Overview
East of Interlaken, Lake Brienz is one of Switzerland's cleanest lakes, famed for its extraordinary turquoise color created by glacial meltwater. A lake cruise leads to the 500m-high Giessbach Falls cascading down 14 tiers, with a charming 19th-century grand hotel beside them. The village of Brienz is the heartland of traditional Swiss woodcarving, and the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum is nearby. Cruises are free with the Swiss Travel Pass. Board at Interlaken Ost station; about 1 hour 15 minutes to Brienz.
Opening Hours
Cruises: 09:00-17:30 in summer; reduced winter schedule.
Travel Tips
Giessbach Falls is free to visit — take the funicular from the boat landing. Consider combining it with the Brienz Rothorn steam railway.
Hotels near Lake Brienz
Hotels and guesthouses in Interlaken, Lake Brienz, Interlaken
Other attractions in Interlaken
Jungfraujoch
Europe's highest railway station at 3,454m, with sweeping views of the Aletsch Glacier and Alpine snowfields.
Lake Thun
A quintessentially Swiss scene of emerald water framed by Alpine peaks.
Harder Kulm Viewpoint
Interlaken's 'rooftop' — a viewpoint overlooking the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks and both lakes.
Schynige Platte
A mountain viewpoint with an Alpine wildflower garden and panoramic views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
Trümmelbach Falls
Hidden glacial waterfalls inside a mountain — meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau crashes down ten tiers.
Lauterbrunnen Valley
A U-shaped valley where 72 waterfalls cascade from cliffs — said to have inspired Tolkien's Rivendell.
Grindelwald First
An Alpine viewpoint featuring the 'First Cliff Walk' over a precipice, facing the Eiger North Face.