Lake Brienz, Alpine lake in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.
Lake Brienz is an alpine body of water in the Bernese Oberland surrounded by steep mountain walls that rise directly from the shore. The water appears turquoise due to fine glacial sediments carried by meltwater from the surrounding peaks.
Lake Brienz is the eastern remnant of the former Wendelsee, which also covered today's Lake Thun. Shipping on the lake was first regulated by the city of Bern in 1562, and lake traffic dominated until the 20th century. In 1839 a small steamer renamed "Giessbach" began running between Interlaken and Brienz with a stop at Giessbach.
The town of Brienz on the northern shore is known for its woodcarving craft, a tradition carried on by skilled artisans who work in their studios. You can watch these craftspeople create intricate pieces using methods passed down through generations.
Boat services run regularly along the lake, connecting villages from Brienz to Interlaken. Walking paths follow the shoreline and allow visitors to explore between the waterfront communities at their own pace.
In the 20th century several hundred tonnes of munitions were sunk in the lake, one of the larger amounts in Swiss waters. Around 1996 a wax-encased body was recovered, later found to be a man who had died about 250 years earlier; in 2014 a woman's body was recovered after roughly 60 years. The lake also gives its name to the Brienzlig, a small whitefish found only here and in Lake Thun.
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