Interlaken and Lake Brienz, Switzerland.
Interlaken is a popular tourist destination situated on Lake Brienz. With beautiful clear turquoise waters and set within the most stunning mountain scenery, Lake Brienz is a blue diamond in the heart of the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.
Here’s why we think Lake Brienz is so special…
An introduction to Lake Brienz.
Lake Brienz sits in a magnificent position within Switzerland and rather surprisingly to many, offers wonderful winter skiing virtually on the doorstep. Lake Brienz offers an outstanding lakeside lifestyle as well as magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. On the western side of the lake, it is also home to the trendy, cosmopolitan and chic town of Interlaken as well as numerous pretty little villages that are dotted along its shoreline and linked together by regular boat services.
With so many different lifestyle opportunities on offer in both summer and winter, it’s no wonder Lake Brienz is becoming increasingly more popular with visitors keen to discover its charm and the area has recently benefitted from an influx of high specification, luxurious development which is strictly in keeping with the natural beauty of the surrounding area.
Skiing and Cross Country Skiing from Interlaken and Lake Brienz.
Local skiing and cross country routes are rather unusual for a valley based resort but Lake Brienz is exceptional in that it has a direct connection from the village of Meiringen on the valley floor (on the eastern side of the lake) straight up to the Meiringen-Hasliberg Ski Area. The skiing is between 1,055 and 2,433m and there are 64km of runs with 25 pistes and these are serviced by 13 ski lifts and offer a mixture of runs to suit all abilities.
There are also 8km of cross country ski routes in the Meiringen-Hasliberg area as well as a terrain park for snowboarders.
Slightly further afield there are the larger and better known ski resorts of Wengen, Murren and Grindelwald which together make up the Jungfrau Region and offer a whopping 131 pistes with 66 ski lifts and 378km of downhill skiing.
Grindelwald and Murren also BOTH offer 17km of cross country routes each with Wengen offering 2km of cross country routes bringing the total cross country routes to 36km.
Wengen, Murren and Grindelwald are all easily accessible by car from the lake, making Lake Brienz a very attractive front runner for one of the top notch dual season resorts in Switzerland.
Towns, Villages and Shopping on Lake Brienz.
Interlaken sits at the west of Lake Brienz and is a unique town mainly because it is situated on the shore of two lakes, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Interlaken is known as the gateway to the Jungfrau region and has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century when it became renowned for its spectacular mountain scenery.
Once access was improved with the development of the Bernese Oberland railway and the Jungfrau railway, Interlaken rapidly became the heart of the Bernese Oberland. Responding to the growing demand, Interlaken has become a chic and cosmopolitan hub with plenty of hotels, restaurants, shops and cafes on offer which are easily reached through the regular boat service connecting the lakes’ pretty little villages and towns.
At the opposite end of Lake Brienz is the smaller town of Brienz which became well known for violin making and for wood carving, much of which still decorates many of the houses and streets. Brienz is a quaint and slightly romantic village with a lake side promenade which is car free and has little parks, restaurants and small boat ports to meander through. There are beautiful views from here of the lake and lake swimming is very popular. The area is subject to strict development laws and it is near here that an ecological, sustainable and prestigious resort is being developed in keeping with the environment which is attracting international buyers to Lake Brienz to share the unique experiences it has to offer.
There are numerous gorgeous “picture post card” and authentically Swiss villages on the shores of the lake which are easy to visit through the local boating network. Generally speaking, the villages are traditional and rely mostly on tourism, fishing, agriculture and the timber industry.
Water Based Activities near Interlaken on Lake Brienz.
Lake Brienz is roughly 14 km wide and 2.8 km across so there is ample room for a large quantity of water based sports on the lake.
There are lots of natural lidos and swimming areas along the shores of Lake Brienz and the cool turquoise Alpine water is very refreshing to swim in. Or you can just find a spot, spread your towel and soak up the sun before diving into the crystal clear waters of the lake.
Also on offer is water skiing, wake boarding, rowing, pedal boats, kayaking, paddle boarding and a ride on the jet boat.
There are numerous enjoyable cruises that one can also take to enjoy the views up towards the magnificent steep and towering mountain scenery which is truly spectacular from the water.
Land Based Activities near Interlaken and Lake Brienz.
There are numerous hiking trails that stretch up from the valley floor and there are beautiful walks past stunning waterfalls through the mountain scenery. One particularly popular hiking trail is to the Reichenbach Falls which with a fall of roughly 820 ft makes it one of the highest and largest in the Alps. Another popular walk is the wood carving trail in Axalp above Brienz.
Biking round the lake and taking a boat home is a particularly popular part of the lifestyle on Lake Brienz and is also a wonderful way to soak in the amazing scenery. Pack a picnic and take a swim at the same time.
For the more adventurous there is canyoning, canyon swinging, bungee jumping, hang gliding, paragliding, sky diving and river rafting as well as a rope course at Interlaken. For those who enjoy a slower pace there is horse riding, tennis, squash and badminton.
In Summary
It is more a question of what isn’t on offer at Lake Brienz? The area is well known as one of the most adventurous areas to visit in Switzerland and with investment into the building of ecologically sustainable property in the local area it is now, more than ever, a location that is accessible to more and more people to enjoy.
