Things to do in Kandersteg & Oeschinensee

Kandersteg sits at the end of the Kandertal, about 50 minutes from Interlaken Ost with a change at Spiez, and it is the gateway to Lake Oeschinen, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The gondola from the village runs to Oeschinensee station, after which it is a 20-minute walk down to the shore. A return ticket costs around CHF 34.

The lake sits at 1,578 m, ringed by the Blüemlisalp glacier, and its colour shifts from turquoise to deep blue depending on the light and the season. Swimming is genuinely possible in July and August, though the water stays cold. There is a summer luge track near the top station, and a flat lakeside loop takes about 2 hours on foot.

Walkers who would rather skip the gondola can follow the signed path up from Kandersteg village, a steeper climb of roughly 1 hour 30 minutes each way.