Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland lies at the foot of the Grimsel and Susten Passes. Highlight is the spectacular Aareschlucht, a gorge up to 200 metres deep, dividing the Haslital into two sections.

The Haslital (Hasli Valley) runs from the Grimsel to the Brienzersee (Lake Brienz). The valley floor is divided into two sections by an imposing rock formation, the «Kirchet». Millennia of erosion by the melt water of the River Aare have carved a 1.4 kilometre long and up to 200 metre deep gorge in this natural barrier between the municipalities of Meiringen and Innertkirchen. The gorge has been accessible since 1888: a well-secured walkway leads through tunnels and galleries along the vertical rock face, just above frothing spray.

The eastern entrance is 1km to the west of Innertkirchen. Coming from the direction of Interlaken or the Brünig Pass, the western entrance is situated, shortly after Meiringen. Both entrances are served by the Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Railway and postbuses. The walk through the Aare Gorge takes around 40 minutes.

The municipality of Innertkirchen covers an area of 121 square kilometres and stretches far into the branch valleys of the Haslital. The wild-romantic Urbachtal with the Gauligletscher (glacier) and eastern flank of the Wetterhorn massif extends to the south-west. To the north-east, the municipality’s territory stretches as a small strip through the Gental to the beautiful Engstlensee and the Joch Pass, a popular hiking traversal between Melchsee-Frutt and Engelberg.

Two pass roads fork off at Innertkirchen: the Grimsel Pass road to Gletsch (VS) and the Susten Pass road to Wassen (UR). These former pack mule traffic routes provided income for the valley’s inhabitants in previous centuries. The Grimsel Pass road was opened in 1894, the Susten Pass road in 1946.

The Oberhasli region has immense natural resources in the form of hydro energy. The power company Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG was founded in 1925 to produce hydroelectricity, creating many jobs in the valley. Guided tours for groups and individuals are offered at the lower hydropower plant at Innertkirchen.

Highlights

• Aareschlucht - Aare Gorge, up to 200 metre deep gorge with caves, enclosed by vertical rock faces. A 1400 metre long well-secured walkway leads at a height along the rock face.
• Three-Pass Tour – excursion with the most typical of Swiss modes of public transport, the postbus, over the sparse and beautiful high-Alpine scenery of Susten, Furka and Grimsel.
• Gelmerbahn – the steepest funicular in the world with a gradient of 108% (!) on the Grimsel Pass climbs to the reservoir of the same name.
• Trift rope suspension bridge – with its 102 metres length Europe’s longest. Constructed in the traditional Nepalese style, it crosses the Gadmental at the Trift glacier, 80 metres over the pale green melt water of the Triftsee.