Mudpie Fridays >> Boat Trip >> Our visit to the Giessbach Falls near Interlaken Switzerland

Our visit to the Giessbach Falls near Interlaken Switzerland

During the Easter holidays, we visited the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland staying in Interlaken. During our stay, one of the great daytrips we wanted to do was get a boat trip around Lake Brienz. On this trip, we hoped to visit the Giessbach Falls or Giessbachfälle. Deemed to be one of the most beautiful of Switzerland waterfalls. But we were unsure what we would find as there was very little information. All we knew is that it was a popular tourist destination next to Grand Hotel Giessbach. So I thought I would write this blog post for those who are also considering doing the same.

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How to get to Giessbach Falls?

Having driven around th south side of Lake Brienz after our initial boat ride it does look like it is possible to drive close to Giessbachfälle and then walk up. However, when we visited we stopped there during our Brienz lake cruise, east of Interlaken. I think this is probably the best way to view the falls as the roading and car parks can get very busy. The kids love a boat trip and it means that you can see other areas of the lake as well. The ferry ride we got on is operated by BSL which is part of the government-run transport system. Leaving Interlaken Ost it takes around an hour to get to the Giessbach Falls landing stage. It is the last stop before Brienz itself. If you would like to read more about the boat trip including pricing information then please see the link below. We caught the first boat out of Interlaken which we anticipated would be the best time to see the beautiful setting before it got busy later in the day.

Giessbach Falls funicular railway

When you get off at the boat dock at Giessbachfälle you will be ushered up a path that leads to the funicular station. Even at the Giessbach funicular, you can hear the roaring water of the mighty waterfall

The funicular railway costs 10 CHF for an adult return ticket. The kids go on the funicular ride for free. Or you can buy a one-way ticket and walk either up or down. Many people opted to get the funicular up and then use the footpath which we found at the top to walk down. We did consider walking down but the kids love a railway and we wanted to make sure we had some time in Brienz.

The beautiful view from the railway carriage is truly stunning. When going up try and sit on the left of the carriage as this will give you the best views across the turquoise waters of lake Brienz. The colour of the water is amazing and having a birds-eye view of it seems to make it even more turquoise. I am not sure if that is possible!

The timings of the funicular are designed to work with the timings of the boats arriving. There is a little clock on the outside which will show you when the next one is. There is also a printed timetable for you to check. We got the 1 pm down which was perfect for picking up the 1.09 pm boat.

Giessbach Hotel & food options

A short ride on the funicular brings you in at the foot of the Giessbach waterfalls to the right and to the left there is the historic Grandhotel Giessbach. Which is a beautiful large historic hotel that dominates the landscape. Still operating today the Giessbach Hotel has a hotel restaurant which is open to non-hotel guests. We visited just as the season was starting and so it was not open. But the boys needed the toilet so I was grateful they could use the facilities of the Giessbach Hotel without question.

Also, run by the Giessbach Hotel there is a snack bar located next to the funicular, which was sadly shut when we visited. The snack bar is located right next to the train station and sells traditional Swiss cheesy snacks. Prices seemed almost reasonable compared to other Swiss eateries we had visited during our stay.

Walking around the Giessbach Waterfalls

As we wanted to get to Brienz we only walked halfway up Giessbachfälle. Although there is a hiking trail that will take you to the top of the waterfall. We took the short walk along the path around to the first bridge which allows you to view the falls up close. Then following the path around so we could actually stand under the beautiful Switzerland waterfalls. It was the boy’s first time doing this and they thought it was excellent and could not resist getting wet! Up to this point, the paths are not difficult to navigate, a little uneven in places as you would expect and on an incline.

After this point, you can continue to walk up to the top. We did start. Here the paths are much steeper zig-zagging up towards the top. We would have gone all the way to the top as the kids were managing fine and Harry was enjoying collecting pine cones. Had we not been under pressure to get back to the boat. Instead, we stopped at a lookout point and marvelled at some felled pine trees that looked as long as the spectacular Giessbach Waterfalls themselves. Took some more photos of the beautiful hotel with the lake of Brienz in the distance before returning back down.

How long do you need at Giessbach Falls?

How long you need depends on what you want to do at these beautiful Switzerland waterfalls. We stayed for about an hour and twenty minutes. Some of this was due to the timing of the boats and funicular. After a toilet stop and a quick look around we headed up the falls. Had we eaten and had it been busy then we probably would have needed slightly longer for the day trip.

If you don’t have young kids and don’t faff then you could probably get away with an hour. Just don’t miss the amazing view across Lake Brienz from the terrace of the hotel. They are stunning.