It may be most famous for its incredible Alps, but Switzerland also has beautiful lakes. Lake Oeschinen, located in the Bernese Oberland near Kandersteg, is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. And that's right.Surrounded by the Bluemlisalp and Doldernhorn peaks, Lake Oeschinen (Oeschinensee in German) is filled with exceptionally clear turquoise waters.The setting itself is already picturesque, so it's no surprise that Oeschinensee has been recognized as part of UNESCO's Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn World Heritage Site since 2007. It may take a bit of effort to get to Lake Oeschinen, but it's totally worth it. Your first glimpse of the lake will take your breath away.

Oeschinen Lake Ticket Prices & Opening Hours

Most people who visit Lake Oeschinen take a gondola to the top. There is also the Oeschinensee Trail through Kandersteg that you can walk to the lake from the parking lot, but the trail is 4.8 miles long and very steep at 1800 feet.

It adds distance to a long day trip. For this reason, most people choose to go up and down by gondola.

Cost of gondola cable car (gondelbahn):

Adults – 22 Swiss francs (CHF) one wayAdults – CHF 30 for round trip ticketChildren from 6 to 16 years old – CHF 11 one wayChildren from 6 to 16 years old – CHF 15 for round trip ticket

The gondola is open from May to October, from 8 a.m.:
30h to 5h:
12am and runs every minute so no waiting time to get in. During the busiest summer months (June to September), the gondola is open a little later until 6pm:
midnight

Keep in mind that the gondola is closed from October to December until the onset of winter.

Roller coaster prices change if you arrive before 11am:
30 hours or later.

Before 11:
30h price is:

Adults 1 trip – 4 CHFAdults 5 trips – 18 CHFChildren from 8 to 16 years old 1 trip – 3 CHFChildren from 8 to 16 years old 5 trips – 13 CHF

After 11 a.m.:
30h price is:

Adults 1 trip – 6 CHFAdults 5 trips – 27 CHFChildren from 8 to 16 years old 1 trip – 5 CHFChildren from 8 to 16 years old 5 trips – 22 CHF

The ultimate mountain roller coaster lasts until 4:
30:30 but we've noticed that many places are starting to cut people off from activities before the posted closing times.

Things to do at Oeschinen Lake

Even if you don't enjoy hiking, the Oeschinensee is worth a visit and also suitable for families. From gondola station, take route no. 4, which leads directly to Oeschinensee. Nestled on the corner of this lake is a restaurant area, an amusement park and a BBQ. You can also rent rowboats to roam the lake, and in the warmer summer months you can also swim in the lake. It's a great place to spend a few hours.

The lake is only a 20-minute walk from the gondola station, but if you can't walk, you can pay to ride a small tram that takes you to the lake. Before you go, be sure to try the roller coaster ride - only CHF 5 one way or CHF 18 for 5 rides (adult price) and it will be fun! You control your own pace and it feels great to go down with a view of the mountains on the horizon!

Getting to Lake Oeschinen

Kandersteg is relatively easy to get to if you have your own car. It also has a train station if you don't have your own vehicle. I will use Interlaken as a base, as that is where we stayed before visiting Kandersteg. From Interlaken you can drive to Kandersteg in just 45 minutes and can park at the gondola. If traveling from Interlaken by train, you'll need to catch a train to Speiz and transfer to a second train to Kandersteg.

Once you reach Kandersteg, you'll need to take a gondola up the mountain to get to Oeschinensee. There are hiking trails up the mountain, if you like, but I recommend the gondola ride. There was also the option of buying a one way ticket for the gondola, which we did and then returned to. The walk from the gondola station to Kandersteg only took an hour but it was steep and I'm glad we chose to go down rather than up!

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