On a recent trip to Meiringen, we explored the Aare Gorge and Reichenbach Falls with our kids.
What a fantastic day it was in a gorgeous Swiss setting.
Aare Gorge and Reichenbach Falls
Both these spectacular tourist destinations are located just a few hundred meters from one another in the beautiful town of Meiringen.
I would recommend getting a combined ticket for both locations for CHF 16 per adult or CHF 11 for children ages 6 to 16. It would otherwise cost CHF 9 per adult and CHF 5 per child for the Aare Gorge and CHF 12 per adult and CHF 11 per child for a return ticket on the Reichenbach Falls funicular.
Aare Gorge
I couldn’t help being reminded of how powerful water is as we made our way through the impressive Aare Gorge.
The gorge is formed thanks to the pressure of water, rocks and ice particles from above. The Aare river began gouging its way though the gorge 150’000 years ago.
We parked our car at the West entrance where there is a playground as well as a huge restaurant and toilet facilities. If you have purchased your combined tickets at the Reichenbach Falls, be sure to get this changed at the ticket booth of the Aare Gorge before entering.
The 1.4 km long gorge is made of narrow pathways and cool tunnels.
The limestone cliff wall goes up to 180 meters at its highest.
The walk towards the end where the East entrance is requires climbing quite some stairs.
The gorge is a nice refuge from the hot sun but it can be hot too where there is no shade.
I would definitely NOT recommend using a stroller as there are very narrow parts along the pathway.
When leaving the Aare Gorge at the East entrance, follow the sign towards the train station Aareschlucht Ost.
You will be crossing the suspension bridge that you would have seen during the last part of your walk in the Aare Gorge.
It is such a special train station. There is no platform. It is essentially a hole in the rock tunnel that takes you directly into the train!
The train ride is included in the price of your entrance ticket to the Aare Gorge. You will be taken back to your starting point.
Reichenbach Falls
Any fan of Sherlock Holmes will know that the Reichenbach Falls is where the fatal struggle between the world’s most famous consulting detective and his arch enemy Professor James Moriarty took place.
Take the Reichenbachfall Bahn or funicular up and you are greeted with a stunning view of the waterfalls.
If your kids are up for a hike up, you can climb the many stairs taking you all the way up to the top of Reichenbach Falls.
Unfortunately we didn’t bring our baby carriers with us, so we took the next train down after some quick photographs.
Bonus tip 1: We spent the previous night in Meiringen at Hotel Tourist which has great views of the surrounding valley and mountains. The location of the hotel is right in between the Aare Gorge and Reichenbach Falls – slightly outside the city.
It was great as the temperatures cooled down significantly at night, unlike in the many hotels in Meiringen town itself. The fact that it has a great playground with rabbits and a stunning view (don’t miss the sunset) makes it that much more perfect for kids.
Bonus tip 2: Gelmerbahn, Europe’s steepest funicular railway is just a few minutes away from Meiringen. Read more about the trip we did on the Gelmerbahn here.
Bonus tip 3: On the drive to Meiringen from the north (Luzern), there is a great lookout point on your right of Lungernersee. Don’t miss it! This was the picture I took of Lungernersee and the valley from this lookout point.
Bonus tip 4: If looking for a lake swim, I cannot recommend the nearby Lake Sarnen enough. Key in Strandbad Sachseln in your GPS.
The fact that it is free and has a great playground for kids is a big plus. A great way to cool down on a hot day. We combined this with a trip to the Felsenweg and Hammetschwand Lift.
Do you have any comments, questions or other tips? Share them in the comments below!
Click here for more travel inspiration for trips around Switzerland.
