Welcome to Brienz! This adorable village sits right at the end of Lake Brienz, and it’s just a 20 minute train ride from Interlaken or an hour and a half from Lucerne.
It might just look like a quaint, quiet town at first glance, but we promise there’s a lot to explore here! Of course we’re gonna show you a few of our favorite spots in town, but we’re also going to take you along to see waterfalls, museums, mountaintops, and scenic boat rides.
Speaking of scenery, let’s start with…
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1 | Enjoy views from the Church
…the best view in town!
From the Brienz Reformed Church, you can see the Bernese Oberland mountains in the distance, the milky teal waters of Lake Brienz, plenty of waterfalls, and of course the charming village of Brienz.
As always, we like to peek inside the churches to admire the architecture and beauty. But this church in particular is basically surrounded on all sides by terraces and gardens that are definitely inviting you to wander!
Believe it or not, there’s another stunningly beautiful spot nearby, also known as…
2 | Brunngasse (2nd Most Beautiful Street in the world!)
…the most beautiful street in town! Architectural Digest has currently ranked Brunngasse as the second most beautiful street in the world, and we think you can tell why.
It has classic Swiss chalets that combine dark aged wood with white stone. Colorful flower boxes and overflowing greenery. Gently sloping cobblestone streets. And little hidden gems every step of the way.
To be honest, we’ve been to more than 30 different European countries and to almost every single canton in Switzerland. And while this street is oozing with charm, it doesn’t feel that much more beautiful than a lot of other Swiss villages. So it’s worth taking a quick stroll, but trust us, it won’t be the only beautiful street you find on your Swiss vacation.
After seeing such beautiful views and exploring the village, you might be feeling a bit hungry. Why not fill your belly at…
3 | Eat at Bino’s Pizzeria
We can’t remember how we first heard about this place, but the 900+ 4.7-star Google reviews speak for themselves! We’ve been here a few times now and both the pizza and playful staff don’t disappoint.
Most pizzas are around 20 CHF each, and a small glass of wine is around 5 CHF. Regardless of what you order, it’s important to note that they’re open daily from 11am to 11pm, but the kitchen is closed between 3pm and 5pm.
The cozy inside fills up fast, but that’s not a problem because you can always take your pizza to-go and head to…
4 | Walk along the Lakeside Promenade
📍See the location on Google Maps!
…the promenade for a lakeside picnic or stroll! This 1km walkway runs nearly the entire length of the village and you can walk it in about 15 minutes. It’s dotted with sculptures, shady trees, and benches, which obviously make a great spot to relax next to the water.
Every time we’re on Lake Brienz, we play this game where we try to name the color of the water. So far, Milky Teal, Brienzer Blue, and Gatorade Blue Ice are our favorites. But if you have a better name, drop it in the comments so we can add to our list!
Oh, and how could I forget that there’s also…
5 | Stop at the Gelato Food Truck
…a gelato food truck on the promenade! If you’ve seen any of our other videos, then you know how much I love good gelato — and the Brienz Gelati Food Truck delivers just that! Today I ordered a small cup with strawberry and lemon gelato for 3.50 CHF.
But they also have other snacks and drinks too!
Okay, now that we’ve seen plenty of different views of the water, it’s time to…
6 | Go swimming in Lake Brienz
📍See the location on Google Maps!
…go swimming in Lake Brienz!
Strandbad Brienz is nestled at the very end of the lake, so when you’re here you can literally see all the way down to Interlaken! The entry fee is 5 CHF per adult and 3 CHF for kids ages 6 to 15. There are 3 different pools, a water trampoline, a big grassy lawn, a playground, ping pong tables, hammocks, bathrooms, lockers, and a restaurant. You can even rent stand-up paddle boards or kayaks here as well.
Technically you can go swimming anywhere along Lake Brienz — we actually list another great swimming spot in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region — but this place makes it super convenient!
If you’re here in summertime, you might be looking for a different way to cool down other than swimming. And what better way to do that than with a refreshing beer from…
7 | Stop at the Jungfrau Brewery
They’ve coined their brews as “The Bernese Oberland in a glass.” They have more than 9 different types of beer, but they’re a distillery too — producing two unique spirits and a couple liqueurs. And this is neat: each of the spirits is made with glacier water from the foot of the Eiger North Face and each bottle has a small rock in the bottom collected from the Eiger Trail — which we mentioned in our 16 Things To Do In Grindelwald blog!
You can find their drinks right here in Brienz at their brewery and the KURIOSA shop (Seestrasse 11 — open Tuesdays to Saturdays 3:00-10:00pm), and in some regional grocery stores and restaurants too. And I highly recommend their beer flight tasting!
Alright, now it’s time to explore just a bit outside of the village of Brienz, starting with…
8 | Visit Wild Park Brienz
This nature park is like a mini zoo. It first opened in 1896 so that students at the Brienz Woodcarving School could practice their craft using live animals. Don’t worry, they didn’t carve the animals — just the wood! 🙂 Today it’s free of charge to visit and open daily.
Clearly kids and adults of all ages will enjoy looking at their small collection of animals. It’s also helpful to note that the paths are stroller and wheelchair accessible!
But if you’re in the mood to hike, another off-the-beaten-path place where the locals like to go is…
9 | Ride up to Axalp
📍See the location on Google Maps!
…Axalp!
This is a beautiful terrace just above Brienz with amazing views, once again, of Lake Brienz.
Today we’re walking from the bus stop along the 2-hour loop to Hinterburgsee, where we’ll pass by 100 woodcarvings and a little blue mountain lake. It’s a bit too cold for our tastes, but you can technically go swimming here, if cold water is your thing! There are also picnic places and grill spots here as well.
And when you head back down the mountain, you’ll go right past the bus stop for…
10 | See Giessbach Falls
📍See the location on Google Maps!
…Giessbach Falls!
It’s easy to reach by taking a boat from Brienz to Giessbach, then you can either hike up about 20 minutes, or ride the funicular. A roundtrip on the funicular costs 12 CHF per adult, or 10 CHF with the Interlaken Guest Card or Berner Oberland Pass. And it’s just 7 CHF for kids between the ages of 6 and 15.
This impressive waterfall is one of our favorites in the Jungfrau Region, which is why it’s definitely featured in our 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region. It plunges down 400 meters along 14 different steps all the way from the glaciers above into Lake Brienz below. You can admire it from a few different viewpoints, like this bridge, or by taking the short trail that dips behind the waterfall!
And since you’re already here, you might as well take a peek inside…
11 | Peek inside Giessbach Hotel
📍See the location on Google Maps!
There are 2 different restaurants at the hotel, including some beautiful terraces, but you can also go inside just to admire the Belle Epoque design, artwork, and architecture. This hotel has actually been here in some fashion since 1857, and it’s still a popular spot for tourists today.
Staying at Giessbach is definitely a splurge, but it offers surprising value too, thanks to the complimentary Nostalgia Pass, which functions kind of like a Guest Card.
Benefits of the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass
(Note: Find a complete and updated list here. Benefits vary during the Summer and Winter seasons.)
- Unlimited free rides on the Giessbach funicular
- Unlimited free travel on the BLS boats on Lake Brienz (second class)
- Free round trip journey to the Rothorn (after 10:45am, reservations are encouraged)
- Free admission to the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum
- Free 20-minute guided tour and admission to the Wood Carving School in Brienz (reservations required)
Potential Savings with the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass
- Adults with no train pass can save up to 204 CHF (408 CHF savings per couple)
- Adults with a Half Fare Card can save up to 117 CHF (234 CHF savings per couple)
- Adults with a Swiss Travel Pass can save up to 60 CHF
- Adults with a Berner Oberland Pass can save up to 42 CHF
Psst — need help picking the right Swiss train pass?? Use our free Swiss Train Pass Checklist!
You could save over 200 CHF per adult with the Nostalgia Pass, depending on your travel plans, starting with free admission to…
12 | Explore Ballenberg Open-Air Museum
📍See the location on Google Maps!
Note: This experience is free with the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
…Ballenberg! This is the only open-air museum in Switzerland, and it’s also the largest at 163 acres (66 hectares).
It contains more than 100 historic Swiss homes and barns that were disassembled, moved here, and reassembled, all to paint a realistic snapshot of what daily life was like in the Swiss countryside. They also use these buildings for live demonstrations of traditional bread baking, lace making, metal stamping, iron forging, shingle making, silk crafting, cheese making — and more! Not to mention that there are over 200 farm animals and a handful of restaurants at Ballenberg as well.
We first came here back in 2012 on our honeymoon, and we still remember exploring the houses and seeing the animals and even watching the live demonstrations. This is a great stop for history buffs, families, and anyone curious about life in rural Switzerland. Plus it’s ideal for a cloudy day.
Plan to spend 2-4 hours here. It costs 32 CHF for adults and 16 CHF for kids 6-15, but you get a discount with the Berner Oberland Pass or various Guest Cards, and the admission is free if you have the Swiss Travel Pass.
And once you’re at Ballenberg, you’re literally steps away from…
13 | Visit the Trauffer Wooden Cow Museum
Note: This admission is free in the Winter if you have the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
…the Trauffer Wooden Cow Museum!
If you’ve been inside any tourist shop in Switzerland, then you’ve definitely noticed these little wooden cows. They are all carved, painted, and produced right here at Trauffer! For 15 CHF per adult and 9 CHF for kids ages 6-15, you can go on the “Kuhniverse Tour,” which is German for “cow universe.” And for an additional fee, you can even try your hand at carving and painting your own Swiss cow!
By the way, if you’re planning on visiting both Ballenberg and the Trauffer Wooden Cow Museum, you’ll probably want to check out the combo ticket which will save you money on both admission fees.
Brienz is definitely an appropriate place for the production of wooden cows, since it’s possibly most famous for…
14 | Go to the Swiss Woodcarving Museum
Note: You can enjoy a free guided tour with the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
…woodcarving! Which you can experience for yourself at the Swiss Woodcarving Museum!
We also came here for the first time on our honeymoon, and the 3 things I remember are
- How realistic some of the carvings were.
- That we put a coin in a wooden music box and it actually played music.
- And that we bought a hand carved cuckoo clock!
Check the opening days before you come (Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:30 to 17:00), and if you’re interested in the tour, then it’s best to book in advance. It costs 8 CHF per adult, but it’s free with the Swiss Travel Pass and Giessbach Nostalgia Pass, and 50% off with the Tell-Pass and local Guest Cards.
If the smell of all that wood is starting to get to you, grab a little fresh air by…
15 | Ride a boat on Lake Brienz
Note: You can enjoy unlimited rides in Second Class for free when you have the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
…riding a boat on Lake Brienz!
Ahh, there’s nothing like a relaxing cruise along the turquoise waters, surrounded by wooden villages, green hills, and snow-capped peaks. There are 4 different boats that run on Lake Brienz, one of which is the Lötschberg steamboat. And since it was built in 1914, passengers have been able to watch the steam engine churn!
These boats are equipped with a little restaurant so you can enjoy a coffee, snack, or full meal during your ride. And there’s even a supervised children’s play area below deck for kids who are at least 4 years old. You don’t have to pay for the childcare services, but kids 6 and older do require a valid ticket.
A one-way ticket between Interlaken Ost and Giessbach is 28 CHF per adult, or 14 CHF with the Half Fare Card. The ride is completely free if you have the Berner Oberland Pass, the Swiss Travel Pass, or the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass.
If you’d rather see the water from above…
16 | Brienzer Rothorn
Note: You can enjoy this experience for free (starting mid-morning) when you have the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
…ride up to the Brienzer Rothorn!
Hop on board a historic steam cog train from the 1800s and cruise 7.6km up the mountain in just one hour, gaining more than 1600 meters of elevation and crossing through 6 tunnels. Along the way you can enjoy non-stop views of Lake Brienz, the surrounding green hills, and of course even more of the Swiss Alps.
Once you reach the top, the views don’t stop! Wander the nearby trails or pop into one of the two restaurants before you take another relaxing train ride back down.
The Brienz Rothorn Bahn is open from June to October. A roundtrip adult ticket costs 96 CHF full price, or 48 CHF with the Half Fare Card. But the ride is free with the Berner Oberland Pass or Tell-Pass, and it’s also free starting from 10:45 in the morning if you have the Giessbach Nostalgia Pass!
We actually went up here on Jana’s birthday a few years ago because you get a free ticket (and a little gift) if you ride on your actual birthday. How cool is that!
You know what else is fun??…
More things to do near Brienz, Switzerland
…that there are still more things to do in the Berner Oberland! If you want to explore another lakeside town, check out Thun. If you’re looking for just the highlights, read about our favorite spots in the Jungfrau Region. And if you need done-for-you tips, don’t forget to check out our Swiss Travel Guides. And we’ll see you in Switzerland!