In the warmer months, this alpine valley in the Swiss Alps is accessible by bus and on foot. In winter when the valley is covered in snow it is possible to do the legendary 5.5 km sled run from Grosse Scheidegg, down through the valley to Schwarzwaldalp.
The Bernese Oberland offers some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in Europe while quietly keeping the Alpine farming traditions and heritage alive. When walking in the upper valley that runs between Meiringen to Grindelwald, you feel as if you have come to a truly authentic part of Switzerland. This valley offers vistas of mighty peaks, moorlands, mossy forests, tiny hamlets with traditional farms, and country Inns.
The sound of cowbells, the wild Rychenbach river, waterfalls and the sing song warning from the Post Bus as it navigates the tight bends on the valley road all remind you exactly where you are – so typically Swiss.
Where to Start
Summer
From Meiringen – Daily bus services from 18th May 2023 – 22 October 2023
Option 1: Walking the official Via Alpina trail which rises 400m/3 km from Meiringen township to the valley.
Option 2: Take the nostalgic cog railway up this section. This runs alongside the very famous 300-metre-high Reichenbach Falls. Made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story The Final Problem where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty fight on the ledge overlooking the falls.
Winter
From Meiringen – The bus timetable can be found at postauto.ch.
Toboggan Run: 5.5 km sled run from Grosse Scheidegg down to Schwarzwaldalp, then bus back to Meiringen.
Distances
Meiringen – Grosse Scheidegg Pass
Length: 15km Ascent: 1400m (from top of cog train 1,100 m)
Grosse Scheidegg Pass – Grindelwald
Length: 8km Descent: 930 m
Ways of seeing the area – from May to October
From mid-May to mid-October the yellow post buses help you get through the valley.
Options: 1. Walk 2. Take the bus 3. Walk and take the bus
There are plenty of places on the walk which move away from the road. Even so, there are around 10 bus stops along the route from the top of Reichenbach Falls in Meiringen to Grosse Scheidegg.
The Grindelwald Bus goes from Grosse Scheidegg down to Grindelwald, taking about 30 mins.
Good to Know: Private cars are not allowed to drive over the Grosse Scheidegg Pass without a permit.
Pit Stops
The lovingly restored 18th-century Rosenlaui Hotel (12th May – 15th October) comes as a big surprise when seeing it for the first time. Up until arriving at this point we only saw traditional buildings. I thought we had perhaps taken the wrong turn and were heading into Grindelwald or Interlaken but no, this lovely and inviting Inn is in the middle of this valley.
Standing at the entrance to the Rosenlaui Gorge, this well-preserved hotel was built after an influx of 18th-century artists and poets fell in love with the region and needed somewhere to stay.
Note: There are no TVs or wifi in the building and there is a photo-free zone in all public areas. I didn’t realise this when taking the photo above…
Other restaurants and inns include:
- Zwirgi – 3 km from Meiringen
- Schwarzwaldalp Chalet 1456 m – 2 km from Rosenlaui
- Berghotel Grosse Scheidegg – around 4 km from Schwarwaldalp
The Hiking Trail
The track starts in Willingen in Meiringen and climbs approx. 300 metres to the alpine valley alongside the Reichenbach Falls. The other option, the very civilised historical cog railway built in 1899, slowly takes you up the steep slope to the edge of the falls.
We used the cog railway for this walk for two reasons – a better view of the falls and an easy start to the 1,100-metre ascent to Grosse Scheidegg (we were determined to do this section without taking the bus).
Starting the walk
From the pretty village of Zwirgi, the trail goes gradually uphill through a forest beside the road, and for a short time, on the road. The track then leads deeper into the forest and then out to wide meadows with the iconic Wellhorn mountain dominating the skyline.
This grill has the best views you could ask for. I loved the rustic wooden shelter which seemed to have everything needed for a grill – seating, frypans, tongs and even an axe! We were tempted to stop but knew the Rosenlaui Hotel was close. We really felt like a cold drink, so after taking a few photos we moved on.
The Rosenlaui Hotel is gorgeous – lovely staff and an amazing setting. After a quick look at the little waterfall on the grounds of the Hotel (the waiter kindly let us know it was there), we made our way past the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge entrance – (a possible side trip), through a very mossy forest to the little hamlet of chalets at Schwarzwaldalp.
The final stage of this walk passes through wild woodlands with jaw-dropping views of the Wellhorn mountains and the Wetterhorn.
At this point of the walk, the trail becomes very steep but luckily there are plenty of benches for resting and refueling.
We celebrated our achievement with a drink at the Berghotel Grosse Scheidegg, then caught the bus to Grindelwald. This 30-minute bus ride can be seriously panoramic – depending on the weather.
There are plenty of other walks from Grosse Scheidegg. A couple of options:
- Continue down the valley to complete stage 10 of the Via Alpina trail.
- Across to First with views of majestic mountains Eiger, Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn. (First also offers one of Grindelwald’s top five adventures – flying across a sun terrace while strapped into a harness).
Links to Swiss Mobility Map
Swiss Mobility has a well-detailed map with a height profile and tips on saving altitude. A link to the complete Stage 10 of the Via Alpina trail (Meiringen – Grindelwald) can be found here. It is possible to continue onwards by following the Via Alpina – offical walking route number 1. This Route crosses 14 Alpine passes, with a distance of 390 km and has 20 stages.
