Ships

Ships on Lake Brienz

The scheduled passenger ships on Lake Brienz are operated by the railway company BLS, just as the ships on Lake Thun. The town of Interlaken lies between the two lakes, which are connected by the river Aare. Passengers need to by train from Interlaken West to Interlaken Ost to get from one lake to the other.

The oldest ship of the fleet is the steam ship Lötschberg. It entered service in 1914. In this year WW I broke out, so that tourism suffered. As a result, the new ship was hardly in use during its first few years on the lake. Here, the steam ship travels across Lake Brienz near Giessbach. [Jul 2015].

Lötschberg particulars: Passengers: 800 pax. Length: 56.50m Width: 12.60m Draught: 1.45m Shipyard: Escher Wyss. The ship near Giessbach. [Jul 2005].
The Lötschberg has left Giessbach and is travelling towards Brienz. [Jul 2005].
At the south-eastern shore of the lake is the romantic Giessbach Stream, which makes its way to the lake across a spectacular series of waterfalls. A classic hotel is located here, but not much else. Road access is not very good, so that many guests arrive by ship. A funicular railway connects the landing bridge with the hotel. The Lötschberg at the landing bridge of Giessbach. [Jul 2015].
The paddle steamer Lötschberg has just departed from the landing bridge (Ländte) Giessbach. [Jul 2015].
Passengers board the paddle steamer Lötschberg at Giessbach. [May 2014].
Just like the waters of Lake Brienz, the steam ship Lötschberg also has a distinctive green colour. This is emphasized particularly by the green band just below the railing. The Lötschberg is departing Giessbach. [May 2014].
The Lötschberg has departed Giessbach and is travelling towards Brienz. [May 2014].
The view from the Grand Hotel Giessbach as the steam ship Lötschberg travels in the direction of Interlaken after leaving the landing bridge of Giessbach. [May 2014].
The Lötschberg as it approaches Giessbach. The steam from the ship's whistle can be seen as she signals her arrival. This view also shows the restaurant on the upper deck for first class passengers, which is enclosed by large panorama windows. [Jul 2015].
And that's what the restaurant on the upper deck of the Lötschberg looks like on the inside. [May 2014].
The steam ship Lötschberg travels along the shore between Iseltwald and Giessbach. At that time there were not quite so many shade sails on the ship. The colours then were dominated by brown rather than green shades. [Jul 1986].
The ships travel in a little more than an hour from Interlaken to Brienz. Here, they wait for 20 minutes before returning to Interlaken. For the hourly service three ships are required. The steam ship Lötschberg resting in Brienz. [Aug 2015].
During the summer, every Saturday there is an evening course on the Lötschberg from Interlaken to Brienz and return. am Samstag auch eine Abendfahrt. During dusk the Lötschberg lies at the landing bridge of Brienz. [Jul 2015].
In late summer it is already dark when the Lötschberg arrives in Brienz in the evening. [Sep 2014].
In the evening there is a special atmosphere on Lake Brienz, particularly on board the steam ship Lötschberg. [Jul 2015].
As the Lötschberg arrives in Interlaken, the light shines through the windows. [Jul 2015].
During the day there is more sun and light on board the Lötschberg but nevertheless with a special charm. This is the rotonde on the forward deck. The staircase to the lower deck also is located here. [Aug 2015].
The cabin on the lower deck of the Lötschberg is used as an activity room for children. There are not only many toys for children, but also regular activities and a free baby-sitting service, so that parents can quietly enjoy the lake cruise. [Aug 2015].
From the main deck of the Lötschberg there is a good view into the engine room. In particular the working rods of the engine can be seen. [May 2014].
The bow of the Lötschberg with bell and anchor chain. [Aug 2015].
The paddle steamer Lötschberg arrives in Interlaken on a rainy day. The ships always enter the river Aare in reverse to reach Interlaken. [Aug 2015].
The Lötschberg underway near Ringgenberg. [May 2014].
The oldest motor ship of the Lake Brienz fleet is the D.U. 1. It was built in the 1930s and is used for infrastructure maintenance. Its name is probably an abbreviation of utility unit. Here the ship is seen in the river Aare in Interlaken. [Aug 2015].
The motor ship Jungfrau was built in 1954, but only entered service on Lake Brienz in 1999. Before that it operated on Lake Thun for over 40 years. As part of the move it was refurbished and received a new design in a Swiss look. The Jungfrau is underway near Iseltwald. [Jul 2015].
Jungfrau particulars: Passengers: 700 pax. Length: 48.00m Width: 10.50m Draught: 1.68m Shipyard: Bodanwerft Kressbronn. The Jungfrau near Giessbach. [Jul 2005].
Fresh snow covers the mountains when the Jungfrau leaves Giessbach behind and heads towards Brienz. [Apr 2016].
The motor ship Jungfrau travels across the lake between Brienz and Giessbach. [Apr 2016].
The Jungfrau arrives at the Giessbach landing bridge. [Jul 2005].
The Jungfrau travels up to three times from Interlaken to Brienz and return. Along with the motor ship Brienz it operates the majority of courses on Lake Brienz. [Jul 2015].
The ship Jungfrau is named after the mountain Jungfrau, which also gives its name to a whole region. Jungfrau means virgin, probably originally referring to the virign Mary. In the stairwell of the Jungfrau is this painting, which connects the mountain and the ship with its name in the form of a young woman. [Aug 2015].
The Jungfrau meets the Brienz near Iseltwald. In the background is the railway bridge near Oberried. [Jul 2015].
It is already evening as the Jungfrau arrives in Iseltwald. [Jul 2015].
The Jungfrau travels aft along the river Aare to Interlaken and passes below the bridge of the Brünig Railway. [Aug 2015].
The motor ship Jungfrau arrives in Interlaken. My family is visible at the window. I stood on a new road bridge across the river Aare in the east of Interlaken. [Aug 2015].
Early in the season the Jungfrau for once was resting in Interlaken while other ships operated the scheduled courses that day. [May 2014].
The Jungfrau has left Ringgenberg and travels further towards Iseltwald. [Aug 2015].
The Jungfrau on Lake Brienz between Ringgenberg and Bönigen. [Aug 2015].
The motor ship Interlaken entered service in 1956 and was a major step in the modernisation of the Lake Brienz fleet. Here it is underway near Giessbach. [Apr 2015].
Interlaken particulars: Passengers: 550 pax. Length: 42.10m Width: 7.70m Draught: 1.64m Shipyard: Bodanwerft Kressbronn. The Interlaken is tied up in Interlaken. [Jul 2005].
On this photo the Interlaken is also tied up in Interlaken. That's where the ship spends most of its time as it is not used very often on scheduled services. [May 2014].
The Interlaken is used more frequently in the pre-season, such as on this rainy spring day. The ship is approaching Ringgenberg, with its characteristic church built in the castle ruins. [Apr 2016].
The motor ship Interlaken travels along the southern shore of Lake Brienz between Giessbach and Iseltwald. [Apr 2016].
The Interlaken crosses the lake from Brienz to Giessbach. The Reformed Church of Brienz is clearly visible in the background. [Apr 2015].
On Good Friday the Interlaken is underway near Giessbach. [Apr 2015].
The Interlaken coming alongside the landing bridge of Giessbach. [Apr 2015].
The Iseltwald today is the smallest ship of the fleet. She entered service in 1969. [May 2014].
Iseltwald particulars: Passengers: 300 pax. Length: 37.10m Width: 6.70m Draught: 1.30m Shipyard: ÖSWAG Linz. The Iseltwald is tied up in Interlaken. [Jul 2005].
The Iseltwald is not frequently used on scheduled services. Here the ship is tied up in Interlaken, while the Jungfrau is coming alongside. To the left is the hall of the dry dock and behind it the railway station Interlaken Ost. The towers of the Catholic and Reformed churches are clearly visible. They are both in the vicinity of the former monastery of Interlaken. [Aug 2015].
Like her sister ship Stockhorn on Lake Thun , the Iseltwald was also redesigned as lounge ship. But it did not get a sunroof on the upper deck. On this photo the trendy plants on the upper deck are visible. The ship is tied up in Interlaken. [Aug 2015].
Due to maintenance on the high speed line between Olten and Bern one weekend, trains had to be diverted and arrived late in Interlaken. To guarantee the connection from train to ship, the ships departed late from Interlaken Ost. To gain time, the ships did not call at Bönigen. The Iseltwald was used to offer a shuttle service between Bönigen and Ringgenberg, so that passengers from or to Bönigen could transfer in Ringgenberg. The Iseltwald near Ringgenberg. [May 2014].
The motor ship Iseltwald near Ringgenberg. [May 2014].
Snow-covered mountains form the backdrop to the motor ship Iseltwald on Lake Brienz. [May 2014].
The ships Iseltwald and Brienz near Bönigen. [May 2014].
The Iseltwald near Ringgenberg. The castle ruins and the church, which was later built in the ruins, are quite prominent in this view. [May 2014].
The steam ship Lötschberg is at the landing bridge of Ringgenberg, while the motor ship Iseltwald waits to take transfer passengers to Bönigen. [May 2014].
The motor ship Brienz is the newest ship of the Lake Brienz fleet. It entered service in 1981. On this photo the ship is shown just after it has departed from Brienz. [May 2014].
Brienz particulars: Passengers: 1000 pax. Length: 53.0m Width: 11.00m Draught: 1.62m Shipyard: Bodanwerft Kressbronn. The Brienz near Iseltwald. [Jul 2005].
The village of Brienz is at the eastern, upper end of the lake. The river Aare enters the lake here and leaves it at Interlaken. From Brienz a steam railway makes its way to Mount Rothorn. The motor ship Brienz arrives at the vilage that gave its name to the ship and to the lake. [Jul 2015].
The trees are still bare of leaves, as the Brienz heads for Giessbach. The funicular railway to the Grand Hotel Giessbach can be seen quite distinctly, while in summer the line is shaded by leafy trees. [Apr 2015].
That's the view from the landing bridge of Giessbach as the Brienz approaches. The trees are now covered in green foliage. [May 2014].
The Brienz at the Giessbach landing bridge. I took the photo from the station of the funicular railway. [Jul 2015].
The Brienz near Giessbach. [Aug 2015].
The Brienz travels between Giessbach and Iseltwald. The steep southern shoreline of Lake Brienz is quite obvious in this picture. [Apr 2015].
The motor ship Brienz near Iseltwald. [Jul 2015].
Ships have to travel aft along the river Aare to reach Interlaken from Lake Brienz. The Brienz has already turned around and now runs backwards along the river. It is just about to pass under the railway bridge. To sailors are on watch while it is travelling aft. [May 2014].
The motor ships Brienz and Iseltwald near Ringgenberg. [May 2014].