leg of the journey into the mountains on the spectacular narrow gauge Brünig line. Meiringen is also the centre for Post Bus routes in the Eastern Oberland.
From the town it is possible to set out each day in a different direction using the incredible network of cable cars, post buses and mountain railways. You can reach the high places quickly and easily without the necessity of long uphill climbs out of the valley.Meiringen is the perfect centre for walking holidays both in winter and summer and for all grades.
There are over 300km of well-marked footpaths, which range from gentle strolls to high ridges and even glacier exploring. In spring you can follow the melting snows into meadows of glorious Alpine flowers. In summer the high ridges and rugged glacial scenery become accessible. In autumn the landscape is painted with a riot of colour as the first frosts come.
The potential for walking is limitless. We are still finding wonderful new walks here! Meiringen has none of the trappings of mass tourism. It is a small market town with excellent shops, banks and facilities. Thankfully, it remains unspoiled and very Swiss. The local people are welcoming, kind and hospitable.
Season Recommended 01 May to 30 October. Early and late in the season the weather can be very variable. Clients who want to do this tour self guided before the recommended date of the 1st May, can only do so if they are going to be there during the escorted periods when our guide will be there to assist on what walks are possible. (It doesn’t mean you have to join the escorted walks). You can of course do this without him being there, however we must stress the danger of walking in the winter in the mountains and all precautions must be taken. Most importantly checking the weather before setting off and taking and heeding local advice. In previous years clients have tried to do walks that have put them in danger, because they did not take local advice. The Winter Walks program is by necessity slightly different from that of the summer.
Level of Difficulty Fitness: We grade the tour as 'Moderate', but in practice any day can be as easy or (up to a point) as hard as you care to make it. Day Stages: Anything from 2 to 8 hours or more - depending on your preference. Waymarks: Footpaths in Switzerland are classified into 2 categories: Wanderwege (footpaths) and Bergwege (mountain paths). Bergwege may include rough, rocky and narrow sections where more care and effort may be needed. Each category is distinctively waymarked. Signposts at path junctions show the estimated time to specific destinations which are usually also named on the maps. Time estimates may be shorter on a Bergweg than on a similar length of Wanderweg as you are expected to be in better shape! In winter of course this format can be affected by several feet of the white fluffy stuff, so our trails do change duringthis time of year to take into account weather changes, potential conditions for avalanche and to exploit the many snow tracks that get opened up at this time
Meals and Accommodation This is a centre-based holiday with the whole week spent in the same hotel. The 3-star Hotel Baer is a modern hotel with excellent facilities. The bar is the hub of village life. All rooms are en-suite, many with baths as well as showers. Your booking is half-board (3 course evening meal, bed and breakfast). Dinner is from 6.30 to 9.00pm and breakfast is from 7.30 to 10.00am Lunches are not included in the tour cost. There are supermarket and other food shops in Meiringen where picnic materials can be bought (closed Sundays). In winter you can usually stop for lunch at a friendly mountain restaurant.
Typical Walking Program This is just a sample; your exact program will vary according to weather and snow conditions, and your own preference. If you are doing our "Escorted" tour (see end of dossier for dates), there will be 3 or 4 possible days of escorted walking.
Whether you are self guided or escorted, you will receive a guidebook, more than 25 walks in the area. The following represent a possible one week winter walking program in the Meiringen area. Summaries of some popular routes are given below. We also provide walkers' maps. The excellent local transport system enables you to shorten or lengthen your walks if you wish.
Travel options Transfers from Airport: From Zürich or Basel. Trains are fast and efficient and run every hour. Zürich airport has a direct rail link. Basel airport is linked to the station by a shuttle bus. The rail journey up into the Alps is a spectacular part of your holiday. Swiss railways are a joy to travel on; reliable, clean and punctual. We will provide you with detailed rail itineraries, which include directions, timetables and platform numbers. Self Drive: If you wish to travel down in your own car, simply consult the “Land Only” price column on our brochure / price list. You can purchase a Swiss half-fare card from us, which is well worth it for the cable cars and post buses. All our hotels have excellent parking facilities. Swiss Card If you are travelling full package (i.e. with flights). Included in your holiday package is a “Swiss Card” travel pass that is your transfer ticket at the beginning and end of your holiday and entitles you to HALF-FARE travel on almost all transport whilst you are in Switzerland. Swiss Family Card Free of Charge. All children up to the age of 16 travel FREE with an accompanying adult who has a Swiss Card. This family card is FREE and represents amazing savings for families.
Come and go when you wish and stay as long as you like! You can start your week whenever you like during these periods You can meet your guide for a drink and a chat about the weeks program in your hotel bar, on the first night on the escorted tours, she will be able to inform you of local conditions etc.
During the winter period, we advise everyone to do as many of the guided options as possible, this is because the local guide is more capable of assessing avalanche risk than your average tourist!
During each week of our guided program there will be3/ 4 guided walks. They will be 8 - 11 miles long and we will take as long as we need for them. We normally start between 9 and 10am and finish between 4 and 5pm. with plenty of stops en-route to enjoy the magnificent scenery. We will use cable cars and post buses to avoid long uphill sections. On most walks there are plenty of “get out” points for those who wish to do shorter versions. We often find that a lively group spirit develops on the guided weeks at Meiringen.
There are no rigid start and finish dates for the guided weeks. On arrival, you will receive our guided walking itinerary covering the whole of your holiday period so that if you are staying longer than a week, you can perhaps join 6 or 7 walks if you so wish.
Please allow about 80sfr for local transport associated with your guided walks.
Winter Walking Itinerary – Sample Please note that other walks are possible and you can come and go on any day you wish.
Day: 1 Flight to Zürich or Basel or Geneva. Train from Zurich airport or Basel to Meiringen (change trains at Luzern). Or train from Geneva airport to Meiringen (change trains at Bern and Interlaken Ost). We provide a personalised railway schedule to connect with your arrival flight, it even gives platform numbers. The Hotel Baer is just outside the station. Evening meal from 18:30 at your hotel. Day 2: Hasliberg (Panorama Way). 12km. A good introduction to the area at any time of year and in almost any weather. You start with a 10-minute train ride from Meiringen (600m) up to Brünig Pass (1100m). The walk starts in forest; then you traverse the open terrace of alpine meadows above Meiringen with stunning views across the Bernese Oberland peaks and glaciers. No need to carry a picnic: for lunch we recommend the “Rosti House” at Wasserwendi. Many local Rosti specialities to choose from! Allow about 12SFRs for lunch. After lunch, you walk on along the Panorama way to Reuti (1045m). From Reuti you can either take the cable car down or walk down to Meiringen through the forest. Day 3: Reichenbech Valley Circular walk. Ride up from Meiringen by minibus to the little hamlet of Gschwantenmad. From here it is a 5 km walk along the Reichenbech river to Schwarzwaldalp where you can have lunch in the cosy mountain restaurant. Usually Luzius or his wife will make a cauldron of delicious goulash soup served with fresh crusty bread. (Naturally there are alternatives for vegetarians.) Thus fortified, walk the circular winter route via Rosenlaui before finishing at Kaltenbrunnen where our minibus will be waiting.(There may be time for another Glüwien if we get there early! This is a fabulous walk right in the heart of the mountains. The Eiger north face dominates the skyline and the beautiful blue Rosenlaui glacier towers above you. Day 4:At Leisure. You will have our comprehensive local walks and information pack and so there is plenty to choose from. Why not visit the city of Luzern or Bern? You may like to go to the top of Europe... The Jungfraujoch, or to the Piz Gloria (of James Bond fame), or you may like to try one of the local walks in our booklet. Day 5: “Hasliberg Heights” Take the cable car to Käserstatt (5000 feet above Meiringen). This is where we learn how the other half lives! Skiers jostle and push and queue and queue. Why anyone would want to spend their holiday standing in a queue I have yet to fathom out. Move quickly away from the hurly burly and set out on the magnificent high-level walk across the Hasliberg. Pause for lunch at Bidmi before completing the walk across the snow carpeted alpine meadows. The final lap of the walk takes you through the snow-clad forest back down to Meiringen. Day 6: (Or when it snows)Across the Brünig Pass. Take the train over the Brünig Pass to the next valley to the village of Lungern with its beautiful green lake. A good route for snowy days because you are walking due south and as the snow usually comes out of the north, it will be behind and not driving into your face.Walk up the gradual incline to the pass where you can have lunch in the friendly and comfortable pass restaurant. After lunch, wind your way up through section of forest before turning downward and back to Meiringen via dingly dell! Day 7: At Leisure. Other points of interest near Meiringen include (i) The Ballenberg open-air museum at Brienzwiler (15 minutes by train from Meiringen), where a variety of traditional farm buildings from all over Switzerland have been reconstructed. (ii) The lakeshore town of Brienz, where you can relax at a waterside cafe and admire the view across the lake to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. Day 8:Departure by train from Meiringen to Zürich or Basel via Luzern and flights back to the UK. Again we provide a personalized railway timetable for the trains for your flight departure time. We will advise you of the train deadlines for flight connections. You can also avail yourself of the fly/rail baggage system so that you can spend some time in Luzern or Zürich en-route without the hassle of luggage.
This is a sample itinerary of a typical winter week in Meiringen, available between December and Easter. Obviously there are many other walks to choose from and your guide will vary the programme according to weather and conditions.
Summer / Autumn Itinerary – Sample Day 1: Fly to Zürich or Basel with forward rail connection to Meiringen via Luzern). We provide a personalised railway schedule to connect with your arrival flight, it even gives platform numbers. Evening meal from 6.30 at your hotel. Day 2: “Hasliberg Perambulation” During this first day, you can explore the Hasliberg mountains immediately above Meiringen using the extensive cable car system to take us up to about 7000 feet. It is a most beautiful walking area and enables guests to get the feel of the place and see the layout and geography of the region. You can walk for about 5 hours to loosen up and acclimatise. Day 3: “The Romantic Way” Take the post bus from Meiringen climbing on spectacular twisting roads to 2000m eventually arriving at the Grosse Scheidegg right into the heart of the mountains with the 12,000' peak of the Wetterhorn dominating and the Eiger north-face in front. There are also spectacular views of the Rosenlaui Glacier for most of the day with its beautiful deep blue colour. This is a lovely gentle contour walk, not in the least bit strenuous and a visit to the Reichenbach Falls can be incorporated into the itinerary during the afternoon. Day 4: At Leisure. You will have our comprehensive local walks and information pack and so there is plenty to choose from. Why not visit the city of Luzern or Bern? You may like to go to the top of Europe.... The Jungfraujoch, or to the Piz Gloria (of James Bond fame), or you may like to try one of the 25 local walks in our booklet. Day 5: “Paradise Way” You can take the post bus from Meiringen, this time heading north east to the idyllic mountain lake of Engstlenalp beneath the Joch Pass. From here follow the contour all day through meadows of wonderful flowers and beneath rugged limestone crags, noted for eagle’s eyries. Ahead of us is the grand panorama of the Bernese Oberland Massif with literally hundreds of peaks and glaciers in view. Finish at the cable car station above Meiringen for a “non knee trembling” descent! Day 6: “Glacier Spectacular” This day is probably the best of all. Journey by post bus to the Susten Pass where you can have a leisurely morning coffee. Then walk over and along the moraines left by the glacier during the last century and early this century. Eventually you arrive at the snout of the Steinglacier and spend time there observing the features and the changing pattern of the ice. You can then walk to our own mountain hut where you can pause for lunch. After, cross the wet lands with their unique flora and fauna, eventually arriving back at the pass in time for afternoon tea before the post bus collects you for the return to Meiringen. Day 7: At Leisure. Other points of interest near Meiringen include (i) The Ballenberg open-air museum at Brienzwiler (15 minutes by train from Meiringen), where a variety of traditional farm buildings from all over Switzerland have been reconstructed. (ii) The lakeshore town of Brienz, where you can relax at a waterside cafe and admire the view across the lake to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. (iii) the Aare Gorge,a popular tourist attraction with a walkway through the gorge which is only open in summer. Day 8: Departure by train from Meiringen to Zürich or Basel via Luzern. Again we provide a personalised railway timetable for the trains for your flight departure time. You can also avail yourself of the fly/rail baggage system so that you can spend some time in Luzern or Zürich en-route without the hassle of luggage.
This is an example of a typical “Summer” week, obviously there are many other walks to choose from.
