Blausee, Mountain lake in Kandergrund, Switzerland

Blausee is a mountain lake in Switzerland with turquoise-blue water situated within a nature preserve of around 20 hectares in the Bernese Alps. The basin is surrounded by forest paths and sits at 887 meters elevation, where the clear water shows the geology of the alpine landscape.

Blausee formed more than 15,000 years ago when a rockslide dammed the Kandertal valley; the lake lies among the debris of that event. In 1878 the Zurich merchant Johann Leemann-Boller bought the lake and surrounding land from the Frutigen innkeeper Johann Reichen-Bhend. The Lötschberg railway and the expanded road brought a tourism boom, and a hotel and a trout hatchery were built. In 1925 the biscuit manufacturer Oscar Kambly acquired the Blausee estate, which remains with the Kambly family.

The name Blausee means "blue lake". A legend says the colour comes from the blue eyes of a girl who drowned herself in grief over her lover's death. Since 1998 a sculpture by Raffael Fuchs of Glattfelden lies in the water as a reminder of the tale.

The site is easy to reach and offers walking paths suitable for different fitness levels around the water. Visitors should bring weather-appropriate clothing, as the mountain setting brings rapid weather changes.

The lake's blue colour comes from water absorbing red light more strongly than blue. A legend attributes it to the blue eyes of a girl who drowned in grief for her dead lover. Since 1998 a sculpture by Raffael Fuchs in the lake recalls the tale.