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Attraction · Interlaken

Giessbach Falls

Fourteen cascades dropping through forest into Lake Brienz, reached by a lake boat and Europe's oldest funicular. The calm counterpoint to a mountain day.

Time neededHalf a day
Best timeMay–Oct
Getting thereBoat on Lake Brienz
SettingLake Brienz shore
About

The quiet half of the Jungfrau region

The Giessbach falls come down the forested slope above Lake Brienz in a series of steps rather than one drop, and the grand hotel that sits beside them has been receiving visitors since the nineteenth century. What makes it worth the detour is the approach: a boat across a lake the colour of the glacier that feeds it, then a short funicular up through the trees. It is the counterpoint to the Jungfrau day — no altitude, no timetable pressure, and paths that let you walk behind the water.

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What to See

What to see

The falls, the walk beside them, and the lake you crossed to get there.

💦 The falls

  • Fourteen cascades stepping down through the forest to the lake shore
  • A path that crosses behind one of the drops, which is the reason to walk rather than look
  • Floodlighting on summer evenings, seen from the lake

🚞 The approach

  • The funicular from the boat pier up to the hotel terrace — the oldest of its kind in Europe
  • The Lake Brienz boat itself, which is much of the pleasure

🥾 Walking

  • Marked paths continue above the falls into quiet forest
  • The terrace at the hotel is the view most people come for and is open to non-residents
Getting There

Getting there

The boat is the point; the road exists but is the lesser version.

⛴️ By boat

  • Lake Brienz services from Interlaken Ost call at Giessbach See
  • The funicular connects the pier to the falls and the hotel above

🚗 By road

  • Reachable by car from the Brienz side, with parking above the hotel
  • Bus and train to Brienz then a short taxi is the alternative in poor weather
Best Time

When to go

The falls run hardest when the snow above them is melting.

📅 Season

  • Late spring and early summer give the strongest flow
  • Boat services are seasonal and thin out sharply outside the summer months
  • Autumn is quieter with the forest turning, and the water is lower

🕰️ Time of day

  • Late afternoon light comes down the slope onto the water
  • Summer evenings are when the falls are lit

⏱️ How long

  • Half a day including the boat both ways
Visitor Intelligence

Worth knowing

A short list, because this is an easy outing.

⛴️ Timetable

  • Boat frequency is the constraint; check the last sailing back before you settle on the terrace

👟 Footing

  • The path behind the falls is wet and can be slippery in any weather

📷 Photography

  • The falls face the afternoon light; mornings are flatter

🎫 Access

  • The falls and the paths are open to walk; the funicular is ticketed
Nearby

Nearby

What else the lakes hold.

Jungfraujoch
The mountain day · from Interlaken Ost
Brienz
Woodcarving village at the far end of the lake
Lake Thun
The other lake, and the castle at Oberhofen
Good to Know

Frequently asked

The pleasant way is the Lake Brienz boat from Interlaken Ost to the Giessbach See pier, then the funicular up through the trees to the hotel and the falls. The funicular is the oldest of its kind in Europe. You can also drive round from the Brienz side and park above the hotel, but the crossing is a large part of what makes the trip worth making.
Yes — one of the marked paths crosses behind a cascade, which is the reason to walk the falls rather than view them from the terrace. The rock is wet in all weather and the footing is slippery, so proper shoes matter. Paths continue above the falls into quieter forest if you want more than the main circuit.
Late spring and early summer, when snowmelt from above is feeding them and the flow is strongest. Autumn is quieter and the forest colour is good, but the water is noticeably lower. Boat services are seasonal, so check sailings before planning an out-of-season visit — the road approach still works when the lake service does not.
They are opposites and that is the argument for doing both. Jungfraujoch is altitude, timetables and expense; Giessbach is a boat, a forest and an afternoon with nothing scheduled. Many itineraries put the falls on the day after the mountain deliberately, as the recovery day.
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