Crime-Scenery Reichenbach Falls

The seven-stage waterfall impresses not only today’s visitors: The English crime writer Sir Arthur Connan Doyle used this stunning scenery for the final battle between his hero Sherlock Holmes with his opponent James Moriarity. In the short story "The Final Problem” (1893) he let them fall into the abyss after a heroic struggle. The author's intention, to finish elegantly the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and to devote himself to write historical novels failed due to the vehement protest of his readers. In 1903 he resurrected his hero from the Reichenbach Falls in the story "The Empty House". Hence, the author couldn’t reach his ultimate aim. But for other parties involved resulted very positive side effects: the Reichenbach Falls were known far beyond the country's borders and Sherlock Holmes was honored in 1987 as honorary citizen of the municipality Meiringen, what is quite extraordinary for a fictional character. Furthermore, a commemorative plaque at the Reichenbach Falls and a bronze statue and a museum in Meiringen remember the famous master detective.