THE
AXALP
GUIDE

Travelling to
the Haslital and Axalp

Travelling to the Haslital and Axalp

Travelling to the Haslital and Axalp is pretty straightforward and you can enjoy some lovely views while getting there.

Map data: Google Landsat / Copernicus  © 2021 Maxar Technologies 

Where to stay during the Axalp Airshow?

Chalets in Axalp

If you are travelling to the Haslital and Axalp for multiple days, many people obviously will want to stay in the village of Axalp. A stay at Axalp will not only offer you the tranquillity that only mountains can give you. It will also save you a daily trip with the shuttle bus. However, the amount of available beds on the Axalp is very limited. There are only a handful of privately owned chalets and some appartments for rent. But that is it. They are usually booked well in advance of the Axalp week. If you really want to be in the village, the best thing to do is book as early as possible to avoid missing out.

Hotels in Axalp during Fliegerschiessen

One by one all the hotels in Axalp have stopped their business. Nowadays there is no hotel left in Axalp, since Hotel Chemihüttli transformed into appartment rental. So if you hate cooking for yourself: better stay in the valley.




Chemihüttli Apartments 

Chemihüttli Appartments is run by Ruedi and Heidy Rubi. They are wonderful hosts and have recently transformed the Hotel to appartments. This means that they do not longer operate hotel services, which is a shame cause Rudy is a superb chef. Having dinner in the Stubli with the other guests used to be a great pleasure. Other than that it is a great and tranquil place to stay, and a perfect start for your Axalp Fliegerschiessen adventures.

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Recommended Hotels in Meiringen during Fliegerschiessen

A stay in the village high up the mountain during Axalp Fliegerschiessen is certainly a lovely experience. But finding accommodation in the Haslital for the Axalp Airshow (Brienz, Hasliberg or Meiringen) should make you equally happy. Many lovely chalets and hotels are widely available here as well. Although the interest in the Axalp demo has increased year over years, I have always been able to book a room. Another reason why it is not too bad to have your accommodation in the valley is that the shuttle Bus operations to the event are very efficient. Typically most people visiting the venue will have accommodation in the valley. For clarity, I will assume that you start your trip to the show from the valley instead of the village of Axalp. Below I have made a list of hotels that I have personally visited over the years. Each of them has different characteristics and price levels, but I can recommend all of them. 

Hotel Wetterhorn –  Hasliberg

The building looks a bit grim when you approach it, but this hotel has been renovated in a very nice manner and all the rooms offer splendid comfort and lots of room. Most of them have a kitchen so you can cook your own meal. Unfortunately they have stopped offering dinner during the week, but there is an Italian restaurant just around the corner. Beautifully located up on the mountain, but remote from shops and stores. It is a 15 min drive to Meiringen Airbase.

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Hotel Gletscherblick – Hasliberg

Lovely situated family owned hotel in the beautiful town of Hasliberg. Lovely staff and an excellent restaurant. Rooms are fine as well with many of them having an amazing view of the Berner Oberland mountains. Excellent price/quality. 20 min drive to Meiringen Air Base.

Book Hotel Gletscherblick

Park Hotel du Sauvage – Meiringen

Want to bathe in some proper “belle epoque” style? See yourself as Sherlock Holmes wandering through the streets of Meiringen? Then definitely go to Park Hotel du Sauvage. This late 19th century built hotel truly breathes the energy of a time when travelling was for the happy few. Admittedly, you have to like this type of old school chique, but definitely nice to have experienced at least once. The hotel rooms have all been renovated in recent years. On top of that the staff are nice and they have a good restaurant and bar. Located in the center of Meiringen. Shops, train station restaurants, pharmacists: everything is within a few min walking distance. It is a 10 min drive to the Airbase.

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Hasli Lodge – Meiringen

A bit more affordable, yet more simple and a bit outdated in the mean while. But the Hasli Lodge offers their rooms at very good price/quality ratio and has a nice restaurant and bar as well. The Hasli Lodge is located very conveniently in the center of Meiringen. This means that the train station, supermarkets and other restaurants are within walking distance of the Hotel. It is a 10 min drive to the Airbase.

Book the Hasli Lodge

Das Hotel Sherlock Holmes – Meiringen

Good middle class hotel with a basic but good kitchen. Just as the Hasli Lodge it can feel a ltille outdated in places, but otherwise a great place to stay. I believe the hotel changed ownership a few years ago and I have not been there since, but I still see very good reviews from more recently. A bit more distant from the city center but nothing is more than 10-15 min away on foot. As all other hotels in Meiringen about a 10 min drive to the airbase and 15 minutes to the P+R shuttlebus parking.

Book das Hotel Sherlock Holmes

Hotels in Brienz

The above list are certainly not the only nice hotels in the area to stay for Axalp Fliegerschiessen. They are just hotels where I have had a pleasant stay.

I have never stayed in Brienz for the Axalp Airshow coincidentally. But there are many excellent accommodations to be found there. Especially if you arrive by public transport I would always stay in Brienz, because one of the shuttle buses departs from there to Axalp directly. Below you can look around for other hotels in the area and choose the accommodation of your preference. 

Also do not forget to look to other places like Innertkirchen, Isseltwald, Brienzwiler, Brünig. All these places are reasonably close to the Parking area for the shuttle bus. 



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Travelling to the Haslital and Axalp

Travelling to the Haslital and Axalp is relatively straightforward. Axalp is located on the north side of the Swiss Alps. To be precise: in the Berner Oberland to the south of Lake Brienz. The Haslital region is the valley below Axalp and contains the surrounding villages of Meiringen, Brienz and Hasliberg. Haslital is relatively easy to reach. With relative I mean that your average speed in Switzerland will be lower due to the fact that you are in the mountains. No worries though: the roads are well maintained. On top that you will have some spectacular views on the way there.

Travelling to Axalp by Car

If you drive by car coming from direction Bern you can reach Brienz/Axalp via the A6/A8 highway. Travel time from Bern is around an hour. Be sure to keep your eyes open after you have passed Thun, as you will pass the Thunersee and -after Interlaken- the Brienzersee. This route will give you great views of the Berner Oberland. Most visitors coming from direction Zurich,Basel or Milan will come from the direction of Luzern. After Luzern you will take the A8 Highway in the direction of Interlaken. On the way up to the Brünig Pass you will climb through several tunnels, culminating in passing the Brünig Pass. The Brünig Pass is a great classic Swiss mountain pass with a few fabulous viewing points. While driving down into the Haslital you will get some good views of Meiringen Air Force Base as well.

Travelling to Axalp by Plane

If you arrive by plane in Switzerland your best choice is to fly to Zurich. The most easy thing to do from here is rent a car and drive to the Brienz region after you arrive following the directions mentioned above. This gives you the flexibility to go to other nearby airbases such as Payerne, Emmen or Alpnach. Having a car is simply a good back up plan given the -not so unlikely- scenario that one or more days of the demo are cancelled.

Travelling to Axalp by public transport (train and bus)

But hey, you are in the Switzerland remember? The Swiss railway system is one of the best in the world. Why not take the train to your destination? It will offer you an amazing experience. The best tip I can give to anyone entering the region by train is to do so via Luzern. Not only is Luzern a very nice city to visit if you have a bit of time. But, the train ride from Luzern to the Haslital crossing the Brünigpass is a classic. Outside of the Axalp week in October you can reach Axalp village with the Postbus from Brienz.

Book your stay in Brienz if you come by public transport

If you do not have a car and come to Axalp Fligerschiessen by public transport, I would advise you to book your stay in Brienz if you are there for more than one day. On show days a shuttle bus departs from Brienz railway station directly to Axalp. By staying in Brienz you avoid having to do extra travel on show day. 




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