Giswil (485 metres altitude) is the last village before the ascent to the Brünig Pass. In the second half of the 19th century, Giswil enjoyed a significant economic upturn when the pass road over the Brünig (1868) and the railway line (1889) were opened. The A8 road tunnel bypassing the village was opened in 1994, relieving it of heavy through traffic. Another road, the Panoramastrasse, leads with a gradient of up to 12% over the 1611 metre-high Glaubenbielen Pass to Sörenberg, continuing into the Entlebuch valley to Schüpfheim.

The largely unspoilt landscape is dominated by the pretty Sarnersee and the Giswilerstock peak. The Giswiler Lauibach stream running through the valley can swell to a torrent in heavy rainfall and has been responsible for many past floods. In 1629, it swept the old parish church away and forced the inhabitants to abandon a part of the village.

This widespread municipality has several preserved medieval wooden buildings. A historic footpath leads to these houses and other objects of interest. The presumably oldest house – Schrotenmatt - was built in 1467. The parish church of St. Laurentius stands on the former fortress hill; the hilltop ruins supplied construction material for the new church that was built on the same site in 1635. The ruins of the Rudenz fortress and remains of a further fortress can be found in the Kleinteil region of Giswil.

The shore of the Sarnersee with the camping site is a few minutes away from the village. Behind the camping site, the Steinibach stream flows down from the Glaubenberg. Millennia of erosion have carved out a primeval-looking landscape of woodland interspersed with boulders and rock. It is a popular area for summer bathing and hiking.

The small ski region of Mörlialp lies above Giswil on the road to Glaubenberg. It is served by a chairlift and several smaller lifts. The area also has attractive opportunities for tobogganing, winter hiking, snowshoe trekking and occasionally snow biking.