Today we’re exploring a few epic waterfalls near Interlaken! We’re going to hike to not 1, not 2, but to 3 different waterfalls! And we’re not just gonna see them — we have a chance to get up close and personal.
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Waterfall #1 | Erschwandenbach Falls
We’re at our first waterfall of the day, Erschwandenbach Falls. It’s only a short 15 to 20-minute hike from the bus stop. And something tells me it’s not even gonna be the most dramatic waterfall we see today!
Waterfall #2 | Mülibach Falls
Mülibach Falls is the second waterfall of our three waterfalls hike. It is just above the village of Iseltwald, and as you can see it’s taller than the first one — but it’s not quite as tall as number three.
Along the walk to the next falls, we stopped beside the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz for a picnic.
Then walking through the trees is one of our favorite parts of the hike because it looks like Avatar! There are these huge trees and tall cliffs and so much green!
Waterfall #3 | Giessbach Falls
We have made it to waterfall number 3! This is Giessbach Falls. It is 400 meters tall and cascades down over 14 different steps. And you can walk behind the waterfall! Giessbach Falls is definitely our favorite of the 3 so plan to spend most of your time here. There are a bunch of paths that go up, over, and across the waterfall that you can explore. And it’s a beautiful spot to either stop and have a meal, or enjoy a picnic.
Did you know: the Giessbach Grandhotel was featured in one of the last episodes of the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers — one of our favorite TV shows.
It’s worth peeking into the historic Belle Epoch hotel and having a refreshing drink on the restaurant’s terrace.
Some things to consider
There is an official hike called the 3 Waterfalls Hike. However that entire hike is 17.5 kilometers, so we didn’t do that. Here are a few tips for you.
#1 — Shorten the hike
The stretch between Brienz and Giessbach is not that beautiful and adds a lot of kilometers. So just nix that part.
#2 — Start at Giessbach Falls
Go in the opposite direction of what we did and start at the Giessbach waterfalls. There is limited transport coming away from Giessbach in the late afternoon. It’s just easiest and you’ll have less stress if you begin there.
Our favorite way to get to Giessbach? Definitely the boat on Lake Brienz!
#3 — Take the lakefront path from Giessbach Falls to Iseltwald
It’s just so beautiful! And this was our favorite part of the entire trail — minus Giessbach waterfall.
#4 — See how you (or your group) feels
Every traveler is different. After you arrive in Iseltwald, just see how you feel and decide what you want to do next. We would recommend taking the 15-minute walk to go up to the second waterfall that we visited. It’s beautiful and worth spending your time at.
However, we don’t necessarily recommend the first waterfall that we saw. It’s a long hour and a half hike between the two.
If you really wanna see it, just take a bus from Iseltwald to the waterfall. Which part of our hike today was your favorite?
Prioritize Giessbach Falls
Curious how to fit Giessbach Falls into your Swiss Itinerary? When our family and friends come to visit, this is often one of their top experiences! (Along with our favorite Swiss village in the Jungfrau Region.)
Get the complete itinerary in our Best Selling 1-Week Guide to the Jungfrau Region! And we’ll see you in Switzerland.
