7 Things to Do in Lake Brienz with Tips and Visiting Info
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Switzerland has hundreds of lakes, but the ones you’ll absolutely love to see are in the Bernese Oberland, particularly in the Jungfrau Region.
The lakes there are gorgeous. They’re fed with glacial water, which gives them a stunning turquoise color that’s simply breathtaking. There’s Oeschinen Lake near Kandersteg, Bachalpsee near Grindelwald, and Lake Thun — the fairytale lake of Switzerland.
Another is Lake Brienz, which, to me, is the most unreal when it comes to its size and color.
At 29.8 sq km (11.5 sq mi) in size, this lake has an unbelievably bright turquoise hue. It’s a real spectacle, especially during sunny days. And if you’re planning to visit the Jungfrau Region for a few days and want to see a stunning lake, Lake Brienz is a place you won’t regret visiting.
Summary of the things you can experience in Lake Brienz
In a way, Lake Brienz is also more enjoyable lake because visiting it involves more than just hiking and sightseeing. Aside from boat sightseeing and hiking, you can also explore quaint villages (Iseltwald and Brienz) during your visit to Lake Brienz.
An open-air museum (Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum), a picturesque waterfall (Giessbach Waterfall), and a nostalgic cogwheel train ride (Brienz-Rothorn Bahn) also await you here.
Let me share the important details about them with you today.
Good to know
Lake Brienz is one of the beautiful places you can visit near Interlaken, the largest town in the Jungfrau Region.
It’s specifically located east of Interlaken — you can easily spot it on the map, as it’s the lake with the brightest turquoise hue.
If you are from Thun, Bern, Lucerne, or any city in Switzerland, you’ll need to get to Interlaken first to explore Lake Brienz. This is the best choice if you’re traveling using public transportation.
Interlaken serves as the gateway to the Jungfrau Region. And it’s here that you can find the boats, buses, and trains that go to the different attractions around Lake Brienz.
If you have a car, of course, you can start your journey wherever you want. However, it might still be beneficial to park your car in Interlaken, as it offers the most amenities and parking options.
While Lake Brienz may look stunning and breathtaking in online pictures or on social media, this isn’t always the case.
As an outdoor destination, your experience at Lake Brienz is heavily influenced by the weather and season.
However, summer is the ideal time for a worthwhile trip to Lake Brienz. It’s warm—perfect for water activities, typically sunny, and the villages along the shore look very picturesque, thanks to the flowers adorning the chalets.
One obvious significant takeaway from visiting Lake Brienz during the warmer months is that summer is the peak season, and there are more tourists with whom you’ll share Lake Brienz. Expect long lines at ticketing desks, especially at the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn.
Most importantly, most of the tourist attractions and services in Lake Brienz are available to the public during the summer. Lake Brienz’s boat service and the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn cease operations during winter. Only Iseltwald and Brienz are accessible in Lake Brienz during this season.
Anyhow, to see Lake Brienz at its best, visit very early in the morning. At this time, the lake’s surface is undisturbed by boats, making it so calm that it looks like a giant blue mirror.
Before heading to the lake early in the morning, check a weather app to see if it’s a good time for an amazing view. The lake looks more magical when the weather is calm and there’s little wind.
Planning a trip to an outdoor destination like Lake Brienz and deciding how much time to spend there can be quite challenging.
This is primarily due to several factors, such as the operating schedules of transport services, weather conditions, the visiting season, and many other variables.
If you’re wondering how much time to spend at Lake Brienz during the peak season, when most places of interest and activities are available, here’s my suggestion:
- Considering the suggested time to spend at each tourist attraction around Lake Brienz, you will need 3 days.
- However, 2 days would be sufficient if you’re interested in only the unique experiences at Lake Brienz (Ballenberg Museum, Iseltwald, Brienz-Rothorn Bahn, and Giessbach Waterfall).
- And 1 day should suffice if you simply want to appreciate the beauty of Lake Brienz (sightseeing in the villages and at Rothorn).
You can decide for yourself how long to spend at Lake Brienz by checking the estimates of the average time spent by tourists at each of Lake Brienz’s tourist attractions. See the estimates below.
- Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum: 3 hours + 1 hour travel time
- Brienz-Rothorn Bahn (round trip): 2.5 hours round trip + 1.5 hours preparation and sightseeing
- Iseltwald: 3 hours (meals included)
- Giessbach Waterfall: 6 hours (segway meal in the hotel)
- Brienz: 3 hours (meals included)
You might also want to visit Harder Kulm, a viewpoint that offers some of the best views of the Jungfrau Region and Lake Brienz. A visit to Harder Kulm takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Visiting an alpine lake like Lake Brienz offers many advantages.
They range from the simple, refreshing fresh air that’s perfect for our lungs, to an unexplainable calmness that often leads to moments of life-changing introspection. I’ve personally experienced the latter!
These benefits are some of the reasons why I love alpine lakes and why I’m so passionate about them.
And indeed, these little things, beyond the awe-inspiring views, can be the best you’ll discover during your visit.
1. Marvel: Iseltwald
Among all the attractions around Lake Brienz, Iseltwald is definitely my top pick.
This quaint village is worth visiting during a Lake Brienz trip because it offers the ultimate views of the lake.
It’s one of the most picturesque places in the Bernese Oberland, and it’s just one of the beautiful reasons why Iseltwald is a must-see.
You might find this article helpful:
Why Visit Iseltwald and How to Get to This Beautiful Village
You might find these interesting!
2. Hike: Giessbach Waterfall
Did you know that Lake Brienz boasts a rather impressive waterfall?
This waterfall, known as Giessbach Waterfall, serves as a natural landmark of Lake Brienz.
While it may not be as famous as the angelic Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Giessbach Waterfall is remarkable for its size and form.
Standing approximately half a kilometer in height, this massive waterfall is known for its stunning 14-step cascade, which is so breathtaking.
3. Wander: Brienz
If you’re looking for a budget trip to Lake Brienz and want to discover the beautiful little details of this spectacular part of Switzerland, the villages are the perfect places to be.
Lake Brienz has two charming villages. Aside from Iseltwald, there’s Brienz.
Along with other villages in the Jungfrau Region (e.g., Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, and Grindelwald), Brienz is a perfect destination for those who want to experience the quaintness of the Swiss countryside.
The streets of Brienz are packed with Swiss artistic culture, which makes it an amazing place to visit.
4. Discover: Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum
The northeastern shore of Lake Brienz is the ideal place in the Bernese Oberland to experience Swiss culture firsthand.
Your journey to discover Swiss culture can begin in Brienz and be enriched by a visit to the Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum, which can be easily reached by taking bus #151 from Brienz.
The Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum is a fascinating cultural destination that immerses visitors in the rich history and traditions of Switzerland.
It’s the place to explore over a hundred authentic, original buildings and interact with skilled craftsmen and farmers who demonstrate traditional crafts and farming practices.
5. Thrill: Brienz-Rothorn Railway
Well, there’s another tourist attraction that might make you even more excited to visit Lake Brienz.
It’s the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn which is a 7.6-kilometer railway located on the eastern side of Lake Brienz, connecting the summit of Rothorn to Brienz.
In my opinion, it’s the most unique experience that one can have during their trip to Lake Brienz.
Dating back to 1892, it is considered one of Switzerland’s oldest alpine railways. You’ll be going up to the mountains to see all of Lake Brienz through a thrilling, nostalgic train ride experience!
And yes, believe it or not, the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn is older than the cogwheel train in Schynige Platte.
6. Relax: Boat Cruise
Did you know that there’s another nostalgic experience awaiting you in Lake Brienz aside from the Swiss Open Air Museum and Brienz-Rothorn Bahn train ride?
It’s a relaxing cruise on the steamship “Lötschberg.”
Lötschberg is the ship that you must catch if you’re visiting Lake Brienz if you want to feel that you’re back in the days of the Belle Époque.
It’s the most stylish vessel sailing on Lake Brienz, chugging along as it takes visitors from one beautiful place to another.
As you might have expected, Lötschberg also has a restaurant.
If you are going straight to Brienz from Interlaken, you can take advantage of this for a more unique experience! You can check bls.ch (linked at the resources) to learn more about Lötschberg.
By the way, if you are spending a day in Lake Brienz (and Lake Thun) for a day, you can take advantage of this unlimited boat ride day pass.
7. Fun: Watersports
If you have plenty of time, why not turn that extra time into fun?
No matter if you’re in Interlaken, Bönigen, Iseltwald, or Brienz, you can easily find rental shops and water activity providers where you can borrow kayaks, canoes, and boats.
One of these providers even lets you ride a jet boat for one exhilarating lake experience.
The activity organizer is called Jet Boat Interlaken, which is located beside the ferry terminal of Bönigen. Do you want to book your jet boat experience and other watersports in Lake Brienz?
You can check and reserve the available water sports in Lake Brienz here.
Resources
To help you plan your visit to Lake Brienz, I’ve provided some links below.
These links will give you more information about the tourist attractions mentioned in this post. You can also find visiting information and booking forms through these links.
- Lake Brienz boat tickets
- Lötschberg Steam Boat – More information about Lötschberg
- Lake Brienz boat schedule – Please check the PDF for the Lötschberg schedule.
- Brienz-Rothorn Bahn – Visit for announcements, tips, ticket reservations, train schedules, and everything you need to know.
- Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum – More information, events, ticket reservation, and more.
- Giessbach Waterfall – More information, hotel, dining, funicular timetable, and more.
Plan Your Trip Now
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If you’re looking for more ideas on where to go in Switzerland or how to enjoy this country, my 6-day and 4-day Switzerland itineraries could be helpful. They focus on destinations in Lucerne, Thun, Bern, and Jungfrau Region.
Included in my itineraries are some of the country’s charming and magical attractions, such as Oberhofen Castle, Chapel Bridge, Zytglogge, and more. Check them out!
