10 Best Things To Do In Brienz, Switzerland – Amazing Hiking Trails, Incredible Views of Swiss Alps, & More!

This is my list of 10 fun things to do in Brienz, a tranquil lakefront village located in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. It is famous for its wood carving tradition, as can be seen from the wood sculptures throughout the village. Walking around Brienz, I saw many beautiful 18th-century wooden chalets dotted on the lush mountainside. I also got to enjoy wonderful views of the beautiful Lake Brienz with its shimmering turquoise waters.

1. Lake Brienz Cruise

Taking a cruise on Lake Brienz is a very popular activity in Switzerland. The boat sails between Interlaken and Brienz, with stops at several pretty Swiss villages along the way.

The cruise boats are owned and run by Swiss transport company BLS AG, under the “BLS Navigation” brand.

The wife and I booked a one-way cruise from Interlaken to Brienz, and it was an awesome experience!

We got to enjoy fantastic views of the alpine lake and surrounding Swiss landscape. We were on the morning “Breakfast Cruise” so there was a variety of breakfast items available.

It felt great to sit by the glass window and gaze at the pretty lake, while sipping on my hot chocolate in the boat.

The cruise ticket cost CHF 26.50 with my Swiss Half Fare Card (original price was CHF 53). You can check out my full review of the half fare card here.

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

2. Lake Brienz Promenade

Free foldable chairs

After our boat reached Brienz, we alighted and took a stroll along the scenic promenade.

It was nice to walk along Lake Brienz with the wife and admire the beauty of the shimmering turquoise waters.

I even spotted a few ducks and swans swimming gracefully in the lake!

Along the way, we saw many pretty Swiss wooden chalets on the lakeshore. It must be awesome to stay here and enjoy such wonderful views of the lake every day.

There were many benches along the lake. The wife and I sat down on one of them for a while. However, we started feeling quite cold after a while and decided to continue walking (we visited in April).

I even saw a stack of foldable chairs by the lake. There was a sign encouraging passersby to sit on the chairs and enjoy the lake views.

3. Albert Streich Memorial Sculpture

After walking for about 5 minutes, I saw the Albert Streich Memorial Sculpture. This is a sculpture built to commemorate Albert Streich (1897-1960), a well-known Swiss writer and poet.

I took a quick moment to admire the pretty sculpture. It was a maiden wearing a traditional Swiss dress, relaxing on the ground with a 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 a great photo-taking spot, and we took plenty of pretty pictures here.

4. Brienz Rothorn Bahn

The Brienz Rothorn Bahn (Brienz Rothorn Train) is a steam engine train that takes passengers up the Brienzer Rothorn mountain to the Rothorn Kulm summit.

Unfortunately, the train only operates in summer, so we did not get a chance to ride it when we visited Brienz in April. Click here for the exact train schedule.

This historic train has been operating since 1892! It departs from the “Brienz Rothorn Bahn station”, which is a short walk from the Brienz train station.

The one-hour train ride offers spectacular aerial views of Lake Brienz and the surrounding lush landscape.

Once you reach Rothorn Kulm summit, you can revel in breathtaking views of the Swiss alps from an elevation of 2244 metres.

It is cheaper to buy combined tickets with the Lake Brienz cruise. To give you an idea of the price, a second class combined ticket costs CHF 116.80.

Brienz Rothorn Bahn
Website: https://brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch
Email: info@brb.ch

5. Rothorn Kulm Hikes

After taking the Brienz Rothorn Bahn train up to the Rothorn Kulm summit, outdoor enthusiasts can go on a variety of scenic hikes.

However, some of these hikes are quite challenging, so make sure you wear the appropriate clothing and hiking boots.

6. Ballenberg Museum

Ballenberg is a popular open-air museum that exhibits traditional Swiss architecture and handicrafts from all over Switzerland.

Located about 6km away from Brienz train station, the museum is home to over 100 traditional Swiss buildings that were transported from their original sites.

There are also demonstrations of Swiss cheesemaking techniques and traditional rural crafts.

Animal lovers will be happy to know that there are many farm animals roaming the museum grounds.

If you are a history buff, this is a wonderful place to experience traditional rural Swiss life.

7. Brunngasse

Brunngasse is a romantic street in Brienz lined with historic Swiss wooden chalets. The chalets are adorned with beautiful wood carvings art. It is a 15-minute walk from Brienz train station.

8. Oberdorfstrasse

Oberdorfstrasse is another popular street that is just next to Brunngasse. This historic street used be the town’s main thoroughfare. Some of the buildings here even contain small woodcarving workshops.

9. Brienz Co-Op Supermarket

This is not really an attraction per se, but it is a very well-stocked supermarket with plenty of groceries, snacks, drinks, etc.

The wife and I spent about 10 minutes browsing around here. In the end we bought some delicious Swiss chocolates to snack on the train ride back to Interlaken.

10. Steinbock Hotel Restaurant

Steinbock Hotel Restaurant is a traditional Swiss restaurant offering delicious food such as rosti, pasta, pork schnitzel, and more. According to online reviews, service is good and the food portions are very big.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Jungfrau Region Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?