Hi everybody.
Today we're going to explore the Aare Gorge which is one of the most beautiful mountain gorges in Switzerland, perhaps even in Europe.
And we are going to check that out today.
The Aare Gorge might be the most spectacular alpine mountain gorge in Switzerland.
It is situated in the beautiful Haslital that connects the Lake Brienz region and Interlaken with the Grimsel Pass which leads to the canton of Wallis.
If you are visiting the Bernese Oberland with its beautiful mountain villages of Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Gimmelwald and Muerren
and you also plan a visit of Zermatt, then you will likely pass by the Haslital Valley and Meiringen.
Make sure you plan a stop at the Aare Gorge which is not visible from the main road.
The gorge is tucked away in a somewhat hidden part of the valley but signs will take you there.
Make sure you stick around to the end of this video where I'm going to give a few extra tips and information around Aare Gorge.
The gorge is an indirect product of glaciation.
When the ice age came to an end about 10,000 years ago, the melting glaciers eroded a deep and narrow chasm through the limestone barrier.
It’s only about 2 km (~1 mi) long, but features 50 m (~160 ft) high cliffs on either side.
Its width varies from 30 metres (~100 ft) at its widest to just 1 metre (3 ft) at its narrowest.
How was all is possible?
Well, the story of this gorge started approximately 130-160 million years ago when ocean sediment hardened to limestone.
When the alps were formed about 15 million years ago, these limestone sediment deposits were vaulted into the crystalline mountains.
But the rock in the area of the Aare Gorge was barely moved at that time.
As a result, the limestone here is very solid and resistant to water and ice.
The glaciers of the ice age which began about 1-2 million years ago eroded the cliffs of the rocks but were not able to fully carry them away.
In the first warm periods, when the glaciers receded, the melting water eroded the gorge through the cliffs.
Several other parallel gorges were subsequently formed and are now partially filled with soil and rock, the moraine.
The gorge has been accessible for over 100 years now by a system of safe tunnels and pathways.
Its a truly magical experience to walk through the gorge and discover new amazing sights after each turn.
The path through the gorge is an easy walk of about 40 minutes.
But be prepared to take frequent stops to take pictures.
I would factor in about 1.5 to 2 hours for the entire visit.
The path is about 1-2 meters (~3-6 ft) wide and consists of about 1km (~.6 miles) of wooden planks built on steel girders that are anchored in the cliff walls.
Needless to say, this is Switzerland and the paths are all super safe.
You will go through 400m (~1300 ft) of tunnels and galleries and 250m (~820 ft) of gravel and asphalt paths.
The most beautiful areas of the gorge are also wheelchair accessible from the west entrance up to about the middle.
As a special tip, bring a rain coat or a poncho as there will be plenty of water sprinkling all around you.
Also bring solid shoes, preferably hiking boots as some passages can get a bit slippery and there are about 200 steps that you have to climb.
There are cafeterias at both entrances and the one on the Eastern end offers very nice views.
But I have not tested their food so cannot speak to it.
The gorge is accessed by entrances at each end of the gorge, where you pay for admission.
The price for adults is 9 CHF (US$10) and it’s definitely worth it.
The entrances are each linked to train stations on the Meiringen-Innertkirchen railway.
The Aareschlucht West station is at the western end of the gorge.
The very cool underground Aareschlucht Ost station which is built into the mountain not far from the eastern entrance.
You access that station by going over a modern suspension bridge which also offers great views over the Aare river and into the gorge.
You can start the hike at either entrance but I recommend you start from the Meiringen side.
That's where the caves are located and you then work yourself slowly towards the more open side of the gorge.
You can organize the hike as a round trip, but most visitors do only one way and take the train back to the entrance where they started.
It’s only a 5-minute train ride between the two stations and the train ticket is included in the admission fare.
The walk from the Aareschlucht West train stop takes approximatley 10 minutes to the entrance, from Aareschlucht East it’s about 5 minutes.
But on that side it’s not suitable for wheelchairs.
I was lucky to go there on a sunny day but you can also reserve the visit of the gorge for a rainy day as it’s a rather wet experience anyway.
Would I go there again?
I certainly would.
It’s such a unique and cool experience.
There are many mountain gorges in the Alps, but I think this has been one of my favorites so far.
Maybe it’s because of the turquoise-blue water of the Aare, or the amazing rock formations and water falls that present themselves as little surprises along the way.
I really enjoyed my visit there.
Hope you enjoyed this video.
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Have a good one. Bye.