Iseltwald: Crash Landing on You Pier, Castle, Swimming and Parking (2026 Guide)
+20Iseltwald is a small fishing village on the south shore of Lake Brienz, about 20 minutes from Interlaken, and the only village on that side of the lake. Since the Korean Netflix series Crash Landing on You, its wooden pier has become one of the most photographed spots in Switzerland, and the village now charges CHF 5 to step onto it. We spent an afternoon there on July 10, 2026, with our dog Miley: pier, peninsula with its little castle, a swim in the turquoise water, and two lake boats, including the old paddle steamer. This guide covers the pier fee, parking, the bus and boat, swimming and what we would do differently.
Iseltwald at a glance
| Where | South shore of Lake Brienz, between Interlaken and Brienz, 3807 Iseltwald |
|---|---|
| Famous for | The Crash Landing on You pier, the castle on the peninsula, turquoise water |
| Pier fee | CHF 5 per person (about US$6) at a turnstile, Swiss coins, card or TWINT, no change |
| Bus | PostBus 103 from Interlaken Ost, every 30 minutes, about 15 to 20 minutes |
| Boat | BLS boats April 3 to December 6, 2026, about 45 minutes from Interlaken Ost, CHF 21 one way |
| Parking | Several small municipal car parks, the largest has 93 spaces; coaches only with reservation (CHF 50) |
| Swimming | Strandbad Iseltwald, free entry, mid-May to end of September, 10:00 to 22:00 |
| Dogs | Welcome in the village and on the boats; a dog needs its own ticket on bus and boat |
| Time needed | 1.5 to 2 hours for the village, half a day with the walk to Giessbach Falls |
Sources: iseltwald.ch, interlaken.swiss, bls-schiff.ch, parking.ch, own visit. US dollars at 1 CHF = 1.21 USD (October 2026).
About 3 hours 20 minutes, private transport, pier fee CHF 5 per person extra
Check prices & availability
5 hours, small group of up to 5, boat tickets not included
Check prices & availability- Is Iseltwald worth visiting?
- The Crash Landing on You pier
- Pier fee and turnstile
- Influencers at the pier
- How to get to Iseltwald
- Parking in Iseltwald
- Lake boats and the paddle steamer
- The peninsula and the castle
- Swimming in Iseltwald
- Walk to Giessbach Falls
- Iseltwald with a dog
- Our afternoon in Iseltwald
- Tips from our visit
- FAQ
Is Iseltwald worth visiting?
Yes, Iseltwald is worth a visit, but not only for the pier. The village sits on a bay with water so turquoise it looks edited, old wooden chalets line the lanes, a white castle stands on a wooded peninsula, and the lake boats stop right in the village. If you come just for the selfie and leave, you miss most of it.
Iseltwald was first mentioned in 1146 and lived from fishing, fruit growing and farming. Tourism began in 1871, when steamboats started to call here. For more than a century the only road was a dead end from Bönigen; the motorway exit only opened in 1988. That is why the village still feels small and self-contained, even on busy days.
And busy it is. According to Swiss media, around 1,000 people a day come to Iseltwald in summer, most of them for the pier. When we arrived at 13:20 on a hot, cloudless Friday in July, the car park was almost full and a steady stream of visitors walked down to the lake. Still, ten minutes away from the pier we had quiet lanes and a pebble shore almost to ourselves.
The Crash Landing on You pier
The famous pier is a short wooden jetty in the bay of Iseltwald, a few steps from the boat landing and the Strandhotel. It became world-famous through the South Korean drama Crash Landing on You (2019/2020), streamed on Netflix: in episode 3, the North Korean officer Ri Jeong-hyeok plays the piano alone on a wooden platform on Lake Brienz, and Yoon Se-ri hears him from a passing boat.
The jetty itself is simple: grey wooden planks on steel posts, an L-shaped platform at the end and a lower bench level just above the water. What makes the photo is the setting. Behind it the turquoise bay opens up towards Interlaken, with the green hills of the south shore and the mountains around Lake Thun in the distance. Red geraniums hang along the railing at the entrance.
Fans recreate the scene, and many come in groups with a photographer. Several other Swiss locations of the series are in the same region, among them the Grandhotel Giessbach a short walk or boat ride away, the Sigriswil suspension bridge above Lake Thun and the First mountain above Grindelwald.
Pier fee and turnstile
Stepping onto the pier costs CHF 5 per person (about US$6). The municipality installed a turnstile in April 2023; you pay at the machine and the gate opens. When we visited in July 2026 there was no time slot or booking, you simply paid and queued.
The machine at the entrance said it clearly: “CHF 5.00, cash or card”, Swiss coins only, no euros, and no change given. You can also pay with a card at the round terminal or with the Swiss payment app TWINT via a QR code. Bring a five-franc coin or a card, and do not feed in more than five francs.
Why a fee? The village was overwhelmed after the series, and the money pays for waste collection, toilet cleaning and extra staff, according to the municipality and the local tourism office. The turnstile brought in about CHF 244,000 in 2024, which means it turned close to 50,000 times. A time-slot system has been discussed in Swiss media, but nothing was in place when we were there. Check on site before you go.
Is it worth CHF 5? If you want the exact scene from the series, yes. If you only want a nice picture of the pier, no: from the shore next to the jetty and from the path along the bay you get a full view for free, as our photos show. The turnstile area is narrow, and at peak times people wait in a short queue at the entrance while others pose at the end. Around 14:15 we caught the pier completely empty for a moment between two groups, so patience pays off.
Influencers at the pier: what you will see
The pier is a stage, and watching the show is half the fun. People queue at the turnstile, then take turns at the end of the platform: couples pose, friends direct each other, phones are held up at arm’s length. Around 13:54 an influencer in dark clothes turned the pier into his set. With a friend in orange shorts filming every take from the other end, he posed at the edge, did handstands above the water and even crawled across the planks for a funny clip. The people waiting their turn watched with a grin. Ten minutes later the next pair took over. If you want the pier to yourself, you need patience.
How to get to Iseltwald
The easiest way to Iseltwald is PostBus line 103 from Interlaken Ost station, which runs every 30 minutes and takes about 15 to 20 minutes via the motorway. From April to early December you can also come by BLS boat from Interlaken Ost in about 45 minutes, which is the more scenic option. By car, Iseltwald has its own exit on the A8 motorway.
- Bus: PostBus 103, Interlaken Ost, Bahnhof to Iseltwald, Dorfplatz. In October 2026 the buses left Interlaken Ost at :05 and :35. The line is busy in summer; PostBus has even used a double-decker since 2023. The tourist office also lists connections from Interlaken West.
- Boat: Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald takes about 45 minutes, a single ticket in 2nd class costs CHF 21 (about US$25). Iseltwald to Brienz takes about 30 minutes.
- Car: leave the A8 at the Iseltwald exit and follow the road down into the village. We came from our base in Brienz, a short drive along the motorway.
Our tip: take the bus one way and the boat the other. You see Iseltwald from the water, and the boat drops you right in the village next to the pier.
Parking in Iseltwald
Iseltwald has several small municipal car parks rather than one big garage, and they fill up fast on summer days. The largest is Parking Mühle with 93 spaces; parking.ch lists eleven public car parks in total. Parking is paid at the machines on site. The municipality does not publish the rates online, and our photos do not show a readable tariff either, so check the machine when you arrive.
- Parking Mühle: 93 spaces, open 24/7, address for the satnav “Mühle, 3807 Iseltwald”.
- Parking Twerweg: 40 spaces.
- Parking Matte and Parking Feld: 20 and 16 spaces.
- Strandbad Iseltwald: 12 spaces at the lido, more in the area.
- Coaches: only with a reservation on the municipality’s booking platform, CHF 50 per slot (about US$61), parking on the Dorfplatz, maximum 1.5 hours, between 8:00 and 17:00 (18:30 in summer). Coaches without a reservation are turned away. From October 5 to 23, 2026, there is no coach parking at all because of construction work on the Dorfplatz.
When we arrived at 13:20, the car park where we stopped was nearly full. We found a space, but on a summer weekend we would not count on it. If you have the choice, come before 10:00 or after 16:00, or leave the car in Interlaken and take the bus.
Lake boats and the paddle steamer
The BLS lake boats stop at the landing in the middle of the village, right next to the Strandhotel and a few steps from the famous pier. In the 2026 season they run from April 3 to December 6, with several sailings a day in summer (May 23 to October 11) and only a few in spring and late autumn.
Watching the boats come in was one of the best parts of our afternoon. At 14:06 the white motor ship MS Brienz docked and a large crowd walked on board towards Interlaken. At 14:50 the historic paddle steamer Lötschberg came round the headland from the other direction, heading for Brienz. You hear it before you see it: the paddle wheels churn the turquoise water into white foam.
The DS Lötschberg was built in 1914 by Escher Wyss in Zurich and renovated in 2000/01. It carries up to 800 passengers and has a Belle Époque salon. It sails scheduled routes on Lake Brienz, so you can ride it with a normal ticket; in July and August it also does an evening cruise on Saturdays. Check the BLS timetable for the days it runs.
- Tickets: single tickets online or on board. A day ticket for Lake Thun and Lake Brienz costs CHF 83 in 2nd class (about US$100), CHF 41.50 with the Half Fare Card.
- Passes: the boats are included in the Swiss Travel Pass and the Berner Oberland Pass.
- Overnight guests: with a hotel stay in the village you get 20 percent off the BLS day ticket and the guest card for free regional buses.
The peninsula and the castle
The white castle on the wooded peninsula west of the bay is the Seeburg, often called Schloss Iseltwald. It was built in 1907 and is private property: you cannot visit it, but you can see it from the shore path, from the lake and from the boats. The cantonal heritage office rates it as worth protecting.
The rocky spur of land in front of the village forms the sheltered bay that gives Iseltwald its character. A medieval castle may once have stood here, the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland notes, but this is uncertain. Today you see the turreted mansion, a red boathouse below it and a row of small boat sheds along the water. East of the village lies the tiny Schnäggeninseli, a wooded islet that rounds off the view.
The best views of the castle are from the western edge of the village. Walk past the old chalets along the road towards the peninsula until the trees open up; we took most of our photos there around 14:35. The peninsula itself is not open to the public.
Swimming in Iseltwald
Yes, you can swim in Iseltwald, and the water is as clear as it looks. The official place is the Strandbad Iseltwald (Schoren 1), a small lido with free entry, open daily from mid-May to the end of September between 10:00 and 22:00. It has a lawn, a bistro and ship-shaped bar, a play tower, free barbecue grills, lockers, and stand-up paddles and kayaks to rent.
We did not use the lido itself. Along the shore of the bay we saw people swimming from the pebble beaches and paddleboarders gliding over the turquoise water. Lake Brienz is a glacier-fed lake and stays cool even in July; the water was refreshing rather than warm. Respect private gardens and boat moorings, and keep away from the boat landing when a ship docks.
Lake Brienz has more good bathing spots, from small pebble beaches to proper lidos. You will find them in our guide to swimming spots around Lake Brienz.
Walk to Giessbach Falls
From Iseltwald an easy lakeside trail leads east to the Giessbach Falls in about 1.5 hours. BLS gives the distance as 5.3 km; at a relaxed pace with photo stops, plan closer to two hours to the lower falls. From Giessbach you return by boat.
The path runs through forest and open meadows with regular views of the lake. Halfway there are two public fire pits with benches, Gloota and Schnabler, ideal for a picnic. The yellow signpost in the village shows the times: Giessbach 1 h 35 min, Brienz 3 h along the shore path (“Uferweg”).
- Boat back: Giessbach to Brienz CHF 13, Giessbach to Interlaken Ost CHF 31 (2nd class).
- Combo: boat Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald plus Giessbach back to Interlaken Ost costs CHF 52 (about US$63) in 2nd class.
- Season: this works when the boats run, April 3 to December 6, 2026.
We did not walk the trail on this day, so the times above are the official ones. The waterfall itself and the Grandhotel Giessbach above it are a classic stop on Lake Brienz.
Iseltwald with a dog
Iseltwald is a good stop with a dog: there is shallow, clear water right next to the village, shade under the fruit trees and lanes with little traffic. Miley went into the lake twice, first at the harbour wall near the landing and later on a pebble shore with the castle in the background.
- Tickets: on Swiss buses and boats a dog that is not carried in a bag needs its own ticket. BLS accepts the dog day pass on scheduled boats.
- The pier: it is narrow and crowded. We would not take a nervous dog through the turnstile at peak time.
- Heat: on a hot July afternoon the paved lanes and the landing get very warm. Bring water and a bowl.
- Swimming spots: keep your dog away from the lido lawn and from fishermen and boat moorings.
Our afternoon in Iseltwald
This is how our visit went on Friday, July 10, 2026, a sunny, hot day with almost no clouds. We came in the early afternoon, the busiest time, and still enjoyed it.
- 13:20: arrival by car, the car park nearly full.
- 13:22: first view over the rooftops to the lake and the Schnäggeninseli.
- 13:30: walk down through the old chalets to the shore.
- 13:33: Miley’s first swim at the harbour wall near the boat landing.
- 13:45: Strandhotel and boat landing, a queue at the pier turnstile.
- 13:52: photos of the pier from the shore; a banner announced the village festival (“Dorffest”) that weekend.
- 13:48 to 13:55: people posing on the pier, then an influencer doing handstands for his friend’s camera.
- 14:04: public toilet on the Dorfplatz, also behind a turnstile.
- 14:06: MS Brienz docks and fills up with passengers.
- 14:15: back at the pier, a short moment with nobody on it.
- 14:20 to 14:40: walk west along the bay, Miley’s second swim, views of the castle.
- 14:50: the paddle steamer Lötschberg arrives, leaves at 14:54 for Brienz.
Afterwards we drove back towards Brienz. If you have more time, combine Iseltwald with the walk to Giessbach and the boat, or with a ride up the Brienzer Rothorn at the other end of the lake.
Tips from our visit
- Come early or late. Day visitors arrive from late morning. The light on the bay is also softer in the morning and evening.
- Bring a five-franc coin or a card. The pier machine takes no euros and gives no change.
- Take the free shot first. The view of the pier from the shore next to it is just as good for most people.
- Toilets cost CHF 1. The public toilet on the Dorfplatz next to the playground has its own turnstile, again coins or card.
- Combine bus and boat. One way by PostBus, the other by boat, is the best way to see the village.
- Walk west. Five minutes from the pier the crowds thin out and you get the best view of the castle.
Tours and tickets
You do not need a tour for Iseltwald: bus, boat and pier are easy to do on your own. A guided trip makes sense if you want to combine the village with the Giessbach Falls, or if you want professional photos at the pier. These are the options we would look at:
About 3 hours 20 minutes, private transport, pier fee CHF 5 per person extra
Check prices & availability5 hours, small group of up to 5, boat tickets not included
Check prices & availability
1.5 hours with guide, 15-minute stop in Iseltwald
Check prices & availabilityFAQ: Iseltwald
How much does the Iseltwald pier cost?
CHF 5 per person (about US$6), paid at a turnstile with Swiss coins, card or TWINT. The machine gives no change and takes no euros.
Where is the Crash Landing on You pier?
In the bay of Iseltwald on Lake Brienz, next to the boat landing and the Strandhotel. From the bus stop Iseltwald, Dorfplatz it is a short walk down to the lake.
How do I get from Interlaken to Iseltwald?
Take PostBus 103 from Interlaken Ost (every 30 minutes, about 15 to 20 minutes) or the BLS boat from Interlaken Ost (about 45 minutes, CHF 21 one way, April to early December).
Is there parking in Iseltwald?
Yes, but only in several small municipal car parks, the largest with 93 spaces. On summer days they fill up by late morning. Coaches need a reservation.
Can you swim in Iseltwald?
Yes. The Strandbad Iseltwald has free entry from mid-May to the end of September. The lake is clear and cool, even in July.
Can you visit the castle in Iseltwald?
No, the Seeburg on the peninsula is private property. You can see it from the shore path west of the village and from the boats.
Iseltwald is one stop on a lake full of them. See our Lake Brienz guide for the other villages and viewpoints, the Bernese Oberland overview for the wider region, and our tips on the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. Or start planning on our Switzerland home page.