Discover the Rosenlauital: excursion ideas and hiking tips

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Nature fans and nostalgics take note: The Rosenlaui Valley will make your heart beat faster! The high valley in the Bernese Oberland captivated the first alpinists as early as the 19th century with its wildly romantic landscape and the contrast of steep rock faces with ice-covered peaks and lovely fir forests. Nowadays, the Rosenlaui Valley is not only a worthwhile destination for a relaxing day in nature, but also an ideal starting point for multifaceted hikes and mountain tours.

In this article, we show how versatile a trip to the Rosenlaui Valley can be and reveal which hiking trails can be used to experience the valley from its most beautiful side.

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In cooperation with PostBus, I present you in this section selected excursion destinations in the Bern/Central Switzerland region, which are located along the various PostBus lines. After our detours to the Schallenberg and the Gadmental, this excursion with the Rosenlaui Line takes us to the wildly romantic Rosenlaui Valley.

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These sights await you in the Rosenlaui Valley

The Rosenlaui Valley stretches from the Grosse Scheidegg – the pass crossing to Grindelwald – to the Haslital near Meiringen. If you take a closer look at the topographic map, one or the other attentive person will probably ask yourself the following: Why is the Rosenlaui Valley called “Rosenlauital” when the river that flows through the valley is called “Rychenbach”? According to various sources, the correct name of the valley would actually be “Reichenbachtal”. Today, the term “Rosenlauital” is more common because it stands for two highlights in the valley. The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge and the historic Hotel “Rosenlaui”, which is a reminder of the founding days of tourism in Switzerland.

In addition to these two well-known attractions, other sights await you in the Rosenlaui Valley. These include the Reichenbach Falls with its 300 m high waterfall cascade at the entrance to the valley – accessible on foot or with the Reichenbach Falls cable car. Sherlock Holmes fans should be familiar with both.

Less well-known, but interesting for technology freaks: the sawmill on the Schwarzwaldalp, built over 100 years ago. In the summer months, it is open several days a week and can be visited. You can find out more about this in the practical tips at the end of the article.

Furthermore, the Rosenlauital from Europe’s highest raised moor on the Chaltenbrunnen Hochmoorweg. And for those of you who are free from vertigo, sure-footed and fit in terms of fitness, the ascent to the Dossenhütte may offer the challenge you are looking for. For everyone else, I have alternative hiking tips in this post, where you will also pass by the above-mentioned sights.

Take an excursion with the RosenlauiToTal Adventure Pass

You can reach the Rosenlaui Valley from Meiringen by post bus. Line no. 164 runs as a regular post bus route from Meiringen station via Rosenlaui to Schwarzwaldalp (GA/Half-Fare travelcard valid). From there, you can continue with the tourist line of Grindelwald Bus (1/2 price for GA and Half-Fare travelcard holders). The journey by post bus is an experience in itself. This follows the winding, narrow road steeply uphill from the Haslital until the view of the high valley and the imposing mountain scenery finally opens up shortly before Kaltenbrunnen. The murmuring “ahs” and “ohs” of the passengers are guaranteed at this point.

If you are planning a detour to the Rosenlaui Valley, I recommend taking a look at the “RosenlauiToTal” adventure pass in advance. This is available directly in the Postbus and includes the following services:

• Postbus ride Meiringen-Schwarzwaldalp return or Meiringen-Grosse Scheidegg-Grindelwald easy (or vice versa easy)
• The ride on the Reichenbachfall Railway
• Entrance to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge
• A simple lunch in one of the four restaurants along the route (Gasthaus Zwirgi, Hotel Rosenlaui, Schluchtenhüttli, Chalet-Hotel Schwarzwaldalp)
• Furthermore, the historic sawmill can also be visited free of charge, whereby only a voluntary collection is levied for everyone without an adventure pass.

The Adventure Pass costs CHF 69 for adults. With the Half-Fare travelcard you pay CHF 48.-

The adventure pass is worthwhile for all those who want to visit all the sights in the Rosenlaui Valley in one day with one ticket. However, the ticket can also be flexibly combined with a hike. For those who do not have a GA travelcard, the purchase of the Adventure Pass brings price advantages even if you do not plan to use all the included services. This is shown by the following cost breakdown of our excursion as an example:

Postbus ride Meiringen – Gschwandtenmaad stop: CHF 10.60 (with Half-Fare travelcard)
Hike Gschwandtenmaad – Engelhornhütte – Rosenlaui Entrance to the glacier gorge: CHF 10.-Lunch at the Hotel Rosenlaui
(Pot au feu): CHF 21.-Continuation of the hike on the valley path to the Schwarzwaldalp Visit to the historic sawmill: Collection
Descent Schwarzwaldalp
– Meiringen: CHF 14.40 (with Half-Fare

travelcard)

Total: CHF 56.- (at the price of CHF 48 thanks to the “RosenlauiToTal” adventure pass)

As you can see from the pictures, in addition to lunch at the Hotel Rosenlaui, we treated ourselves to a delicious cream cake at the end of the day on the Schwarzwaldalp. There’s nothing like an enjoyable hiking trip.

Take a hike to the Engelhornhütte

During our trip to the Rosenlaui Valley at the beginning of July, we decided to tackle a tour that had been postponed last year due to weather reasons. Namely the mountain tour from the Rosenlauital to the Engelhornhütte. A really casual hike, which was able to score with me with the perfect mixture of sporty ascent, impressive panoramic views and a varied route with one or the other somewhat challenging section.

The mountain hiking trail is not technically difficult, except for one or two sections where you have to use your hands. However, he has one or two downhill games in store. For this reason, I recommend the tour only to people with a head for heights and sure-footedness.

The great thing is that this hike can be perfectly combined with the adventure pass. And I’ll just boldly claim that the pot au feu on the sun terrace of the Hotel Rosenlaui tastes twice as good after the meters of altitude I have mastered.

Key data of the hike Gschwandtenmaad – Engelhornhütte – Rosenlaui

On the following map you can see the route of the hike from Gschwandtenmaad to the Engelhornhütte and on to the Hotel Rosenlaui. It is a white-red-white marked mountain hiking trail with a difficulty level of T2/T3. Note that the descent from the Engelhornhütte to the entrance to the glacier gorge is a bit steeper and also more sloping in sections. If you feel unsafe on such passages, you are well served to pack hiking poles. If you want to combine the hike with a visit to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge, you can also complete the tour in the opposite direction to save altitude – the gorge trail, which is subject to a fee, can only be accessed uphill. In terms of views, however, I find the direction we chose (with a view towards the Engelhörner) more impressive.

Starting point	Gschwandtenmaad post bus stop (1,300 m above sea level)
Reachability	accessible by public transport
Length	6.8 kilometers
Elevation gain	635 m 608 m
Duration	3:00 h
Destination	Postbus stop Rosenlaui, hotel (1,330 m above sea level)
Catering	Schluchtenhüttli at the entrance to the Glescher Gorge and Hotel Rosenlaui

Walk in Goethe’s footsteps on the valley trail

For those who already feel nerves fluttering at the sight of the narrow path directly below the imposing angel horns, this hiking tip could be more suitable. We undertook the hike from the Schwarzwaldalp along the valley path once along the Rosenlaui valley to Meiringen at the end of October last year. This tour can also be perfectly combined with the Adventure Pass, as the hiking trail leads you past all four restaurants and all the sights.

For the most part, the valley trail follows the course of the Rychenbach and leads along pleasant nature trails (partly rooted and partly with steps). Shady forest sections and open pastures alternate harmoniously.

Key data of the hike Schwarzwaldalp – Rosenlaui – Meiringen

On the following map you can see the route of the hike from the Schwarzwaldalp via Rosenlaui to Meiringen. It is a yellow-marked hiking trail with a difficulty level of T1/T2. The hiking trail follows the course of the Via Alpina and the Via Bern, which cross the Rosenlaui Valley. The length of the tour can be adjusted as desired, as the valley trail passes post bus stops at regular intervals. Especially for people who have some trouble with steep descents or want to protect their knees for other reasons, the tour stops at the Zwirgi post bus stop. From here to Meiringen station, almost half of the total of around 900 meters of altitude difference are incurred.

If you follow the valley trail, you will automatically pass all the highlights of the Rosenlaui Valley and can thus combine the hike with a visit to the glacier gorge or the Reichenbach waterfall.

Starting point	Postbus stop Schwarzwaldalp
Reachability	accessible by public transport
Length	10.4 kilometres
Elevation gain	42 m 897 m
Duration	2:45 h
Destination	Meiringen Railway Station
Catering	Chatel-Hotel Schwarzwaldalp, Schluchtenhüttli, Hotel Rosenlaui, Gasthaus Zwirgi

 

Practical tips for your trip to the Rosenlaui Valley

• During the high season (3 June to 15 October 2023), the Rosenlaui Valley is served by line 164 from Meiringen train station with eight routes per day (hourly). From October 16 to October 22, 2023, a reduced operation with four courses will still run.
• The “RosenlauiToTal” adventure pass can only be purchased directly on the Postbus. Please note that you can only pay with cash on the Postbus.
• The Engelhornhütte is open and supervised during the climbing season from June to September. The hut is a popular starting point for climbing tours in the Engelhörner.
• Hotel Rosenlaui is open from mid-May to mid-October (15 October 2023). The secluded sun terrace is well frequented, especially on beautiful summer days – but there is usually still a free spot. By the way, you can also order other dishes with the adventure pass, but then you pay a surcharge.
• The Chalet-Hotel Schwarzwaldalp is open daily until 22 or – depending on the weather – until 29 October. During the day, you can spontaneously find a place in the restaurant or on the covered terrace. If you want to stop for dinner, you should make a reservation in advance.
• The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is open daily from 13 May to 22 October 2023. By the way, from the terrace of the Schluchtenhüttli restaurant you have a direct view towards the gorge.
• The historic sawmill on the Schwarzwaldalp is in operation from Wednesday to Sunday in July and August. You can read about exactly when guided tours take place here.
• You can find more information about the timetable and the other excursion destinations in the Rosenlaui Valley on the PostBus website.