Lake Brienz: Villages, Beaches, Boat Trips and Our Tips

Lake Brienz is the turquoise lake east of Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland: 14 kilometres long, up to 260 metres deep and coloured by fine glacial sediment from the Aare and Lütschine rivers. Along its shores lie the woodcarving village of Brienz, the famous pier of Iseltwald and the Giessbach Falls, and above it rises the Brienzer Rothorn. We stayed in Brienz for a full week in July 2026 with our dog Miley, took the boats, swam at Iseltwald and spent two evenings at a quiet gravel beach most visitors never find. This guide puts it all together: the villages, the BLS boats with 2026 prices, the best swimming spots including our secret spot Wycheley, water temperature, SUP and how to plan your days.

What is Lake Brienz?

Lake Brienz (Brienzersee in German) is the smaller and deeper of the two lakes that frame Interlaken. It runs 14 kilometres from Bönigen near Interlaken to the village of Brienz in the east, is 2.8 kilometres wide and reaches a depth of 260 metres, which makes it one of the five deepest lakes in Switzerland.

The lake sits in a narrow trough between two mountain chains. On the north shore the slopes of the Brienzer Rothorn and the Augstmatthorn drop steeply to the water, with the sunny villages of Ringgenberg, Niederried and Oberried strung along the railway line. The south shore is wilder and wooded: Iseltwald sits on a small peninsula, and further east the Giessbach Falls tumble through the forest into the lake. The Aare enters at the eastern end near Brienz and leaves the lake again at the western end towards Interlaken and Lake Thun. The Lütschine from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen flows in at Bönigen.

Compared with Lake Thun, Lake Brienz feels quieter and more alpine, with steeper slopes and greener water. With an average depth of 173 metres it warms up slowly and never becomes a bathtub, even in July.

Why is Lake Brienz so turquoise?

Lake Brienz is turquoise because glacier meltwater from the Aare and the Lütschine carries extremely fine rock particles, often called glacial flour, into the lake. These particles sink so slowly that they stay suspended in the water and scatter the sunlight, which turns the clear water a milky green-blue.

The more sun, the brighter the turquoise; under a grey sky the lake looks dark green. The local tourism office describes the colour as especially vivid in spring and autumn. We saw both extremes in one week: at noon on July 10 the water at Iseltwald glowed like a swimming pool, while the same evening, under clouds at the eastern end, it was a deep teal with silver reflections. If the colour matters for your photos, plan your boat trip or Iseltwald visit for the middle of a sunny day.

Villages and sights around the lake

The three places most visitors come for are Brienz at the eastern end, Iseltwald on the south shore and the Brienzer Rothorn above the lake. Each has its own detailed guide on this site; here is how they fit together and what else lies on the shore.

Brienz: the woodcarving village

Brienz is the main village on the lake and the end of the boat line. It is known for its woodcarving tradition, the old chalets of the Brunngasse decorated with flowers, and a long lakeside promenade with a view straight down the lake. It has a station on the Interlaken to Lucerne line. It was our base for the whole week. Read our full guide to Brienz for parking, the old village and where to eat.

Iseltwald: the pier and the castle peninsula

Iseltwald is a small village on a peninsula on the south shore, about 17 minutes by express PostBus from Interlaken Ost. Since the Korean Netflix series Crash Landing on You it is world-famous for a short wooden pier, which now costs CHF 5 per person to step onto (about US$6). Beyond the pier there is a little castle on the peninsula, a free lido and the lakeside trail to Giessbach. On July 10 the village was pleasant, but busy around the pier. Our Iseltwald guide covers the pier fee, parking and the best photo angles without paying.

Brienzer Rothorn: the view from above

The Brienzer Rothorn is the 2,350-metre mountain on the north side of the lake, and from its summit you see the whole of Lake Brienz below you. You can go up by the historic steam cog railway from Brienz, running since 1892, or by cable car from Sörenberg on the Lucerne side. We took the Sörenberg route on July 8, watched the steam trains arrive at the top and walked to the summit cross. Details, prices and the two approaches are in our Brienzer Rothorn guide.

Bönigen, Ringgenberg, Niederried and Oberried

The smaller villages are quieter alternatives with good swimming. Bönigen at the western end, right next to Interlaken, has the largest lido on the lake and a water sports centre. Ringgenberg, Niederried and Oberried on the north shore lie on sunny, south-facing slopes, have their own boat landings and stations on the railway, and each has a simple free bathing spot. Above Ringgenberg lies the Burgseeli, a small natural lake in a nature reserve with a lido that the tourist office describes as surprisingly warm. We did not stop in these villages ourselves, but we passed them on the boat.

Nearby, but not on the lake

A short drive east of Brienz, the Aare cuts through a narrow limestone gorge near Meiringen. We combined the Aare Gorge with Iseltwald and our secret beach on the same day, which is an easy loop if you have a car. For the waterfall valley south of Interlaken, see our Lauterbrunnen Valley guide.

Lake Brienz boat trips

The boats on Lake Brienz are run by BLS and connect Interlaken Ost with Bönigen, Ringgenberg, Niederried, Iseltwald, Oberried, Giessbach and Brienz. In summer 2026 there are five boats a day in each direction plus a Saturday evening cruise; the full trip from Interlaken Ost to Brienz takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.

The boat season on Lake Brienz runs from April 3 to December 6, 2026, in three timetable periods:

• Spring (April 3 to May 22): five departures a day from Interlaken Ost, the first at 10:07.
• Summer (May 23 to October 11): departures from Interlaken Ost at 9:07, 11:07, 12:07, 14:07 and 16:07, plus 19:07 on Saturdays. From Brienz the boats leave at 10:40, 12:40, 13:40, 15:40 and 17:40, on Saturdays also at 20:40.
• Autumn (October 12 to December 6): only two boats a day, from Interlaken Ost at 11:40 and 15:10, from Brienz at 13:20 and 16:20.

Not every boat stops everywhere. Iseltwald and Giessbach are served by all summer boats, while Ringgenberg, Niederried and Oberried are only on some runs. The boarding points at the two ends are the boat station Interlaken Ost (Lanzenen 1, 3800 Interlaken, a few steps from the train station) and the landing in Brienz (Quai 1, 3855 Brienz, next to the train station).

The most popular routes, with travel times from the BLS timetable:

• Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald: about 45 minutes. The classic trip to the pier, easy to combine with the lakeside trail to Giessbach.
• Interlaken Ost to Giessbach: about 1 hour, then funicular or a short climb to the waterfalls.
• Interlaken Ost to Brienz: about 1 hour 15 minutes. Back by train in about 20 minutes, which makes a good half-day loop.
• Full round trip: about 3 hours with a 20-minute stop in Brienz.

The fleet on Lake Brienz has four ships: the paddle steamer Lötschberg and the motor ships MS Brienz, MS Jungfrau and MS Interlaken. Most boats have a restaurant or bistro on board, and there is a breakfast boat on the first morning departure. If you only want the best stretch, ride from Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald, walk the lakeside trail to Giessbach, and take a later boat on to Brienz.

Boat prices 2026 and passes

A one-way ticket from Interlaken Ost to Brienz costs CHF 39 in second class in 2026 (about US$47), a day pass for unlimited rides on Lake Brienz costs CHF 75 (about US$91). Children from 6 to 15 pay half, children under 6 travel free, and with a Swiss Travel Pass or Berner Oberland Pass the boats are included.

With a Swiss Half Fare Card you pay half of all these fares, and the Lake Brienz day pass costs CHF 37.50. The children’s day pass costs CHF 15. The two-lake day pass also includes the train between Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost and the local buses in Interlaken. All prices are from the official BLS fare list, valid until December 13, 2026.

• Passes: Swiss Travel Pass, Berner Oberland Pass and Jungfrau Travel Pass are valid in the class shown; Eurail and Interrail with the travel date entered.
• Where to buy: on board, at the boat stations in Interlaken Ost and Brienz from spring to autumn, in the BLS webshop; Fairtiq and EasyRide also work. Payment by card, TWINT or cash in francs or euros.
• No seat reservations: seats are first come, first served, except table reservations in the restaurant.

Is the day pass worth it? Only if you hop off at least twice: Iseltwald, Giessbach, Brienz and the boat back to Interlaken add up to more than CHF 75 in single tickets.

The paddle steamer Lötschberg

The Lötschberg is the only steamship on Lake Brienz, a Belle Époque paddle steamer built in 1914 by Escher Wyss in Zurich. In summer 2026 it runs from Wednesday to Sunday on two return trips a day; you ride it with a normal ticket or pass at no extra charge.

The ship is 56.5 metres long, carries up to 800 passengers and was restored to its original state in 2000 and 2001; the international monument council ICOMOS gave the restoration a special award in 2008. From May 23 to September 27, 2026, the steamer runs the 11:07 and 14:07 departures from Interlaken Ost and the 12:40 and 15:40 departures from Brienz, Wednesday to Sunday. On Mondays and Tuesdays a motor ship takes over, and from September 28 all runs are by motor ship. On Saturdays from May 23 to August 29 (except August 1) the Lötschberg also does an evening round trip from Interlaken Ost at 19:07.

We did not ride the Lötschberg ourselves this time, but we watched it arrive at Iseltwald from the shore. The paddle wheels churn up a wide white wake as the steamer turns in towards the landing, and the upper deck was packed with passengers.

Swimming in Lake Brienz: the best spots

Yes, you can swim in Lake Brienz, and in summer it is one of the great pleasures of the region. The water is clear and clean, about 17 to 21 °C in an average summer, and there are paid lidos in Brienz and Bönigen as well as free bathing spots in Iseltwald, Niederried, Oberried and at our favourite gravel beach Wycheley near Brienz.

Most of the shore is steep and the lake gets deep quickly, so children and weaker swimmers are better off at the official bathing spots. Our picks, from east to west:

• Wycheley, Brienz (free): a natural gravel beach on the public lakeshore at the eastern end, with barbecue spots, toilets and a car park. Our secret spot, described in detail below.
• Strandbad Brienz (paid): a natural lido with a long gravel beach, a diving tower of about 3 metres, a raft, lawns with shade trees and a restaurant. Entry CHF 6 for adults (about US$7), CHF 4 for children; SUP rental on site. Address: Strandbadweg 6, 3855 Brienz, about 10 minutes on foot from the station along the lake. The 2026 season ended on September 11.
• Strandbad Iseltwald (free): a small lido at the eastern end of Iseltwald with a beach, raft, playground, bistro and rental SUPs and kayaks. Open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 in season; in 2026 from May 9 to September 26. Address: Schoren, 3807 Iseltwald.
• Oberried, Triebacher (free): a simple bathing spot with steps into the lake, a raft and a barbecue place, a few minutes from the Oberried boat landing.
• Niederried (free): a small lakeside bathing area with lawns, changing rooms, showers, a fireplace and a raft, always open and without lifeguards.
• Strandbad Bönigen (paid): the largest lido on the lake, with a heated pool, sandy beach, an inflatable aqua park in the lake and rentals of pedal boats, kayaks and SUPs. Address: Lütschinenstrasse 24, 3806 Bönigen. In 2026 open from May 16 to September 13.

One place to avoid: the sandbanks of the Lütschine delta at Bönigen look inviting, but signs from the canton of Bern warn of danger to life, because parts of the delta can collapse into the deep lake without warning. Stay on the vegetated part behind it or use the lido next door.

In Iseltwald we let Miley into the lake at a gravel spot with a view of the castle peninsula, away from the pier. There were a few swimmers in the water, but nothing like the queue at the pier. If you come by boat, the lido is about 800 metres from the village square, so bring your swimming things and walk east along the shore.

Our secret spot: Wycheley beach

Wycheley is a quiet, free gravel beach at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, just outside the village of Brienz. It is part of a public lakeshore area that the municipality calls “Im Brunnen”, with a summer car park, public barbecue spots, toilets and almost no tourists. We went there on two evenings and both times it was our favourite hour of the day.

The area lies on the east shore of the lake near the mouth of the Aare. The official address is Wycheley Süd 900, 3855 Brienz. According to the municipality the whole area down to the water is a protected lakeshore zone and open to the public; nobody can reserve it, and lake access must stay free for everyone. Access is from the Seestrasse, along which part of the summer parking lies.

What the beach is like

The shore is coarse gravel mixed with driftwood, and it slopes gently into clear water. Little stone towers line the water, and ducks paddle right up to the beach. From here you look down the whole length of the lake to the west, which means the evening sun sets almost straight ahead of you and puts a band of silver light on the water. Behind the beach there are trees for shade, and offshore a line of yellow buoys floats in the water.

On our first visit on July 6 we arrived at about 18:25 after a day in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Half cloudy, and apart from two or three walkers nobody was there. On July 10 we came back at about 17:50 with an action camera to film Miley swimming. That evening was overcast, a handful of locals sat on the beach with towels, and the water was flat and glassy. The car park, on the other hand, was busy both times, so do not judge the beach by the number of cars.

Facilities at Wycheley

• Barbecue spots: two big public grills with five wooden tables at the lake (seats for about 50 people) and one more grill with two tables on the canal side. Free and not bookable.
• Toilets: a public WC in the municipal Forsthuus building.
• Parking: paid parking. From May 1 to mid-October a temporary summer car park with about 90 spaces opens on the southern part of the square, plus about 40 spaces along the Seestrasse. Height limit 1.9 metres, so not for campervans.
• Rules: no camping. During the Brienzersee Rockfestival access to the shore is restricted.
• Not a lido: there is no entrance fee, but also no lifeguard, no kiosk and no changing rooms, as far as we saw. Bring water, snacks and a towel.

How to get to Wycheley

By car, enter “Wycheley Süd 900, 3855 Brienz” in your navigation. From the centre of Brienz it is a few minutes’ drive east towards the Aare. Without a car, walk east from Brienz station towards the mouth of the Aare; we drove both times, so we cannot give you a reliable walking time. In the water we stayed close to shore, because the Aare flows into the lake nearby and you should not swim into the river mouth or out towards the buoys.

Lake Brienz water temperature

In summer the surface water of Lake Brienz reaches about 17 to 21 °C on average, according to the tourist office for the Interlaken region. That is fresh but very swimmable in July and August; in June and September expect the lower end or less.

Because the lake is so deep, it heats up more slowly than shallow lakes, and the water is colder near the inflows of the Aare and the Lütschine, which come straight from the mountains. We did not measure it ourselves; in July it felt refreshing rather than cold. For the current value, check the boards at the lidos or ask at the tourist office before you go.

For comparison of all the lakes in the region, from Lake Thun to the Oeschinensee, see our overview of the lakes of the Bernese Oberland.

SUP, kayak and pedal boats

You can rent stand-up paddleboards at the lidos in Brienz, Iseltwald and Bönigen, and Bönigen also rents kayaks and pedal boats. A board at the Strandbad Brienz costs CHF 30 for one hour (about US$36), CHF 45 for two hours and CHF 75 for half a day. Guided kayak tours on the lake start in Bönigen.

A full day on a board in Brienz costs CHF 105; boards are handed out by the lifeguard. Iseltwald rents SUPs and sit-on-top kayaks next to the calm bay of the peninsula, and the Hightide Kayak School in Bönigen runs small-group tours of about two hours on the water, bookable below.

Rules on the water: under Swiss inland navigation law a SUP counts as a paddle boat. Within 300 metres of the shore you do not need a life jacket, but once you paddle further out you must carry a buoyancy aid with at least 50 newtons of lift. Keep well clear of the passenger boats, which cannot stop quickly, and avoid the reed belts.

Giessbach Falls

The Giessbach Falls are a series of 14 cascades on the south shore that drop through the forest into Lake Brienz, next to the historic Grandhotel Giessbach. You reach them by boat to the Giessbach See landing and then by a funicular that has been running since 1879, or on foot along the lakeside trail from Iseltwald in about 2 to 2.5 hours.

We did not visit the falls on this trip, so here only the essentials from official sources. A loop path at the falls takes 30 to 45 minutes and leads behind one of the cascades; it can be slippery, so wear proper shoes. The falls are accessible all year, while the boats and the funicular run from April to October. From Giessbach the boat to Brienz takes only about 10 minutes (CHF 13). If you combine Iseltwald, the lakeside trail and Giessbach, you have the classic Lake Brienz day without a car.

Planning your visit

For a first visit, plan one full day for a boat trip with stops in Iseltwald and Giessbach, and if you can, stay three to five nights in Brienz or Interlaken to add the Rothorn, a swim and the Aare Gorge. The best months are June to September for swimming and the summer timetable; the boats run until early December.

Getting there

• By train: Interlaken Ost to Brienz takes about 20 minutes on the line to Lucerne, with stops in Ringgenberg, Niederried and Oberried.
• By bus: PostBus line 103 runs from Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald in about 17 minutes on the express route.
• By boat: from Interlaken Ost to all landings on the lake, see above.
• By car: the A8 motorway runs along the south shore from Interlaken towards Brienz and the Brünig Pass, with exits for Iseltwald and Brienz. Parking in Iseltwald is limited and fills up fast; Brienz has several car parks.

Where to stay

Brienz is the best base if you want quiet evenings by the lake and a short way to the Rothorn and the Aare Gorge. Interlaken is better if you also want the Jungfrau region and the Lauterbrunnen Valley, because all trains start there.

How many days?

• One day: boat from Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald, walk to Giessbach, boat to Brienz, train back.
• Two days: add the Brienzer Rothorn and an evening swim at Wycheley or the Brienz lido.
• Three to five days: add the Aare Gorge, a SUP morning in Iseltwald and day trips into the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Lake Brienz is one part of the wider region. Our Bernese Oberland travel guide shows how it fits together with Lake Thun, the Jungfrau region and the Kander Valley.

Lake Brienz with a dog

Lake Brienz is very good for dogs: they ride the BLS boats with a dog ticket (half fare, 2nd class) or a dog day pass (CHF 25, CHF 27 from 13 December 2026), and the public shores at Wycheley, Niederried, Oberried and along the paths around Iseltwald give them plenty of places to swim. Small dogs under 30 cm shoulder height travel free in a basket or bag.

Miley swam every day of our week. The best place for a dog, in our experience, was Wycheley: gentle gravel entry, few people, no lido rules. On July 10 we filmed with an action camera at water level and even under water, and Miley fetched a ball again and again in the clear shallows.

• Lidos: paid lidos usually have their own house rules for dogs. We chose the free public shores instead and had no problems.
• Iseltwald: the shore path east of the pier has several places where a dog can get into the water. Around the pier itself it is too crowded.
• Boats: keep the dog on a leash and away from the paddle wheel area on the Lötschberg.
• Heat: in July the gravel gets hot in the afternoon. Bring water and a bowl, and use the shade under the trees at Wycheley.

More dog-friendly ideas for the whole region, from mountain railways to restaurants, are collected in our guide to the Bernese Oberland with a dog.

Our week at the lake

We were based in Brienz from July 4 to 11, 2026. These are the moments at the lake itself; the mountain and valley days are in their own guides.

• July 4, evening: arrival in Brienz, first walk along the promenade and the quay at about 19:15. Warm, clear, the lake glowing in the low sun.
• July 6, 18:25 to 18:45: first evening at Wycheley after the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Half cloudy, almost empty beach, Miley resting on the gravel.
• July 8: Brienzer Rothorn from Sörenberg, with the whole lake below us.
• July 10, about 13:20 to 14:50: Iseltwald. Hot and sunny, the pier crowded, the lake at its most turquoise. We watched the MS Brienz leave at 14:10 and the paddle steamer Lötschberg arrive at 14:50.
• July 10, 17:50 to 18:05: back at Wycheley with the action camera, overcast, Miley swimming and diving after the ball.

Next time we would visit Iseltwald early in the morning and keep the evenings at Wycheley exactly as they were.

Tips we learned on the spot

• Come to Iseltwald early or late. Around midday the pier and the village square are packed. The lido and the shore path are much quieter.
• Combine boat and train. Boat one way, train back saves time and gives you both views.
• Bring water shoes. Most beaches on Lake Brienz are gravel, not sand.
• Do not swim into boat lanes. The ships approach the landings at speed; keep away from them.

Tours and tickets

For the scheduled boats you do not need a tour: buy a ticket or day pass on board, at the boat station or in the BLS webshop. A tour makes sense for a guided kayak trip, or if you want transport from your hotel to Iseltwald, Giessbach and Brienz in one go. These are the options we would look at:

FAQ: Lake Brienz

Can you swim in Lake Brienz?

Yes. The water is clean and reaches about 17 to 21 °C in summer. The easiest places are the lidos in Brienz, Iseltwald and Bönigen; free spots are in Niederried, Oberried and at Wycheley near Brienz.

How long is the boat ride on Lake Brienz?

Interlaken Ost to Iseltwald takes about 45 minutes, to Giessbach about 1 hour and to Brienz about 1 hour 15 minutes. A full round trip with a short stop in Brienz takes about 3 hours.

How much does the Lake Brienz boat cost?

In 2026 a one-way ticket from Interlaken Ost to Brienz costs CHF 39 in second class, to Iseltwald CHF 21. The Lake Brienz day pass costs CHF 75, half price with the Half Fare Card. The Swiss Travel Pass and the Berner Oberland Pass include the boats.

Lake Brienz or Lake Thun?

Lake Brienz is smaller, deeper, more turquoise and quieter, with steep mountains on both sides. Lake Thun is larger, with castles, more towns and warmer water. If you only have time for one boat trip and the colour is what you want, choose Lake Brienz.

Check Lake Brienz boats and tours →

Lake Brienz is the quieter half of the region around Interlaken, and for us it was the best place to come back to after the big mountain days. Start with Brienz and its old village, see the pier and peninsula of Iseltwald and look down on it all from the Rothorn. For the rest of Switzerland, visit our home page, and for the whole region our Bernese Oberland guide.