Hotels near Lake Brienz cruise and Giessbach Falls

Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) is the smaller, more turquoise of the two lakes - the colour comes from glacial silt flowing in from the Aare River. The star stop is Giessbach Falls, a 14-tier cascade dropping about 500 metres down the north shore. From the boat pier, the historic Giessbach funicular (running since 1879, the oldest in Europe) climbs to the Grandhotel Giessbach where a network of trails takes you right behind the falls. Boat return to the Giessbach stop from Interlaken Ost is about CHF 44 with a Half Fare Card in 2026; the funicular adds around CHF 7. If you continue on to Brienz village at the far end, you can catch the Brienz Rothorn steam railway (May to October) up to 2,244 metres for a proper Old-World experience.

Pro Tip: Do the falls in the morning when the light hits them east-to-west. Walk the loop trail behind the middle cascade - you'll get soaked, but the view back through the spray is the best photo on the lake.