Giessbach Falls

During our staying in Interlaken we made an excursion to Giessbach Falls, which owes its name to the river of the same name and runs into Brienzersee Lake, East of Interlaken.

They are composed of 14 consecutive water falls which fall from a height of 500 meters from the high valleys of Faulhorn, and later run into the Brienzersee Lake, by a historical building where nowadays the Giessbach Grand Hotel is located. It’s like a postcard photo.

The oldest funicular in Switzerland (some believe it’s even the oldest in Europe) dates from 1879 and it’s a way to arrive from Brienzersee to the hotel. You can go by car, too.

We left the car in a parking area halfway through the falls. From there starts the last road stretch to the hotel, which is reserved for clients only, and also a pedestrian path across the water falls.

It’s said that these falls are the most beautiful ones in Switzerland. We can assure you that the walk is totally worth it, although it’s a steep path. It goes through the forest, crosses some bridges and even goes behind a cascade. The views are spectacular: water falling, little creeks, backwaters…

It’s also shocking to see the hotel with the blue water of the lake in the background. The historical building where the hotel is was built in 1873, 5 years before the funicular, in an area of forests and parks of 22 hectares. It’s closed in winter because of the bad weather conditions.

Some pics of our walk: