The small Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen near the Reichenbach waterfalls is dedicated to the world’s most famous fictional detective.
Meiringen in the Haslital near Interlaken in Switzerland has been a pilgrimage site for Sherlock Holmes fans ever since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off the famous fictional detective at the nearby Reichenbach Waterfalls. A small museum with Holmes-related objects and a model of the living room of 221b Baker Street are the main attractions in town for most foreign visitors. The nearby Reichenbach Falls are worth visiting for their sheer beauty and views. The Aare Gorge is also a top sight near Meiring and the entrance to the Haslital. The Golden Pass Line railways from Montreux on Lake Geneva via Interlaken to Lucerne is an interesting way to travel to this beautiful part of Switzerland.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen, Switzerland
The small Sherlock Holmes Museum on Conan Doyle Place in the heart of the small town of Meiringen in a beautiful part of Switzerland is dedicated to the memory of the world’s most famous fictional detective (although for some visitors he is very much real). The small museum – it really is tiny – is located inside the English church and especially its basement.
Visitors to the museum receive an audio guide – available in many languages – that explains the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and more thoroughly his best-known character. As Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson were of course never alive the items on display are mostly things that would have belonged to similar characters at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
On display are amongst others Holmes’ last letter to Watson, the police report on the death of Holmes following his struggle with Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls in 1891, and train schedules from the time.
Much is also made of the life of Dr Watson with exhibits of rugby shirts from his school, military uniforms, and other paraphernalia.
The highlight of the visit is the construction of the living room of Sherlock Holmes at 221b Baker Street in London. Care has been taken to include anything ever mentioned about the room in any Sherlock Holmes story while other elements are typical of such London lodgings at the end of the Victorian era.
Visiting the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen
The Sherlock Holmes Museum is open from May to October daily from 13:00 to 17:30. In winter (December to April), the museum is usually only open on Wednesday and Sunday from 4:30 to 6 pm.
Download the audio guide for free from the Sherlock Holmes Museum website and use your own phone while visiting the exhibition.
Admission is CHF7 (CHF4 for children 6 to 15). Combination tickets with the Reichenbach Funicular are CHF15 (CHF9). The Swiss Museum Pass is valid and 50% discount for visitors with a Haslital Tourist Card.
Visiting the museum takes around half an hour – the museum is very small but the audio guide is fairly thorough and easy to use. Real fans would probably stay a little bit longer but not much.
The Sherlock Holmes trail in Meiringen guides visitors through the town with many information boards on the detective and his author.
Meiringen may easily be reached by frequent train from Brienz and Interlaken or from Montreux on Lake Geneva on a Golden Pass Express train with connections in Interlaken (and/or Zweisimmen). This route is much more convenient than the one Holmes and Watson followed through the Rhone Valley and across the Alps via Leukerbad and Kandersteg, which admittedly is even more picturesque but requires some effort.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum in Lucens near Lausanne
Sherlock Holmes fans will also enjoy the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Lucens near Lausanne. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s son Adrian lived here in the picturesque castle for many years. The museum in the Maison Rouge in Lucens has many objects from the life of Conan Doyle, including personal letters in the neatest handwriting and items that inspired his stories, as well as another reproduction of the Baker Street living room.
Further sights near Meiringen include the Reichenbach waterfalls, where Sherlock Holmes’ struggle with Moriarty took place, and the spectacular Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht). The Ballenberg Open-Air Museum of Swiss Rural Architecture near Brienz is also worth visiting, as is cruising on Lake Brienz towards Interlaken.
Meiringen and the Haslital are fond of the Sherlock Holmes connection and use the name in connection with anything imaginable. It is possible to visit the Sherlock Lounge & Club, stay in a Holmes Home holiday home, buy a Sherlockerli sausage, eat a Sherlock-Glace ice cream, or enjoy a Sherlock Holmes fondue after an energetic ride on a Sherlock-E-Bike.
More on the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz Region:
- Pleasure Boat Cruises on the Thuner- and Brienzersee
- Book Tours and Activities in the Region with Get Your Guide
- Pleasure Boat Cruises on Lake Thun
- Pleasure Boat Cruises on Lake Brienz
- Tips on Saving on Fares when Cruising on Lakes Thun and Brienz
- Visit Schloss Spiez Castle
- Visit Schloss Oberhofen Castle
- Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen
- Visit the Reichenbach Waterfalls near Meiringen
- The Ballenberg Open-Air Museum of Swiss Rural Architecture
- Hike through the Aareschlucht Gorge
- Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe — Mountain Railway Excursion
- Golden Pass Line — spectacular trains connecting Montreux – Interlaken – Luzern without surcharge.
