Day 1:

Arrive Meiringen, unpack only once

Make your own way to our 4* hotel in Meiringen: your base for the next eight days. This pleasant little town is excellent for a centre-based walking tour, being central to a lot of fine walks in the Bernese region. The Haslital, one of the large valleys in the Central Alps, stretches from the Grimsel Pass to the Lake of Brienz. Along this valley you will find Meiringen. The town suffered a disastrous fire in 1875 and there remains little except for the old church with archaeological remains lying underneath it and a mediaeval watchtower in the ‘upper’ part of the town. Meiringen is the home of the Meringue. There are a couple of bakeries along the ‘high street’ where these are much in evidence in all shapes and sizes. Meiringen is also known for the spectacular Reichenbach Falls into which Sherlock Holmes and his foe Moriarty, the master criminal, fell locked in each other’s arms. You can visit the ‘Sherlock Holmes Museum’ which is housed in the old Anglican church in the open area by the Park Hotel, which is itself a national monument. You may want to use a funicular railway to take you to the top of the Reichenbach Falls, otherwise it is a 30 minutes’ walk out of town. Accommodation: Hotel Alpbach – this 4* hotel has warmly furnished rooms with with free Wi-Fi, TVs and room service. Other amenities include a spa area with a sauna and a steam room, in addition to an upscale restaurant featuring 4 cozy, wood-panelled dining rooms, a bar and a terrace.

Meals:  D

Day 2 – 7

Over 6 days, choose many walks from Meiringen

Over six days there are many walks that you can choose from. We have prepared hiking routes of varying difficulty and length in the Meiringen and Bernese area. You will receive a set of route notes & GPX files with clear introductions to help you choose a walk for each day. The excellent local transport system enables you to shorten or lengthen the walks if you wish. Below are just a sample of the possible walks that are included in your route notes. You decide on your exact programme, which will vary according to weather conditions and your own preference each day. A) Hasliberg (Panorama Way). 12 km/7.5 miles, starting with a 10-minute train ride from Meiringen (600m) up to Brünig Pass (1100m) where the walk starts. Views stretch to the Bernese Oberland peaks and glaciers. This is an ideal introduction to the area in almost any weather. There is no need to carry a picnic for lunch if you want to try the “Rosti House” at Wasserwendi. After lunch, continue on the Panorama way to Reuti (1045m) and either take the cable car or walk through the forest down to Meiringen. B) Reichenbach Valley Circular Walk. Take the bus up to the little hamlet of Gschwantenmad. There is no rush to cover the first 5 km along the Reichenbach River to Schwarzwaldalp where you can have lunch in the cosy mountain restaurant. The standard fare is a cauldron of delicious goulash soup served with fresh crusty bread or a vegetarian alternative. Thus fortified, walk the circular route via Rosenlaui finishing at Kaltenbrunnen from where you take a bus or taxi back to Meiringen. This is a fabulous walk right in the heart of the mountains. The Wetterhorn north face dominates the skyline and the beautiful blue Rosenlaui Glacier towers above you. C) Hasliberg Heights. To gain initial height, take the cable car to Käserstatt (1524m) above Meiringen. Set out on the magnificent high-level walk across the Hasliberg. There is an option for lunch at Bidmi before completing the walk across the alpine meadows and descending through the forest to Meiringen. D) Across the Brünig Pass. 12 km/7.5 miles. Once more leave Meiringen by train, but this time over the Brünig Pass to the village of Lungern with its beautiful lake. The hiking route takes you up a steady gradual incline to the pass where there is the option of a restaurant lunch. There is a little more ascent through the forest after lunch before descending to Meiringen. E) Wengen to Kliene Scheidegg. Travel to the chic resort of Wengen by train and then walk up through the forest and pastures to the pass at Kleine Scheidegg. Return by train either to Wengen or Grindelwald. You can always opt to walk down rather than up or, for a longer day, walk up and down. There are great views towards the Eiger and Jungfrau from the Kleine Scheidegg. F) Have an easy day. Take a short local walk or travel further afield. Visit the city of Luzern or Bern by train or head up to the Jungfraujoch, or to the Piz Gloria of James Bond fame. G) Other possibilities near Meiringen include the Ballenberg open-air museum at Brienzwiler where you can see a variety of traditional farm buildings from all over Switzerland. There’s also the beautiful old lakeshore town of Brienz, where you can sit at a waterside cafe and admire the view across the lake to the mountains of the Oberland. H) The Romantic Way. 15 km/9.3 miles. Take the postbus from Meiringen to climb on spectacular twisting roads to Grosse Scheidegg (2000m) at the heart of the mountains. The 12,000′ peak of the Wetterhorn towers above and you’ll have views of the north-face of the Eiger. During the walk there are spectacular views of the Rosenlaui Glacier. This is a gentle contouring walk, not at all strenuous. A visit to the Reichenbach Falls can be incorporated into the itinerary during the afternoon. I) Paradise Way. 17 km/10.6 miles. Head northeast on the bus to the picturesque mountain lake of Engstlenalp beneath the pass. From here walk all day through meadows of wonderful flowers and beneath rugged limestone crags where eagles nest. The grand panorama ahead is the Bernese Oberland Massif with literally hundreds of peaks and glaciers in view. The walk ends at the cable car station above Meiringen.

Meals:  B,D

Day 8:

Arrangements end after breakfast

Depart Meiringen by train for your onward journey.

Meals:  B