Apres Ski in Meiringen-Hasliberg
The majority of Meiringen’s guests are families with young children and empty nesters for whom the lack of apres ski is not a problem, but if Meiringen is to appeal to a wider and younger audience a significantly better apres ski scene and an injection of fun would be high on the list of priorities.
Meiringen Apres Ski Bars
There is après-ski on the mountain when the weather is fine later in the ski season when some bars feature DJs and live music to generate a reasonable Swiss party atmosphere between 3-5 pm, but other than that Meiringen has no apres ski and no nightlife apart from a few quite ordinary bars. While that suits the local demographic and typical guest profile, 18-30-year-olds wanting to party or just have a fun night out will be better off elsewhere.
Most bars and restaurants in Meiringen have a distinctly local feel. Bar staff are too often indifferent and in some bars, visitors may find themselves outnumbered by locals.
Kristal on Bahnhofstrasse is a warm and welcoming bar restaurant with an attractive interior and is the closest you’ll find to a busy après ski bar. There’s no nameplate outside, but it’s conveniently situated in front of the Parkhotel du Sauvage and a reasonably fun place to meet for drinks or for a bite to eat. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 41 41.
Parkhotel du Sauvage is an Art Nouveau hotel built in 1880 with an attractive bar and snug leather chairs. The cosy bar is open to non-residents and is worth visiting for quiet après ski early in the evening or for after-dinner drinks. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 18 81
Lyons-Pub also on Bahnhofstrasse is a sports bar with a ghastly interior over-decorated with flags from all over the world caused by a strong interest in football. There’s also a large drop-down screen for viewing those important matches. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 63 69.
Hasli-Lodge in Kirchgasse is a clean and comfortable budget hotel with a reasonably attractive bar restaurant which serves the local Eichhof beer from Luzern on draft and is convenient for après ski drinks. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 59 00.
Meiringen Restaurants
Hotel Victoria in Bahnhofstrasse is a small 3-star superior hotel punching well above its weight in the restaurant. Awarded 14 Gault Millau points in 2010 and cited in Guide Michelin, the Hotel Victoria’s chef offers mostly French cuisine with Asian influences. For a lighter meal or a snack, the Hotel Victoria also has a cosy bistro. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 10 40
Alpin Sherpa Hotel in Bahnhofstrasse is an attractive modern hotel built in 1980 and named after the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who was the first to climb Mount Everest. The only 4-star hotel in Meiringen it features an acceptably good restaurant and a comfortable bar as well as a stylish lobby with a feature fireplace for drinks. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 52 52.
Hotel Alpbach in Kirchgasse is another option for fine dining and offers a good choice of classic international cuisine and fine wines. The interior design is very Swiss featuring extensive wooden panelling creating a traditional and cosy atmosphere. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 18 31
Adler Central in Schulhausgasse, running north off the main street, is a small hotel with a cosy and inviting bar restaurant with an open fire and a modestly priced menu serving mostly grilled meat dishes. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 10 32
Pizzeria Lucia in Alpbachstrasse and Pizzeria Rössli on Bahnhofstrasse offer a typical choice of Italian pizza and pasta dishes and are comparatively inexpensive options if dining out on a low-cost budget. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 44 24 and +41 (0) 33 971 16 21.
Meiringen Nightclubs
Sherlock Alpenclub is the most obvious late nightspot and appeals to a younger clientele. The presence of a pair of burly bouncers in black paramilitary uniforms outside the entrance was enough to persuade us not to test the rumour that “it gets better with each drink”. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 18 25.
The Town of Meiringen and Hasliberg villages
Meiringen ski resort includes the small town of Meiringen in the Haslital Valley and the community of Hasliberg comprising four small villages situated on a sunny plateau overlooking the town and the valley.
Best known for the Reichenbach Falls and Sherlock Holmes, Meiringen is also a small Swiss ski resort with 60km of groomed pistes and some quite interesting off-piste for advanced skiers. The majority of guests come from Switzerland (50%), Germany (30%) and Holland (10%) with the UK and other countries around 5% each.
The Reichenbach Falls are famous as the setting for the apparent death of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes at the hands of his arch-rival Moriarty in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Final Problem. The Sherlock Holmes Museum and Reichenbach Falls attract Sherlock Holmes fans from all over the world and the connection between Sherlock Holmes and author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is evident throughout the town. It’s also claimed that Meiringen is the place where meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar, was invented although that is contested.
Meiringen
A small town with all of the usual amenities and shops required to meet the everyday needs of its 4,500 residents, Meiringen is more functional than pretty. Most of Meiringen’s accommodations and shops are on the main streets, Hauptstrasse and Rudenz. The town centre is about a 10-minute stroll from end to end and it’s about a 10-minute walk (or a 2-3 minute free bus ride) from the centre of town to the Meiringen cable car station on the outskirts of town. Getting to Meiringen is easy by road or rail via Lucerne and Interlaken and the main railway station is just a stone’s throw from the centre of town.
Buildings are mostly of stone construction rather than wood and include a mix of architectural styles including some modern hotels built in the 1960s which are mostly better inside than out. The main landmark in the centre of Meiringen is the Parkhotel du Sauvage, which is a large and quite attractive five-storey art deco hotel. There’s a wide range of shops selling mostly day-to-day products, rather than high-end designer goods and the best delicacies in town are homemade Swiss chocolates and confectionary at the charming Confiserie Café Brunner and in cosy tea rooms. There are not many restaurants and bars nor much in the way of après ski or nightlife so 18-30 year olds will soon get bored.
Hasliberg
Hasliberg is the setting for a series of four tiny villages – Hohfluh, Wasserwendi, Goldern and Reuti – at an altitude of about 1,000m with views across the Haslital valley. The villages are about 1-2km apart and although Reuti is just 300m higher than Meiringen and connected by cable car, it’s about an 11-16km journey from Hasliberg villages to Meiringen by road.
The Hasliberg villages are quieter, prettier and closer to the ski lifts and the ski area, especially if staying near the gondola stations in Reuti or Wasserwendi. Because of their higher elevation and south-facing aspect, the Hasliberg villages are sunnier than Meiringen which is sometimes blanketed by thick cloud cover that lingers over the Haslital valley until late in the day.
Meiringen-Hasliberg Other Activities
Meringen and the Haslital Valley offer an extremely wide range of other sports and cultural activities so there are plenty of activities besides snowsports, especially in summer.
Besides a full range of winter sports there is hang gliding, paragliding, scenic flights, sky diving, ballooning, canyoning, white water rafting or kayaking, bungy jumping, trekking, climbing, mountain biking, racket sports, riding, watersports and fishing in Haslital lakes. The shops in town are mostly functional and pleasant enough to wander but there’s no demand locally or from visitors yet for luxury brands or designer boutiques.
Winter Walking
There are 40km of well-prepared winter hiking trails on the Hasliberg with a choice of half a dozen trails the shortest of which is a 30-minute 1.5 km walk from Lischen to Bidmi and the longest a three hour 9km walk from Brűnig to Reuti. There’s winter hiking nearby in the Rosenlaui Valley with 6km of well-marked trails between Schwarzwaldalp 1,454m and Gschwandtenmaad 1,304m and another 5.5km nearby at Gadmen.
Tobogganing
There are two toboggan runs in the ski area on Hasliberg each of which is about 3km in length and easily accessible using the ski lifts. Other more secluded toboggan runs include the trail from Winterlűcke to Hasliberg Reuti, which can only be reached on foot, and a 5.5km trail at Gross Scheidegg. The latter is reached by bus from Meiringen through the scenic Rosenlaui Valley to Grosse Scheidegg at 1,942m then a fast toboggan ride in front of the imposing Wetterhorn at 3,692m down to the homely Chalet Schwarzwaldalp at 1,454m to enjoy a well-deserved drink or a meal. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 50 50
Night tobogganing
On New Year’s Eve and every Wednesday from January until early March there is night tobogganing on a floodlit slope between Mägisalp and Bidmi until 10p. Tickets include a fondue or raclette meal with live music at the Mägisalp mountain restaurant as well as lift access to the ski area and restaurant. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 53 20 Web: www.meiringen-halsiberg.ch/maegisalp
Snowshoeing
There’s snowshoeing on well-marked trails through the silent winter landscape of the Rosenlaui Valley where you can also enjoy splendid views. You can hire snow shoes and a guide in Meringen and to get there, take the bus from Meiringen to Schwarzwaldalp. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 50 50
Ice Skating
In January and February, when it is cold enough, a temporary ice rink is built in Casinoplatz in the centre of Meiringen (next to the Parkhotel du Sauvage) with ice skating for the whole family until late in the evening and skates available for hire locally. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 50 50
Night skiing
There’s night skiing on a floodlit slope between Käserstatt and Lischen Friday nights from mid-January until March and until 10 pm. Tickets include a fondue or raclette meal with live music at the Kaeserstatt mountain restaurant and lift access by gondola from Hasliberg-Wasserwendi. Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 27 86 Web: www.Meiringen.ch/kaeserstatt
Cross-Country Skiing
There’s cross-country skiing at Bidmi on Hasliberg and another 15km long circuit at Gadmen which includes a shorter circuit for floodlit cross-country skiing on Tuesday-Friday evenings. Tel: +41 (0) 33 975 14 26
Sherlock Holmes Museum
A pilgrimage destination for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Meiringen’s Sherlock Holmes museum in the English Church in Casinoplatz houses the best re-creation of the home of master detective Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, London. Open Wednesdays and Sundays from 16:30-18:30 in winter and from Tuesday-Sunday from 13:00-18:00 in summer. Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 18 80 Web: www.sherlockholmes.ch
The Reichenbach Falls
Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chose the Reichenbach Falls as the setting for the apparent death of detective Sherlock Holmes in a final struggle with his archenemy Professor Moriarty. Take the Reichenbach funicular or follow the hiking trail to Schwendi to reach the site of the dramatic struggle in the adventure of The Final Problem. Tel: + 41 (0) 33 972 90 10
Scenic Helicopter Flights
Helicopter flights can be booked Monday – Saturday all year round from heliport Schattenhalb above Meiringen for flights over the Haslital to the Wetterhorn or from heliport Gsteigwiller above Interlaken for flights over the Jungfrau including the Eiger, Mőnch and Jungfrau mountains. Winter heliskiing trips can also be arranged through the ski school in Meiringen or contact BOHAG. Tel: +41 (0) 33 828 90 00 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bohag.ch
Indoor Sports and Wellness
There are plenty more activities in Meiringen including indoor climbing, tennis, badminton, swimming, massage, solarium and sauna at indoor sports centres in Meiringen.
Climbing – Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 39 00 Web: www.kletterhalle-haslital.ch
Tennis – Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 39 00
Swimming – Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 16 68
Fitness & Wellness – Tel: +41 (0) 33 971 60 00
Tourist Office Information
For more information contact the tourist office in Meiringen
Meiringen & Haslital Tourismus
Bahnhofplatz 12
CH-3860 Meiringen
Tel: +41 (0) 33 972 50 50
Web: www.haslital.ch
Meiringen-Hasliberg Events
The Trychlerwoche between Christmas Day and 30 December each year is one of the longest and noisiest events in the Alps. This historical and deeply traditional event may not be the most melodic but it’s an amazing spectacle nonetheless – Swiss costume or fancy dress and bizarre face masks obligatory!
Trychlerwoche
Between Christmas Day and 30 December each year, the normally quiet town of Meiringen is the setting for the Trychlerwoche, one of the longest events in the Alps that reaches a peak on 30 December with a mass procession of local “bands”. Each group repeats a monotonous and consistent rhythm of drum beats and bell ringing as loudly as possible in competition with each other to ward off evil spirits. Participants wear traditional Swiss costumes or fancy dress including bizarre face masks. On the final night, the noisy bands march up and down the main street, stopping periodically at local bars for refreshment and continue “playing” through the night and most of the next day(s) until the last man standing, playing or drinking then suddenly fade away.
Meiringen Winter Sports Festival
The Meiringen Winter Sports Festival is an annual event in the last week of February at Bidmi which includes games, activities and entertainment for families and children including a tubing run, magic park, inflatable castle, face painting, introduction to boarding and/or telemarking, children’s ski race and live music.
Coop Skicross FIS World Cup by BMW xDrive
Meiringen (together with Grindelwald) is one of two Bernese Oberland ski resorts chosen for the fourth year running to host the Skicross FIS World Cup. The spectacular Skicross races involve four skiers racing head to head and the World Cup event early in March attracts around 120 of the World’s elite male and female Skicross athletes. Racers ski down an obstacle course which includes bumps, jumps, banked turns and rapid changes of direction. The vertical elevation is 200m and the run takes about 60 seconds to complete flat out. Skicross is a knock-out event – the two fastest skiers qualify for the next – and provides exciting viewing for spectators. For further information contact Verein Skicross Berner Oberland. Tel: +41 33 972 50 21; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.skicross-worldcup.ch.