Reichenbachfall railway, Funicular railway in Schattenhalb, Switzerland

The Reichenbachfall Funicular is a funicular linking Willigen, near Meiringen, at 600 m with the Reichenbach Falls at 844 m. Its lower station has white walls and a grey tiled gable roof, with red lettering reading "Reichenbachfall" and a banner marking 100 Jahre, 1899-1999. An open wooden canopy with white columns shelters a red and white car on the inclined track, and a red bench stands against the station wall.

The Reichenbachfall Funicular opened on 8 June 1899 as Switzerland's 23rd funicular, built for Elias Flotron and Franz Josef Bucher by Bucher & Durrer after the federal concession of 1 July 1896. It ran on electric drive from the start, powered by Flotron's temporary small plant and from 1909 by the Schattenhalb 1 power station. Financial trouble brought forced liquidation in 1903 and a second bankruptcy in 1907; the line closed during the First World War and resumed summer service on 1 July 1922 under the Elektrowerke Reichenbach AG.

The funicular's name comes from the Reichenbach Falls, which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made famous as the apparent death site of Sherlock Holmes. The line crosses and follows the lower falls, and since 1999 it runs with rebuilt wooden carriages on original chassis. The adjacent Schattenhalb 2 power station, built in 1926, supplies the electric drive.

You should wear sturdy shoes with good grip since the paths are steep and can be slippery, especially near the water. Bring extra layers as the area around the waterfall tends to be cool and windy regardless of the season.

This location served as the setting where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle placed the final confrontation between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty in his detective stories. The literary connection continues to draw readers who want to see where these fictional events were said to have taken place.