Our visit to Oeschinen Lake, also know as Oeschinensee, will go down as one of our travel highlights! This lake is one of the most naturally beautiful destinations in Switzerland, not an easy feat considering how incredibly picturesque the country is. Whilst not as popular as the Jungfrau region attractions, we think that Oeschinensee could be the best of the lot.
We were lucky enough to visit with Ky’s brother and his partner. Sharing this experience and incredible location with family was a moment we will definitely remember for the rest of our lives!
Arriving at Kandersteg, we headed up to the gondola that transports you up the side of the mountain. You can hike, however we decided to take the scenic route up and spend our time hiking and enjoying the lake. The gondola takes 15 minutes and costs 22 CHF one way, or 30 CHF return (approx $45 AUD). We enjoyed the gondola rides in Switzerland despite their cost as they offered a unique experience and excellent views.
The hike to Oeschinen Lake is a very easy 25-35 minutes (depending on if you take the number 4 or 5 trial). We took the “5” trail through the forest and down to the lake. The first view of the lake takes your breath away, and the subsequent images as you walk around the perimeter get even better. We checked out the main view point before heading down to the edge of Oeschinen Lake. We took the lakeside trail and hike around 1 hour along the perimeter.
- Gondola to Oeschinensee main view point: 25-35 minutes, easy hike with low incline
- Oeschinensee main view point to the lakeside: 15-25 minutes with moderate-hard incline (pending the direction you take) and uneven terrain.
- Perimeter hikes: these vary considerably in length of time, from a few hours to over half day hikes. They are generally moderate difficulty due to the terrain, incline and need to scale rocks. Wear good shoes!
We recommend the best things to do when visiting Oeschinen Lake:
- Hiking: this goes without saying. As mentioned above, there are many hiking options with varying difficulty, all boasting incredible views.
- Sit and enjoy the lake: wherever you decide to sit you will be treated to excellent views. We chose to spend some time sitting by the lake.
- Have a picnic or BBQ by the lake: we set up by the lake for a picnic, while we saw others having a BBQ in the fire pits lakeside.
- Have a swim: this isn’t for the faint hearted, as Oeschinen Lake is ice cold. However, we LOVED our refreshing and invigorating dip!
How to get to Oeschinensee?
Oeschinensee is located in the Bernese Oberland near the town of Kandersteg. We visited via car from Interlarken, which took around 50 minutes and was a very picturesque drive. Driving is the easiest way to visit, however you can catch the train from Interlarken Ost, change at Speiz and get off at Kandersteg. The journey will take over an hour and won’t be covered in your ‘Jungfrau Pass’ so make sure you buy tickets as you will be checked by officers.
What time should you visit Oeshinensee?
We visited Oeshinensee early, getting a gondola up around 8.45am and reaching the lake around 9.30am. When we arrived, the lake was still shrouded in shade, creating a ‘moody’ vibe. Over the next hour the sun begun to peak over the mountains, illuminating the lake and surrounding trees. We stayed by the lake, and hiked around the edge, returning back around 12pm. Arriving early allowed us to beat the crowds which began to increase around 10.30-11am. The first gondola runs from 8.30am and the last is 5pm (in peak season, this changes in winter so make sure to check). If you only have time to quickly visit, get there after 10ish so you see the lake illuminated in sunshine, however if you have time like we did, head there early, enjoy the lake ‘by yourself’ and see the sun rise over the mountains.
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Jake
October 11, 2023 at 11:09 pm
What time of year did you go to the lake? I see the post is at the end of September .
2CupsofTravel
October 12, 2023 at 8:52 am
Hey Jake, we visited late September and had amazing weather!