The charming town of Meiringen lies in the heart of the Swiss Alps, a short distance to the east of Lake Brienz. The town is famous for its association with Sherlock Holmes - the nearby Reichenbach Falls were the setting for the fictional sleuth's final duel with Moriarty, and where Holmes eventually fell to his death. The town is home to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located in the basement of a small English church, in Conan Doyle Place in the centre of the village.
Meiringen is also famous for its (much disputed) claim to have invented the meringue. Although it can never be proven as to where and when the meringue was invented, it would be a shame not to indulge yourself with a taste of the town's celebrated snack during your stay in Meiringen. Meiringen's position in the heart of the Swiss Alps is perfectly positioned for exploring the surrounding region, which is filled with interesting towns, villages, mountain railways, cable cars and mountain peaks.
Interlaken
Close to Meiringen is the city of Interlaken which, as
the name implies, is in a spectacular location between Lake Thun
and Lake Brienz at the foot of the Eiger, the Mönch and the
Jungfrau. It is the main town of the Bernese Oberland.
Mürren
The pretty, traffic free village of Mürren can be reached
from Meiringen via Lauterbrunnen. From Mürren, the highly
recommended Schilthorn cable car climbs to the awe-inspiring Piz
Gloria revolving summit restaurant, made famous in the James Bond
film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". An alternative route to Piz
Gloria, from Stechelberg, takes you to the summit on board Europe's
longest cable car.
Bern
The capital city of Bern, particularly its Old Town, is
well worth a visit. Few cities in Europe can rival Bern for the way
it has kept its medieval centre intact; a fact recognised by UNESCO
placing it on its list of world cultural landmarks. It is renowned
for its fountains, towers and bridges, the profusion of geranium
filled window boxes (resulting it being voted Europe's most fl oral
city in the past), and the 6km of arcades (very useful on a wet
day!) that line many of the streets of greyish-green sandstone
buildings.
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