Cycling in Switzerland
Lakes Route
Stage 5, Meiringen–Sarnen
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Lakes Route
Stage 5, Meiringen–Sarnen
The Brünigpass separates the Bernese bear and the Innerschweiz, linked by pilgrim paths, railways and dialect. Obwalden: a tiny canton, a wide valley, a pre-Alpine landscape with scattered settlements, shallow lakes and long traditions.
According to legend, the local gnomes hastily left the Hasli Valley after an evil prank was played. However, there are rumours going around that some of them may have recently reappeared. One who will never reappear in Meiringen is Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle let the famous detective plunge to his death not far from here, at the Reichenbach Falls, but it didn’t take long to resurrect him when the author was confronted with fierce protests from his readers. Anyhow, the best you can do now is to enjoy a meringue from a bakery. The delicious pastry is said to have been invented in Meiringen around 1600 by a baker named Gasparini. Back in the saddle and boosted by a meringue, the climb up to Hasliberg should be at little easier to endure.
At the top, the view of the Wetterhorn and the surrounding mountains is awesome. If you’re lucky you might also spot some deer - they are often found in the midst of striking rock formations - or perhaps a gnome wandering about, or even a European asp soaking up the sun. The cogwheel train carrying a number of tourists to the Brünig-Hasliberg station requires quite a bit of power to overcome the steep ramps on the Brünig Pass. Looking at the map, you might think that Lake Lungern and Lake Sarnen are neighbours, located adjacent to each other. Far from it: picturesque Lake Lungern is more than 200 m higher up than Lake Sarnen, although the latter is almost four times larger. The views of lakes and mountains near the chapel are fantastic and the ride down to Lake Lungern is brisk.
Past Dundelbach Fall and the Lungern-Turren cableway you leisurely follow Lake Lungern, continue via Giswil (Schacherseppli adventure trail) and across the Steinibach creek and arrive down at Lake Sarnen a short while later. Whether Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland, has anything to do with the peacefulness and the fresh air in lovely Obwalden is anyone’s guess, but the guests in Sarnen know how to appreciate all of it. On the other side of the crystal-clear lake you see the small village of Flüeli-Ranft perched on the mountainside where the famous hermit once lived, more than 500 years ago.
At the top, the view of the Wetterhorn and the surrounding mountains is awesome. If you’re lucky you might also spot some deer - they are often found in the midst of striking rock formations - or perhaps a gnome wandering about, or even a European asp soaking up the sun. The cogwheel train carrying a number of tourists to the Brünig-Hasliberg station requires quite a bit of power to overcome the steep ramps on the Brünig Pass. Looking at the map, you might think that Lake Lungern and Lake Sarnen are neighbours, located adjacent to each other. Far from it: picturesque Lake Lungern is more than 200 m higher up than Lake Sarnen, although the latter is almost four times larger. The views of lakes and mountains near the chapel are fantastic and the ride down to Lake Lungern is brisk.
Past Dundelbach Fall and the Lungern-Turren cableway you leisurely follow Lake Lungern, continue via Giswil (Schacherseppli adventure trail) and across the Steinibach creek and arrive down at Lake Sarnen a short while later. Whether Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland, has anything to do with the peacefulness and the fresh air in lovely Obwalden is anyone’s guess, but the guests in Sarnen know how to appreciate all of it. On the other side of the crystal-clear lake you see the small village of Flüeli-Ranft perched on the mountainside where the famous hermit once lived, more than 500 years ago.
The Brünigpass separates the Bernese bear and the Innerschweiz, linked by pilgrim paths, railways and dialect. Obwalden: a tiny canton, a wide valley, a pre-Alpine landscape with scattered settlements, shallow lakes and long traditions.
According to legend, the local gnomes hastily left the Hasli Valley after an evil prank was played. However, there are rumours going around that some of them may have recently reappeared. One who will never reappear in Meiringen is Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle let the famous detective plunge to his death not far from here, at the Reichenbach Falls, but it didn’t take long to resurrect him when the author was confronted with fierce protests from his readers. Anyhow, the best you can do now is to enjoy a meringue from a bakery. The delicious pastry is said to have been invented in Meiringen around 1600 by a baker named Gasparini. Back in the saddle and boosted by a meringue, the climb up to Hasliberg should be at little easier to endure.
At the top, the view of the Wetterhorn and the surrounding mountains is awesome. If you’re lucky you might also spot some deer - they are often found in the midst of striking rock formations - or perhaps a gnome wandering about, or even a European asp soaking up the sun. The cogwheel train carrying a number of tourists to the Brünig-Hasliberg station requires quite a bit of power to overcome the steep ramps on the Brünig Pass. Looking at the map, you might think that Lake Lungern and Lake Sarnen are neighbours, located adjacent to each other. Far from it: picturesque Lake Lungern is more than 200 m higher up than Lake Sarnen, although the latter is almost four times larger. The views of lakes and mountains near the chapel are fantastic and the ride down to Lake Lungern is brisk.
Past Dundelbach Fall and the Lungern-Turren cableway you leisurely follow Lake Lungern, continue via Giswil (Schacherseppli adventure trail) and across the Steinibach creek and arrive down at Lake Sarnen a short while later. Whether Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland, has anything to do with the peacefulness and the fresh air in lovely Obwalden is anyone’s guess, but the guests in Sarnen know how to appreciate all of it. On the other side of the crystal-clear lake you see the small village of Flüeli-Ranft perched on the mountainside where the famous hermit once lived, more than 500 years ago.
At the top, the view of the Wetterhorn and the surrounding mountains is awesome. If you’re lucky you might also spot some deer - they are often found in the midst of striking rock formations - or perhaps a gnome wandering about, or even a European asp soaking up the sun. The cogwheel train carrying a number of tourists to the Brünig-Hasliberg station requires quite a bit of power to overcome the steep ramps on the Brünig Pass. Looking at the map, you might think that Lake Lungern and Lake Sarnen are neighbours, located adjacent to each other. Far from it: picturesque Lake Lungern is more than 200 m higher up than Lake Sarnen, although the latter is almost four times larger. The views of lakes and mountains near the chapel are fantastic and the ride down to Lake Lungern is brisk.
Past Dundelbach Fall and the Lungern-Turren cableway you leisurely follow Lake Lungern, continue via Giswil (Schacherseppli adventure trail) and across the Steinibach creek and arrive down at Lake Sarnen a short while later. Whether Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland, has anything to do with the peacefulness and the fresh air in lovely Obwalden is anyone’s guess, but the guests in Sarnen know how to appreciate all of it. On the other side of the crystal-clear lake you see the small village of Flüeli-Ranft perched on the mountainside where the famous hermit once lived, more than 500 years ago.
Length
32 km
Roads and trails
Asphalted: 27 km
Natural surface: 5 km
Natural surface: 5 km
Ascent | Descent
700 m | 820 m
Fitness level
medium
Arrival | return travel
More …
Saving metres in altitude
There is a train between Meiringen and Giswil that saves about 500 metres in altitude.
Saving metres in altitude
There is an aerial cableway between Meiringen (Luftseilbahn) and Hasliberg Reuti (Gondelbahn) that saves about 400 metres in altitude.
Hint
Beware: steep unsurfaced section Meiringen–Hasliberg and Brünig–Lungern.
Traffic volume
Beware: busy main road on the Brünigpass.
