It was a cold morning in Interlaken, and we were rushing to the boat dock to catch our cruise on Lake Brienz. It was 9.55am, and the boat was scheduled to leave at 10.07am. The Swiss are famous for their punctuality, so I knew the wife and I had to hurry. If we missed this boat we would have to wait two hours for the next departure.
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a famous alpine lake with beautiful turquoise waters in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. It is right beside the equally famous Lake Thun.
Interlaken, the popular Swiss resort town, is located between these two lakes.
Taking a boat cruise on Lake Brienz is a very popular tourist activity. The cruise boat sails between Interlaken and Brienz, stopping at various lakefront Swiss villages along the way.
The Lake Brienz cruise boats only operate between April and October. The winter cruise is only available on Lake Thun.
The cruise boats are owned and run by Swiss transport company BLS AG, under the “BLS Navigation” brand.
Buying Cruise Tickets
The wife and I managed to reach the Interlaken Ost dock at 10am, but to our dismay the ticketing booth was closed.
Luckily, I spotted a boat crew member walking towards the boat. I quickly ran towards her and asked if we could still buy tickets.
To my relief, she actually agreed and went back to the ticketing booth! I quickly bought two tickets from her for a one-way cruise to Brienz.
The tickets cost CHF 26.50 each with my Swiss Half Fare Card. The original price was CHF 53. You can check out my full review of the half fare card here.
Once we got the tickets, the wife and I quick boarded the boat, happy that we had made it.
To my surprise, I saw a ticketing counter on the boat. Therefore, we could have just boarded the boat directly just now instead of rushing to buy tickets at the dock.
First Class vs Second Class
First Class outdoor area
First Class seating area
Second Class outdoor area
Second Class seating area
Still feeling slightly breathless, the wife and I slowly walked up the steps to the boat’s second level. We had bought first class tickets which gave us access to the upper deck.
Even though our tickets were significantly more expensive than the second class tickets, I felt it was worth paying the premium.
This was because from the upper deck, we got to enjoy awesome views of the scenic Lake Brienz.
I also liked the peaceful atmosphere here. It was quieter than the lower deck which had several families with young children.
In addition, unlike the lower deck, the first class section was spacious with plenty of space between the tables. The wooden chairs were partially padded which made them quite comfortable to sit on.
The wife and I sat at a table by the large glass window which gave us fantastic views of the lake.
Breakfast Cruise
We were on the first Lake Brienz cruise of the day, which was the Breakfast Cruise. The breakfast menu offered a small variety of breakfast items like hot beverages and pastries.
However, we had just finished a sumptuous breakfast at our hotel (the main reason why we were almost late for the cruise) and were feeling quite full.
Therefore, we only ordered two hot chocolates, perfect for drinking in the cool Swiss weather.
A Lovely Experience
And we were off on our cruise!
It felt wonderful to sit by the window and sip on our hot drinks while enjoying views of the beautiful lake and scenic Swiss landscape.
Me enjoying the lake breeze
After chilling at the table for a while, we made our way to the upper deck’s outdoor area.
It felt great to stand outside and enjoy the windy lake breeze! The wife and I took plenty of selfies here, with the Swiss flag waving in the wind behind us.
It was actually quite challenging to take a decent photo, because our hair got really messy thanks to the wind.
However, the wife demanded really wanted to take a nice photo, so after plenty of tries we did manage to take a few decent selfies.
Amenities
Kitchen
Play area
Some toys
On the lower deck, I saw a small play area for children.
The kitchen was located here too. Other than breakfast items, it also sells some snacks.
Toilets are located on the lower deck.
Iseltwald
Iseltwald boat dock
Strand Hotel
After about 40 minutes, we reached Iseltwald.
This is a quaint lakefront village. The boat stops at Strand Hotel, which has a pleasant restaurant where you can dine outdoors by the scenic Lake Brienz.
Outdoor enthusiasts will be happy to know that it is possible to hike from Iseltwald to Giessbach. This is an easy and very popular 5km hike along the bank.
We didn’t alight here because our itinerary was quite tight.
The boat only stopped here for about one minute for passengers to board and alight, before quickly moving on to the next stop.
Yes, the Swiss transport system does indeed operate like clockwork.
Giessbach
Grandhotel Giessbach
From Giessbach (See), you can take a funicular to Grandhotel Giessbach and further up to Giessbach Waterfalls
Grandhotel Giessbach is perched high up on the hill
Giessbach Waterfalls
From Iseltwald, the boat took about 25 minutes to reach Giessbach.
This is another popular stop along the lake. It is home to the roaring Giessbach Waterfalls, one of the most famous waterfalls in Switzerland.
The other famous attraction here is the Grandhotel Giessbach, a charming hotel built in the Belle Epoque style. It is perched high up on a hill, offering fantastic views of Lake Brienz.
To get to the waterfall and hotel, you have to take the historic funicular Giessbachbahn.
Again, we didn’t alight here due to time constraints. However, I managed to catch a glimpse of the beautiful hotel and waterfall as our boat was passing by.
Last Stop: Brienz
I was surprised to see a few ducks and swans!
After another 15 minutes, we reached our last stop at Brienz. In total, the boat ride from Interlaken to here took about 75 minutes.
Brienz is a tranquil lakefront town is famous for its wood carving tradition. I saw plenty of pretty Swiss wooden cabins dotted on the lush mountain side.
From the dock, we started walking along the lake promenade. It felt really nice to stroll along the bank with the wife, while admiring the beauty of Lake Brienz’s shimmering turquoise waters.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see a few graceful swans and ducks swimming in the lake!
Much to my amusement, we spotted a “talk tube”, which was something I did not expect to see here, but rather at a playground instead.
I’m not sure why this device was built here, but anyways the wife and I had a bit of fun talking to each other through it.
Chilling out on one of the benches
Foldable chairs
There were many benches along the lake. We sat down on one to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
In case the benches are occupied, there are even foldable chairs available.
While it was indeed quite romantic to sit here, we started feeling quite cold after a short while and decided to continue walking.
The promenade was lined with Swiss wooden chalets that had backyards facing the lake. Some of the backyards even had beautiful gardens with plants and flowers.
To me, staying in one of these pretty wooden chalets on the shore of a gorgeous alpine lake would be a dream come true. Therefore, I asked the wife affectionately, “Dear, would you be willing to settle down here with me?”
“Yes of course dear! We can take a train to Paris every other weekend for some shopping too,” she replied cheerfully.
I wasn’t really sure how to respond.
Albert Streich memorial statue
After walking for about 5 minutes, we saw a bronze sculpture. I did a quick search on Google and found out that this was a memorial sculpture for Albert Streich (1897-1960), a well-known Swiss writer and poet.
I took a closer look of the sculpture. It was a young lady wearing a traditional Swiss dress, relaxing on the ground with a small bunch of wild flowers in her hand.
She gazed into the distance with a blissful expression, as if feeling grateful for being able to grow up in a tranquil Swiss village.
The surrounding area of the sculpture turned out to be an awesome spot for taking great photos of the shimmering Lake Brienz.
From here, we also got to see rows of pretty Swiss chalets lining the shore in the distance.
The weather was a little cloudy that day, so I can only imagine how much more beautiful the views must be in summer.
I spotted a washroom near the sculpture but it was locked. I had to use the washroom at the train station later instead.
After we were done with taking pictures, I flew my drone to capture some aerial footage of Lake Brienz. It was pretty cool to see the Swiss landscape from high up in the air.
By now, the wife and I were feeling really cold after being out in the open for so long. We quickly walked back towards the train station.
Supermarket in Brienz
Along the way, we dropped by a co-op supermarket to buy some drinks and snacks, before catching the train back to Interlaken Ost.
Other Brienz Attractions
Brienz Rothorn Train
Ballenberg Open-Air Museum
Due to a lack of time, we didn’t manage to explore Brienz fully.
For example, we did not get to visit Brunngasse. This romantic street in Brienz is lined with historic wooden chalets that are adorned with beautiful wood carvings art. It is a 15-minute walk (1 kilometre) from the train station.
Oberdorfstrasse is another popular street that is just next to Brunngasse. This historic street used be the town’s main thoroughfare. Some of the Swiss chalets here even have small woodcarving workshops.
During summer, many tourists will combine their Lake Brienz cruise with a train ride on the famous Brienz Rothorn Bahn (Brienz Rothorn Train). This historic steam engine train ferries passengers up the Brienz Rothorn mountain to the Rothorn Kulm summit. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited in April.
If you have extra time to spare, you can check out the Ballenberg. This popular open-air museum exhibits traditional architecture and handicrafts from all over Switzerland. It is about 6km away from Brienz train station.
How to Book Lake Brienz Cruise
Initially, I found booking the Lake Brienz cruise to be quite a confusing task, because there were many types of cruise tickets and itineraries available.
However, I managed to figure it out eventually. You can check out my detailed beginner’s guide on how to book a cruise on Lake Brienz.
Conclusion
On the whole, the wife and I enjoyed the Lake Brienz cruise very much. We got to see amazing views of Lake Brienz and the Swiss landscape from the boat. I highly recommend this fun and affordable activity in Switzerland.
Lake Brienz Cruise (BLS Navigation)
Website: www.bls.ch
Helpdesk: www.bls.ch/en/pages/kontakt/formular-fahrplan
Email: schiff@bls.ch
Phone: +41 58 327 4811