Brienz

Brienz is a picturesque village in the canton of Bern, set on the shores of Lake Brienz, known for its turquoise waters surrounded by wooded mountains. The village has a long-standing association with woodcarving, a traditional craft taught at the Brienz School of Woodcarving and visible in several local workshops. Nearby lies the Ballenberg open-air museum, which showcases traditional Swiss rural architecture through historic buildings gathered across an extensive site. Brienz is also the starting point of the Brienz Rothorn steam railway, one of the last steam-powered rack railways in Europe, climbing towards panoramic views of the Bernese Alps. The lake offers opportunities for swimming, boating and scenic cruises, while the surrounding hills are well suited to summer hiking and more modest winter activities in the colder months. The village retains an authentic character, with traditional wooden houses typical of the Bernese Oberland. Its central location within the region makes it a convenient base for exploring the Bernese Oberland, with its combination of lakes, forests and alpine peaks close at hand.