Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.

© WATCHARAKUL RONGKAVILIT/Shutterstock

Reichenbachfälle

Top choice in Bernese Oberland


Gazing over the mighty Reichenbach Falls, where the cataract plunges 250m to the ground with a deafening roar, you can see how Arthur Conan Doyle thought them perfect for dispatching his burdensome hero, Sherlock Holmes. In 1891, in The Final Problem, Conan Doyle acted like one of his own villains and pushed both Holmes and Dr Moriarty over the precipice here. To reach the falls, take the funicular from Willigen, south of the Aare River, to the top.

It takes an hour to wander back down to Meiringen. Alternatively, take the steep path up the side of the falls to the village of Zwirgi. At Gasthaus Zwirgi, you can rent trotti-bikes (adult/child Sfr17/15) to scoot back down to Meiringen.


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