Meiringen

Meiringen is a town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Besides Meiringen itself, the municipality includes the settlements of Balm, Brünigen, Eisenbolgen, Hausen, Prasti, Sand, Stein, Unterbach, Unterheidon, Wylerli and Zaun.

The town is famous for the nearby Reichenbach Falls, a spectacular waterfall that was the setting for the fictional presumed death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes. The town is also known for its claim to have been the place where the meringue was first created.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or an Eagle displayed Sable crowned, beaked, langued and membered of the first.

Geography

Meiringen is located in the eastern Bernese Oberland region, in the Haslital on the upper reaches of the Aare river, upstream of Lake Brienz. It lies at the foot of several mountain passes, including the Brünig Pass to the valley of the Sarner Aa and hence central Switzerland, the Joch Pass to Engelberg, the Susten Pass to the upper valley of the Reuss, the Grimsel Pass to the valley of the Rhone and hence southern Switzerland, and the Grosse Scheidegg Pass to Grindelwald.