# The Aare Gorge: a Kilometre Inside the Rock Near Meiringen

> Watson, before we return to the Falls, consider the gorge that carved the valley itself: a limestone corridor barely wide enough for the river that made it.

Every investigation needs its context, and the Reichenbach story begins not at the waterfall but a few kilometres west, where the Aare river spent roughly a million years cutting a trench through compact Kalkstein limestone. The result, the Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge), runs close to 1,400 metres between Innertkirchen and Willigen, with walls rising up to 200 metres above a channel that narrows, in places, to one metre across. It is the geological evidence file for everything that follows at Reichenbach: the same river, the same erosive patience, a different chapter of the case.

## Getting there and the two entrances

The gorge has an eastern entrance near Innertkirchen and a western one at Willigen, roughly a 20-minute walk from Meiringen along a signed riverside path. Most visitors walking from Meiringen or from the Reichenbach Falls funicular base station reach the western entrance first. If you are travelling by postbus, the Innertkirchen stop sits closer to the eastern end. Either direction works: the walkway through the gorge takes about 40 to 50 minutes at an unhurried pace, without doubling back, so a one-way ticket with a bus connection at the far end suits those short on time.

## Opening season and approximate hours

The gorge typically opens from mid-April to late October, closing over winter when meltwater volume and ice make the catwalks unsafe. Within season, opening hours shift with daylight: expect something close to 9am to 5pm in the shoulder months and extended hours in July and August. Check the day's schedule at the entrance kiosk or the gorge's own noticeboard before committing to a route, since maintenance closures after heavy rain are not unheard of.

## What the walk actually involves

The path is a mix of carved tunnels, metal walkways bolted into the rock face, and short bridges that cross back and forth over the river itself. Underfoot it is generally solid and well maintained, though sections are damp from spray year-round, and a sudden draft through the narrower tunnels is part of the geology lecture no guide needs to give. Sturdy shoes are advisable rather than optional. The gorge is not pram-friendly in its narrowest third, and wheelchair access is limited to the approach paths rather than the interior. Children manage the full length without difficulty, provided hands stay on the railings where posted.

> **PRICING NOTE** Entry is a modest per-adult fee, commonly in the CHF 8 to 10 range, with reductions for children and holders of regional guest cards. Prices are set by the operating cooperative and revised most years, so treat any figure quoted online as a guide rather than gospel.

## Reading the rock: what to actually look for

This is where the case file gets interesting. The limestone here is part of the Helvetic nappes, folded and thrust northward during the Alpine orogeny tens of millions of years ago, long before the Aare began its more recent work of carving. Watch for potholes (kolk formations) scoured into the rock by swirling pebbles trapped in eddies: smooth, almost drilled-looking basins that mark where the river once sat at a different, higher level. The colour of the water itself, a milky turquoise in summer, comes from finely ground "glacier flour" rock particles so small they stay suspended rather than settling, carried down from glaciers feeding the upper Aare.

> **Based near the gorge for the night.** Meiringen and Innertkirchen both make a practical base for pairing the Aareschlucht with Reichenbach Falls the next morning. [Find a place to stay ](https://www.stay22.com/allez/roam?aid=geoguides&lang=en&currency=USD&lat=46.7273&lng=8.1872&campaign=reichenbachfalls_article_aare_gorge_aareschlucht)

## Combining the gorge with Reichenbach Falls

For readers building a single day around the valley's two signature water features, the logic is straightforward: start early at the Aare Gorge while the light is still low and the tour groups have not arrived, allow the 40 to 50 minutes for the walk-through, then take the short connecting route or local bus back toward Meiringen and up to the Reichenbach Falls funicular. The funicular itself runs on its own seasonal schedule, broadly similar to the gorge's April-to-October window, and the combined outing, gorge plus falls, comfortably fills a morning and early afternoon without feeling rushed. A few operators sell combined tickets covering both sites; ask at either ticket office whether one is currently available.

## Practical notes for the file

Photography is unrestricted, though a lens hood earns its keep against the spray in the narrower stretches. There are no refreshment stops inside the gorge itself, so carry water, particularly in August heat when the trapped air between the rock walls can feel surprisingly still despite the cold river beside you. Dogs are generally permitted on a lead. It is, elementary as it sounds, simply a kilometre of rock corridor, but it is the one piece of evidence that explains why Reichenbach Falls looks the way it does: the same river, the same patient chemistry of limestone and time, writing two different endings to the same case.

> **READ NEXT** [Return to the guide's full case file on Reichenbach Falls and the Meiringen valley](https://reichenbachfalls.com/index.html)

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Source: https://reichenbachfalls.com/the-aare-gorge-a-kilometre-inside-the-rock.html
Published 2026-10-23 · Reichenbach Falls: independent guide (reichenbachfalls.com)