9 Lakes Route
9 Lakes Route

Cycling in Switzerland

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Lakes Route

Stage 4, Spiez–Meiringen

Route report
88 photos

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Lakes Route

From deep blue Lake Thun to turquoise Lake Brienz, connected by the tourist town of Interlaken, which is protected by the majestic Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau mountains - and a fairy tale world with a grand hotel near the Giessbach Falls.
Mount Niesen, a pyramid on Lake Thun. Thousands have painted it, Paul Klee and Ferdinand Hodler among them. Singer Tinu Heiniger dedicated a song in Swiss dialect to the 2362 m peak. Leaving Spiez’s own mountain behind, you leisurely continue along Lake Thun toward Interlaken. The church of Leissigen is one of the mythical “12 one thousand-year old churches on Lake Thun”. Legend has it that in the 10th century, King Rudolph II, King of Burgundy and Lombardy, received an order from heaven after a recurring dream to build 12 churches around the town of Einigen. Nowadays it is more likely the water sports that attract so many people. Lake Thun is perfect for sailing, water skiing and wakeboarding, for windsurfing and for many sightseers who prefer a comfortable excursion boat.

Interlaken, overlooked by the famous Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau mountains, is even livelier. While it is primarily Asian visitors strolling through the town, extreme athletes from around the world are excited about paragliding, heli-skiing, ice climbing and river rafting. Bönigen is another worthwhile stop. This is where Lake Brienz begins. The bike trail is on the shaded side of the lake and virtually undisturbed by motorised traffic. Heavenly for bike riders! Looking across the water, you’ll see lovely villages and the mountain ranges with Augstmatthorn and Brienzer Rothorn further to the east. Even the bees seem to like this as they busily zoom around their beehive.

Riding through the forest is very enjoyable here and when you get to the Giessbach Falls your breath will almost stop. Amazing how the water plunges down 14 steps for a total of 400 m. Grand Hotel Giessbach is one of the most beautiful in Switzerland, and the oldest funicular in Europe, built in 1879, makes the uphill climb effortless for many of the guests arriving by boat. The route then leads down to Lake Brienz. The village of Brienz, known as the woodcarving centre of the Bernese Oberland, is located on the lovely lakefront. The Ballenberg open-air museum nearby and the old wheezing steam locomotives pushing the cogwheel trains up to the Brienzer Rothorn are other popular sights. The bike definitely does not need to be pushed here. The flat terrain is easy to navigate and you will breeze into the holiday town of Meiringen, where the main attraction is the Aare Gorge.
From deep blue Lake Thun to turquoise Lake Brienz, connected by the tourist town of Interlaken, which is protected by the majestic Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau mountains - and a fairy tale world with a grand hotel near the Giessbach Falls.
Mount Niesen, a pyramid on Lake Thun. Thousands have painted it, Paul Klee and Ferdinand Hodler among them. Singer Tinu Heiniger dedicated a song in Swiss dialect to the 2362 m peak. Leaving Spiez’s own mountain behind, you leisurely continue along Lake Thun toward Interlaken. The church of Leissigen is one of the mythical “12 one thousand-year old churches on Lake Thun”. Legend has it that in the 10th century, King Rudolph II, King of Burgundy and Lombardy, received an order from heaven after a recurring dream to build 12 churches around the town of Einigen. Nowadays it is more likely the water sports that attract so many people. Lake Thun is perfect for sailing, water skiing and wakeboarding, for windsurfing and for many sightseers who prefer a comfortable excursion boat.

Interlaken, overlooked by the famous Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau mountains, is even livelier. While it is primarily Asian visitors strolling through the town, extreme athletes from around the world are excited about paragliding, heli-skiing, ice climbing and river rafting. Bönigen is another worthwhile stop. This is where Lake Brienz begins. The bike trail is on the shaded side of the lake and virtually undisturbed by motorised traffic. Heavenly for bike riders! Looking across the water, you’ll see lovely villages and the mountain ranges with Augstmatthorn and Brienzer Rothorn further to the east. Even the bees seem to like this as they busily zoom around their beehive.

Riding through the forest is very enjoyable here and when you get to the Giessbach Falls your breath will almost stop. Amazing how the water plunges down 14 steps for a total of 400 m. Grand Hotel Giessbach is one of the most beautiful in Switzerland, and the oldest funicular in Europe, built in 1879, makes the uphill climb effortless for many of the guests arriving by boat. The route then leads down to Lake Brienz. The village of Brienz, known as the woodcarving centre of the Bernese Oberland, is located on the lovely lakefront. The Ballenberg open-air museum nearby and the old wheezing steam locomotives pushing the cogwheel trains up to the Brienzer Rothorn are other popular sights. The bike definitely does not need to be pushed here. The flat terrain is easy to navigate and you will breeze into the holiday town of Meiringen, where the main attraction is the Aare Gorge.
47 km
Asphalted: 44 km
Natural surface: 3 km
600 m | 620 m
medium

Arrival | return travel

Arrival / return travel Spiez
SBB Timetable Show stop and route on map

More …

Traffic volume
Beware: busy main road Interlaken (Hochbrücke West)–Leissigen.
Push-only passage
Pushing section: approx. 300 m above Brienzersee (Giessbach Falls, rocky, narrow forest trail)
Saving metres in altitude
There is a boat between Brienz (See) and Iseltwald (See) that saves about 250 metres in altitude.

Hints

Guides
There is a guide available for this route in German and French.
More

Arrival | return travel

Arrival / return travel Meiringen
SBB Timetable Show stop and route on map

Services

Accommodation

Hotel-Motel Löwen
Hotel-Motel Löwen
Wimmis
B&B Tschirren
B&B Tschirren
Spiez
ABZ Spiez – Hotel Seaside
ABZ Spiez – Hotel Seaside
Spiez
Hotel Restaurant Möve
Hotel Restaurant Möve
Faulensee
Camping Stuhlegg
Camping Stuhlegg
Krattigen
Hotel-Restaruant Kreuz
Hotel-Restaruant Kreuz
Leissigen
Jugendherberge Leissigen
Jugendherberge Leissigen
Leissigen
Dorint Blüemlisalp Beatenberg/Interlaken
Dorint Blüemlisalp Beatenberg/Interlaken
Beatenberg
Chalet Gafri BnB - Frühstückspension
Chalet Gafri BnB - Frühstückspension
Wilderswil
Golf- und Strandhotel, Restaurant Neuhaus zum See
Golf- und Strandhotel, Restaurant Neuhaus zum See
Interlaken
Hotel Bernerhof
Hotel Bernerhof
Interlaken
Hotel Derby Garni
Hotel Derby Garni
Interlaken
Balmer's Herberge und Tent Village
Balmer's Herberge und Tent Village
Matten b. Interlaken
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof
Interlaken
Hotel Artos
Hotel Artos
Interlaken
Jugendherberge Interlaken
Jugendherberge Interlaken
Interlaken
TCS Camping Interlaken + RiverLodge
TCS Camping Interlaken + RiverLodge
Interlaken
TCS Camping Bönigen - Interlaken
TCS Camping Bönigen - Interlaken
Bönigen b. Interlaken
Hotel Walida
Hotel Walida
Bönigen b. Interlaken
Hotel du Lac
Hotel du Lac
Iseltwald
Jugendherberge Brienz
Jugendherberge Brienz
Brienz BE
B+B Wyler
B+B Wyler
Brienz BE
Pilgerherberge Brienzwiler
Pilgerherberge Brienzwiler
Brienzwiler
Truwaaje B+B Brienzwiler
Truwaaje B+B Brienzwiler
Brienzwiler
Hotel-Restaurant Alpina
Hotel-Restaurant Alpina
Innertkirchen
bett und zmorge
bett und zmorge
Meiringen
Gasthaus Brünig Kulm
Gasthaus Brünig Kulm
Meiringen
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Bookable offers

9 Lakes Route
9 Lakes Route
9 Rhone Route Central Switzerland
9 Rhone Route Central Switzerland
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Places

Wimmis
Wimmis
Spiez
Spiez
Aeschi b. Spiez
Aeschi b. Spiez
Beatenberg
Beatenberg
Interlaken
Interlaken
Habkern
Habkern
Brienz
Brienz
Innertkirchen
Innertkirchen
Meiringen
Meiringen
Brünigpass
Brünigpass
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Places of interest

Heartbeat Trail
Heartbeat Trail
Beatushöhlen
Beatushöhlen
The Weissenau near Interlaken
The Weissenau near Interlaken
Harder Kulm - Interlaken's own mountain
Harder Kulm - Interlaken's own mountain
Bönigen, a village of woodcarved houses
Bönigen, a village of woodcarved houses
Bike trail Schwanden-Brienz
Bike trail Schwanden-Brienz
Ballenberg
Ballenberg
Chaltenbrunnen
Chaltenbrunnen
Meiringen–Reuti
Meiringen–Reuti
Aareschlucht
Aareschlucht
Pumptrack Hasliberg
Pumptrack Hasliberg
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