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Recommended season: early April to late October
Altitude: 563 m (1847 ft)
Town size: Small
This town is on a lake
Local language: German
There is a train stationTravel info and village map 
How to reach Brienz by train
Brienz can best be reached by train. You can get there from the directions of Meiringen (0h10), Interlaken (0h20), Zurich (2h20), and from Lucerne via the northern section of the GoldenPass route (1h30).
All connections from and to Brienz are available in the Swiss timetable. The train station is simply called "Brienz". The smaller station in the western part of the village is "Brienz West".
Don't confuse this with "Brienz/Brinzauls GR": that's a village with the same name in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
How to get to Brienz by boat
From spring to fall, several boats a day operate on Lake Brienz: between Interlaken Ost on the western side of the lake and Brienz on the eastern side. Learn all about these Lake Brienz cruises here.
Buses to and in Brienz
The main bus routes to and from Brienz are:
- Interlaken West - Brienz - Innertkirchen, via Interlaken Ost, the villages on the northern lakeshore, and Meiringen east of Brienz
- Brienz - Brünig-Hasliberg, which is north of Brienz at the Brünig Pass toward Lucerne
- Brienz - Axalp, a spectacular route into the mountains south of the lake
These buses stop at various locations in the village of Brienz as well.
The main bus stop next to the rail station is called "Brienz BE, Bahnhof" in the Swiss timetable. Again, don't select the village in Graubünden called "Brienz/Brinzauls, GR".
How to reach Brienz by car
It's possible to get to Brienz by car too. From Zurich, this takes about 1h30.
If you're driving from the north or east, you need to cross mountain passes:
- the Brünig Pass if you travel from the direction of Zurich/Lucerne
- the Susten Pass if you're coming from Gadmen or Wassen
- the Grimsel Pass if you're arriving from the Upper Rhone Valley in the Valais
- the Furka Pass if you're coming from Andermatt
The layout of Brienz
Brienz is small, but it's stretched out along the north-eastern banks of Lake Brienz. There are outskirts toward the west, east, and up on the slopes at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn.
The two main areas in the village are:
- The area with the train station, main bus stop, and boat dock. They're all next to one another. The supermarket can be found here too.
- The part a bit west of the train station. Smaller shops can be found here, on or near the main street "Haupstrasse". The main bus stop here is "Brienz BE, Rössliplatz".
Traveling in Brienz
If your accommodation is near the rail station or close to the main street, it's easy to get by on foot.
If your accommodation is a bit farther away, you can use the train or bus as described above.
Rail passes for a stay in Brienz
As a hotel guest, you'll receive the Brienz guest card for discounts on local trips and attractions. In most cases, you need more than that though.
The Berner Oberland Pass is an excellent choice if you want to travel roughly between Lucerne, Bern, Meiringen, Gstaad, and the Jungfrau Region.
Consider a pass for the whole of Switzerland if your itinerary includes more regions.
Find out which pass is best for your plans here.
When to visit Brienz
The best time to stay in Brienz and to visit the town is early April to late October. The views of the lake and its surrounding mountains are wonderful during this season.
Brienz is less suitable for a winter stay. Snow in the village isn't likely. Boats at the lake don't operate. Nor does the train to the Brienzer Rothorn. The pass roads east of Brienz can be closed down too.
Weather info and forecast for Brienz
Brienz has a mild climate. It's usually above freezing point in winter. In summer, expect temperatures between 20°C and 25°C or more.
On typical warm summer days, clouds tend to build over the mountains first, and then spread to other areas. On such days, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz can remain cloudless for relatively long, more so than villages in the Jungfrau Region for example.
Where to stay in Brienz
Brienz is small, so there's not a huge selection of hotels. But the hotels that are available, are often close to the lake and offer rooms with panoramic views. Go here for my Brienz hotel recommendations.
Hotels in the lovely lakeside town Brienz
The pros and cons of Brienz
These are reasons to stay in Brienz:
- Brienz is a little town offering all facilities you need during your holidays. It’s not as lively as nearby Interlaken, but it’s much more authentic.
- The lake and the mountains guarantee a great view from about every spot in town.
- You can cover several areas from Brienz. That’s how we used Brienz: as a base town to visit diverse regions, and this suited us very well. The Jungfrau Region and the Hasli Valley near Meiringen can be reached within half an hour. A train trip to Lucerne takes about 1h30.
The possible cons of Brienz are:
- Hiking directly from town is possible, but the options are limited: the mountains rise up on one side of the town and the lake is on the other side.
- You’re not directly in the Alps. If that’s what you prefer, consider one of the villages in the Jungfrau Region, the Valais or Graubünden instead.
Things to do in Brienz
Find your activities in and near Brienz
Wood carving in Brienz
Brienz has a history with wood. The wood carving school in town opened in 1884.
There is a wood carving museum, so you can learn everything about this craftsmanship. Several shops in Brienz offer wood carving products in all shapes and sizes.
The Ballenberg open-air museum
Close to Brienz is the Ballenberg open-air museum. This is a great excursion for the entire family. You'll see typically Swiss farmhouses and learn about the old Swiss crafts.
Bus rides over the mountain passes
East of Brienz is a network of stunning mountain roads. If you stay in Brienz in summer, try to make at least one scenic bus ride. Highlights are:
- the ride to Grindelwald via Meiringen, Schwarzwaldalp in the Rosenlaui Valley, and Grosse Scheidegg
- the four-passes tour that starts and ends in nearby Meiringen
- www.brienzersee.ch: Brienz guest card
- www.museum-holzbildhauerei.ch: wood carving museum
- www.holzbildhauerei.ch: wood carving school
- www.postauto.ch: bus network Brienz-Meiringen-Hasliberg
- www.postauto.ch: bus network of the road passes east of Brienz
- www.interlaken.ch: four-passes bus tour
Free with the Swiss Travel Pass in the Bernese Oberland
Hike Giessbach-Iseltwald
