Meiringen

About a half an hour by train from Interlaken, past the other end of Lake Brienz, lies the rather ordinary Swiss town of Meiringen. The birthplace of meringue, a fact which is much celebrated by the local bakeries, it lives on as a town that almost was. Uninspiring to the best of us in broad sunlight, Meiringen does, however, suggest some interesting rainy day alternatives.

Perhaps I'm being misleading. It's not really Meiringen as much as its postal bus depot that has my attention. It's the hub of postal bus activity in all directions, and that's no understatement. (In fact, the serious hiker should come back here on a sunny day and consider bussing to new hiking areas, such as Grimsel Pass or the Gadmen Valley.) For not so nice days, you can bus, for example, to the to the Aare Gorge, which costs SFr 6:00 round trip. (Or you can walk it, a half hour each way.) The Aare Gorge, which is 1400 meters long and 100-200 meters deep, has an entrance fee of SFr 4.00 and is open from the beginning of April till the end of October. There is also the Rosenlaui Gorge, at the foot of the magnificent Rosenlaui Glacier, which costs SFr 19.40 for busfare, SFr 4.00 to enter. This one's only open from the beginning of June till the end of September, however. If you're at Rosenlaui, and the weather clears up, think about making the easy four hour hike over Grosse Scheidegg and down into Grindelwald.

Bet you didn't know that Meiringen is right near Reichenbach Falls, where literary characters Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarity allegedly fell to their deaths. The bus will take you there as well, for SFr 7.60 round trip. (Or walk it, twenty minutes each way.) While the falls themselves are free, there is a charge of SFr 5.00 to take the little funicular to and from the vantage point.

Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, a museum devoted to his memorabilia opened in Meiringen in 1991. It contains a reconstruction of the famous detective's sitting room and hundreds of exhibits brought together by Sherlock Holmes societies from all overthe world. It's open from May 1st to October 15th, from 3:00 PM till 6:00 PM, daily, and it costs SFr 3.50 to enter.

Meiringen is located on the train line between Interlaken and Lucerne, making it free for holders of all major train passes.