Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge

The Rosenlaui gorge was cut by the meltwater of the Rosenlaui glacier through limestone, and the rock inside has been scoured and polished by water carrying grit until the walls read almost like marble - smooth, fluted and streaked. A route of galleries, stairs, tunnels and bridges runs up through it, kept open since the nineteenth century and rebuilt several times, so the visit is a walk inside the cut with the torrent below. The glacier has retreated a long way up the valley since the gorge was first opened to visitors, which is visible in old photographs sold on site. The road on toward Grosse Scheidegg is one of the steepest postbus routes in the country.

What's there

• Polished limestone walls - scoured smooth by grit-laden meltwater.
• Galleries and bridges - the route bolted through the cut since the 1800s.
• A retreating glacier - the ice much further up the valley than in old views.
• The Grosse Scheidegg road - one of the steepest postbus routes in Switzerland.

When to go

Late May to October. Two hours.

Before you go

Closed all winter and after heavy rain. The route is wet, slippery and involves steps - not suitable for prams or poor mobility. Spray soaks cameras. The bus up is infrequent and the road is narrow.

Nearby

Meiringen and the Aare gorge are down the valley; Grindelwald is over Grosse Scheidegg.