Although the Rosenlaui Glacier south of Meiringen in the canton of Bern is rather small at six square kilometres, it gives rise to two natural wonders: the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge and the world-famous Reichenbach Falls.
The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is a natural monument of national importance, where the meltwater of the Rosenlaui Glacier thunders through the gorge. A secured footpath leads through the narrow gorge, which is bordered in places by walls up to 80 metres high.
The meltwater continues down the valley and becomes the Reichenbach, whose seven-tiered waterfall achieved worldwide fame thanks to the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He had his fictional character Sherlock Holmes stage his own death on the viewing platform above the highest of the seven waterfalls, which is 120 metres high. A nostalgic funicular railway leads to this platform, which can also be reached on foot from Hotel Zwirgi.
By public transport (Brünig railway) from Lucerne or Interlaken to Meiringen; from there, take the local bus or walk to the Reichenbach Falls railway. By car from Interlaken, the Brünig Pass, Grimsel or Susten to the railway’s valley station.
