Lake Thun and Lake Brienz

Ship Ahoi! Even in the mountains!

Cruise on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun

Switzerland has numerous navigable lakes. The two lakes in the Bernese Oberland have each its own character. Lake Thun opens up to the northwest and has 3 castles on its shores. The other lake of Brienz with its emerald colour resembles a Norwegian fjord.

Lake Thun
It is located west of Interlaken and the larger one. The character of the lake is the opening towards Thun because of the lower mountains there. Especially in the afternoon and evening when the sun is lower, the light is splendid. Why not leave the boat at Oberhofen and visit the castle and the nearby museum of clocks and mechanical music instruments, or Spiez and the beautiful bay with castle. Thun is a medieval town with also a castle and a beautiful original old town.

Lake Brienz
This lake we also call the fjord of the Alps, because its shape. The colour of the water changes during the seasons. In mid winter it is deep blue, but in summer it turns to emerald blue because of the glacier sediments that run into the lake. A stopover at the village of Iseltwald is well recommended. From there you can hike towards the Giessbach waterfalls. The path is rather flat and, especially in the summer, relatively cool because of the trees that cover it mostly. The Giessbach Hotel is a great Belle Epoque hotel with fantastic views of the waterfalls (there are 14 cascades!) and Lake Brienz. If the climb to the hotel seems too strenuous, a funicular, the first of Switzerland, brings you there in a few minutes.

Eating and drinking

All the boats have a restaurant. A good choice of menus is available and it is the best way to have your lunch, snack or dinner, because the scenery changes constantly.

Good to know

Especially the over 100 year’s old two paddle steamers (DS Blümlisalp and DS Lötschberg) are worthwhile a trip. You can board the ships on almost all stations at the lake.

Duration of the trip

How much time do I need from Interlaken to Thun / Brienz and back:
This greatly depends on what your program will be. One can do the whole tour or just a few stops. The whole tour takes about 6 hours (Lake Thun) or 3 hours (Lake Brienz).
On both lakes the boats sail every hour, so an intermediate stop can easily be planned. It is always possible to come back by train (about 30 minutes either from Brienz or Thun).

Season

Year round, reduced itinerary during the winter months

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