Brienz

Lake Brienz is a fantastic scenic lake in central Switzerland, a hotspot for tourists and locals alike who come to admire its beauty. It’s one of the two lakes that Interlaken is nestled between, the other being the equally gorgeous, but definitely different, Lake Thun. The two lakes really do have their own characters and appeal, we have found Lake Brienz to be very dramatic with a Fjord like feel as the Lake is narrower and smaller than Thun, with the high mountains of the Bernese Oberland towering over the turquoise waters.

We love to visit the town of Brienz when we come to this area of Switzerland, the lake side town being the perfect place to take and afternoon or morning to explore with our kids.

AT A GLANCE:

Parking in lakeside car parks or on the street ( pay at meter)
Plenty of cafes and shops to explore, a few hotels at the lake shore as well
They have a small supermarket which we picked up lunch and some basics to take back to our camp; there is a pharmacy in town as well.
We have always driven but it is well connected by train with a station in the town
Best for: Scenic views of Lake and enjoying the promenade; swimming and watersports; Brienz Rothorn Bahn (scenic mountian train ride).

THINGS TO DO:

Lake Brienz Promenade

We love Brienz promenade and normally come here for a morning on every trip to Switzerland – it never gets boring, and is the perfect place for a relaxing walk with the kids (well as relaxing as it can get with two high energy boys!)

The wide, flat promenade is lined with trees for shade and had plenty of benches and places to sit along the way. There are also free deck chairs to use dotted along the way so you can pull up a seat and enjoy the sun on a nice weather day. One of our favourite things here is the water play area – a little maze and water puzzle which you need to pump water in yourself using the pumps – honestly it never fails to keep our kids entertained for hours – every year we come back thinking they will of out grown it but they still love it (to be fair so do we as adults!)

There are also different pieces of play equipment dotted along the shore, such as roundabouts, climbing frames etc.

We start of with a walk along admiring the view – if you come in spring or summer the gardens next to the lake also have their beautiful gardens on display with lots of pretty flowers that add to the charm. We then get a coffee to go and grab a deck chair by the water while the kids play.

If it’s hot we will go for a swim as well (beware, the water is chilly though!) There are several stone steps down into the water for access to the lake for swimming. We often see people taking a dip or enjoying the lake on paddleboards here.

Kayaking, Paddleboarding, and Swimming

Of course one of the best things to do by the water is to get in it!

There are plenty of swimming spots along the lake, but do be aware the water is deep with no gradual slope- the stone steps lead you straight to a steep drop off so not ideal for younger kids and close supervision near the steps will be needed. This is easy to manage, though, as there is a decent wall all the way along and maybe only two or three openings with steps to the water to keep an eye on. The water is also quite cold, but rather refreshing on a hot day!

We saw a couple of families taking their own paddleboards out on the water, and this looked like great fun – I would love to try this one day! There is public parking right next to the lake, so it is very convenient if you want to bring your own board. There are also places to rent your own kayak or paddle board for Lake Brienz if needed; try Pirate Bay Nautical Centre or Hightide Kayak School, both located on the west side of the lake near Interlaken.

Brienz Rothorn Bahn (Scenic Train Ride)

If your kids are anything like ours, a good train is always appreciated and a hop aboard the Brienz Rothorn Bahn, Switzerland’s oldest steam cogwheel railway, is a lot of fun for them, taking them to the top of the Brienzer Rothorn. It’s also totally insta – worthy – we have seen this train ride and the view plastered all over social media showing off its splendour on many a travel account. The charming train climbs through lush meadows and rugged peaks, with stunning views of the Bernese Alps. As with eveeything Swiss ( especially mountain transport) its not cheap – a retirn trip will set you back approx 96 CHF per adult (£85) and 10 CHF per child. It’s pricey, but you will be rewarded at the summit with breathtaking panoramas and fresh mountain air—a perfect Swiss adventure! Tickets for this route do get booked up quickly, and often sell out on advance so make sure you prebook to avoid being disappointed.

Parents and carers, bear in mind there is no play area at the top like there is at many other mountains in Switzerland (check out Wilderswill – Schingye Platte as an alternative stunning vintage train ride with a play area at the top)

Check out the website here for opening times and up to date prices.

Aare Gorge (Aareshultz)

Only a 15-minute drive from Brienz town is Aare Gorge, or Aareschultz, a magnifent gorge, which really does make you marvel at how awesome nature can be. The river Aare has cut through the surrounding cliffs, resulting in a dramatic towering natural, extremely narrow gorgethat has been made safe for visitors. The wooden walkway takes you through caves, past waterfalls and along the cliff edge, and in the sunshine the colour of the water is a memerising and intense turquoise blue (we went in a wet and windy day so the water looked grey but the effect of the whole place was still stunning.)

The walkway is between the West side and the East side. And whichever side you park on, you will have to walk back along the route to get back to your car (it is a linear rather than circular route). The west entrance has a larger restuarant, shop and more parking spaces and also has a good playground out side for the kids so bear that in mind when choosing if you would like that at the at the start or midway point on your walk through the gorge.

We thought it was good value for money, being one of the cheaper excursions we did at 12 CHF per adult and 6 CHF per child (under 6 free), it really was a beautiful walk and impressive gorge scenery. The waterfalls and mist added a mysterious atmosphere as we went on a very rainy day, but I would love to return to see the famous turquoise the water turns in the brilliant sunshine.