ViaBerna - stage 17 Rosenlaui – Hasliberg

The hike leads you from the traditional Hotel Rosenlaui at the mouth of the mystical Rosenlauischlucht glacier gorge out of the valley, along Rychenbach over Gschwantenmad. You will soon see why Rychenbachtal enchanted so many artists and poets in the 18th century: The Rosenlaui Glacier is majestic. The mighty mountainsides of the Wellhorn and Wetterhorn form a contrast to the gentle, rich green meadows that the steam meanders through. The wonderful Alpine landscape is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch and is one of the most spectacular high-mountain landscapes in the world. The trail runs along the Rychenbach Falls (Rychenbachfällen) down to Willigen through Kaltenbrunnensäge and Zwirgi. It’s well worth stopping by the roaring waterfalls of Rychenbach, as is visiting the village of Meiringen. From Willigen, the route passes the western entrance of the Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht) via Wylerli and through Tripfiwald on the high plateau to Hasliberg Reuti.

You can experience the wild power of the glacier water while walking through the Rosenlaui glacier gorge. Wander past powerful waterfalls, romantic grottoes and bizarre rock formations on a well-secured path.

The Rychenbach Falls are a 300-metre high cascade of seven waterfalls. The Upper Rychenbach Fall is the highest. It was made world famous by Conan Doyle’s story "The Final Problem" from 1893, where Sherlock Holmes has a bitter struggle with his arch enemy, Professor Moriarty. The fight ended with a fall into the waterfall. Visitors can walk around the waterfall and it is also accessible via a nostalgia trail.

Meiringen is the largest town in Haslital and provides a starting point for numerous excursions into the surrounding mountain landscape. Italian confectioner Gasparini is supposed to have created a dessert from sugar and stiffly beaten egg white here for the first time in 1600. Gasparini named his sweet invention Meringue after the village of Meiringen.

The Aare Gorge has been formed over millennia by the Aare Glacier. You can walk right through the natural spectacle of the gorge on well-secured paths and bridges.