Giessbach Falls, the Best Water Falls of the Jungfrau Region!

The Giessbach Falls are a captivating natural wonder located on Lake Brienz in the Jungfrau Region. Surrounded by breathtaking Alpine landscapes, these cascading waterfalls offer a unique experience topped with the fact that you can actually walk behind one of the falls! Let’s find out everything you need to know for a fantastic experience!

History

The Giessbach Falls have been an inspiration for artists, poets, and travelers throughout history. Notable personalities like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy have paid visits and praised the enchanting beauty of the falls. The Grand Hotel Giessbach, built in the late 19th century, adds to the historical charm of the area and offers a glimpse into the past, namely the Belle Epoque where tourism started to become popular in Switzerland.

What to do at the Giessbach Falls?

Visit the Giessbach Falls

The Giessbach Falls are numerous cascading water falls that originated high up in the mountains and slowly make their way down to Lake Brienz. If you go on a short walk on the circular hiking trail from the car park or the Grandhotel Giessbach, you will arrive at one of the waterfalls where you can walk behind. This is a truly unique experience and should be the main highlight of your visit to the falls.

If you stay into the evening, you will experience the falls being lit up!

Hiking

There is a well-built network of hiking trails that allow visitors to explore the surrounding forest as well as the water falls. The paths offer varying degrees of difficulty, and are suitable for both casual strollers and experienced hikers. This is on top of the normal circular hiking trail that leads you around the falls.

Ride the Giessbach funicular

When you arrive by boat in summer, you get to take an old funicular all the way up to the hotel. Although the ride is really short, it is definitely worth a ride. The funicular costs a small fee, however you need to bring some Swiss Francs coins to pay that to the attendant on site.

Visit the Grandhotel Giessbach

Explore the iconic Grandhotel Giessbach, which is a beautifully preserved historical hotel that is more than 100 years old. Wander through its elegant halls and soak in the nostalgia of a bygone era. Don’t miss the opportunity to have a seat and enjoy tea and cake at the hotel’s terrace. There you can enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Brienz.

Where are the Giessbach Falls?

They are located on the southern shore of Lake Brienz, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. The falls are situated near the town of Brienz and are part of the wider Jungfrau Region.

How to get to the Giessbach Falls?

By public transportation:

From Interlaken Ost, take the train to Brienz. From Brienz, you can either take a boat across Lake Brienz to the Giessbach Boat Station (in summer only) or catch a bus that will drop you off near the falls.

By car:

If you’re traveling by car, follow the A8 highway to the Brienz exit. From there, follow the signs to Giessbach Falls. Parking facilities are available near the falls and they cost.

How much is the entry to the Giessbach Falls?

You don’t have to pay to visit the circular hiking trail of the water falls.

What are the opening hours of the Giessbach Falls?

You can visit the Giessbach Falls all day and year round. However, they might be frozen in winter and the ships of Lake Brienz don’t operate during this time. Also the hotel has limited opening hours during the winter months.

How long does it take to visit the Giessbach Falls?

You should plan to stay at least 2 hours at the site to fully enjoy the water falls and Grandhotel Giessbach. You can combine this attraction on a day trip with other popular attractions and destinations in the region such as Iseltwald, Brienz, Brienzer Rothorn mountain or Aare Gorge.

The best way to visit the Giessbach Falls is by lake cruise from either Brienz or Interlaken. It is great to the the funicular to go uphill, but then to walk all the way down to the ship’s pier again (approx. 30 mins). On the way down you will see even more water falls!