On a well-secured path, you hike past mighty waterfalls, romantic grottos and bizarre rock formations. The unbridled energy of the glacier water is constantly palpable: sometimes it swirls around a glacier pot, sometimes it falls over a rock step, squeezes through a bottleneck, foams, bubbles and gurgles. Powerful, breathtaking, refreshing.

The gorge is visited on the ascent, the path leads through a primeval mountain forest back to the ticket office and the Schluchthüttli café. The tour takes around 45 minutes and is suitable for walkers of all ages.

The gorge can easily be explored on your own. However, we will be happy to guide you through the gorge by appointment and tell you interesting facts, surprises and stories.

Gorge guide - German

Guide to the gorge - English

Guide des gorges - Français

Information guidance

Lush alpine meadows, rugged rocky peaks, sparkling glaciers, thundering waterfalls: the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is located in the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site and is surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery.

It's worth staying longer in the valley. Combine a visit to the gorge with a beautiful hike, refreshments in a cozy restaurant, an adventurous post bus ride, a trip on the nostalgic Reichenbach Falls Railway or a visit to the historic Schwarzwaldalp sawmill.

Overview and hiking map

The Rosenlaui glacier gorge is already mentioned in travel guides from the 19th century. At that time, however, only a wooden staircase led down into the depths and gave the daring travelers a small insight into the interior of the gorge.

Im Sommer 1901 kauft der Meiringer Hotelier Kaspar Brog die Rosenlaui-Besitzungen und entschliesst sich sogleich, den oberen Teil der wilden Schlucht zu erschliessen. Am 28. Oktober 1901 werden die Bauarbeiten aufgenommen. Bauunternehmer ist der Tiroler Johann Berti. Die Erschliessung gestaltet sich schwieriger als angenommen und die Bauarbeiten ziehen sich weit in den Sommer 1902 hinein. Der Weg muss durchgehend in den soliden Kalkfelsen gesprengt werden. 9000 Schüsse oder 180 Pakete Dynamit werden dazu gebraucht. Die Kosten belaufen sich auf 22'000 Franken.

The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is opened on June 6, 1903. On this day, 38 people visit the gorge and the entrance fee is one franc.

In the winter of 1930/31, Kaspar Brog's descendants had the gorge path extended to its current length. Since then, the route through the gorge has only been gently renovated and adapted to today's safety standards. In recent years, the two longest tunnels have been equipped with a solar lighting system.

The Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is inspected every spring before opening by a local company specializing in rock safety and prepared for summer operation.

Today, the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge is run by Theres Anderegg and Urs Moor. As the great-great-granddaughter, Theres Anderegg belongs to the 5th generation of Kaspar Brog's descendants.

In 1771, local resident Andreas von Bergen discovered a healing spring in Rosenlaui. He then bought the Rosenlaui Alp and built a bathing hut and a simple dwelling. In the first half of the 19th century, the Rosenlaui baths experienced a heyday. It enjoyed a good reputation and was very popular. Despite this, the business became increasingly more important than the baths. In 1912, nature put an end to the baths: earth movements almost completely buried the sulphur spring.

Today, the romantic Hotel Rosenlaui is run by the second and third generation of the Kehrli family.