On old pass road to the Grosse Scheidegg

From Meiringen station, walk eastwards towards the Alpbach and along the main road towards the Aare river. In Willigen, the main village of the Schattenhalb municipality, the Schattenhalb cultural trail branches off from the main road and leads up to Schwendi on the historic Scheidegg path. This former mule track was the trade route Meiringen–Grindelwald. It also served as access to the touristically important Rosenlaui spa, which was significant even early on. Notable are the path sections paved with round, reddish granite stones and protected by a dry stone retaining wall. In Schwendi, a ten-minute detour allows a visit to the roaring Rychenbach Falls. In "The Final Problem," the English crime author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, tired of his hero, let the master detective Sherlock Holmes fall to his death here on May 4, 1891, in a fight with his adversary (he later had to revive him due to reader protest!). Soon the Zwirgi viewing terrace is reached, from where you enjoy a magnificent view of the Hasliberg and the pre-Alpine peaks from the Planplatten to the Gibel. After a short ascent over meadows and through woodland, a unique valley floor hike follows in Ledi via Syten–Chaltenbrunnen–Gschwantenmad (to Broch–Schwarzwaldalp 1h; to Mettlen–Gibelplatti–Grosse Scheidegg 3h45) to the nostalgic Rosenlaui hotel. The valley widens along the way. The mighty massif of the Wetterhorn and the wild peaks of the Engelhörner dominate the horizon.
The detour into the nearby glacier gorge is highly recommended (entrance fee!): through dark tunnels and over small bridges with dizzying down views, you climb through the rocky crevice where the water has sculpted bizarre shapes and whirlpools. The circular walk takes about 1 hour. The Rosenlaui–Broch section can also be walked on a hiking trail away from the road. Afterwards, you climb the old mule track over Schwarzwaldalp–Alpiglen, crossing the pass road several times, to the Grosse Scheidegg. The pass crossing is a popular excursion destination with splendid views of the mountain scenery.