Disclosure: This blog is reader-supported, and some posts contain affiliate links. If you make a booking, I may earn a small commission-at no extra cost to you. Thank you for keeping me writing and doing what I love!
Over the last few years, hiking Oeschinensee (Oeschinen Lake) is gaining popularity with travelers to Switzerland. If you look at photos of this serene lake, you can understand why. This is a beautiful, naturally formed turquoise lake in the Swiss Alps near the town of Kanderstag. The lake is fed by glacial water and is around 5,177 feet above sea level – nearly the same elevation as my home of Denver, Colorado.
As you hike around the lake, you’ll be surrounded by limestone peaks, wildflower-strewn meadows, and quiet forests. Often described as one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Alps, Oeschinensee offers a perfect escape for hikers, photographers, families, and anyone craving Swiss nature at its finest.
When we were planning our trip to Switzerland, the number one activity on our list was hiking Oeschinensee. Everything we read about the lake excited us for this hike, but the reality of being there exceeded our expectations.
Learn all about hiking Oeschinensee from how to get there, the cost, and time needed to have your own adventure here.
Oeschinensee is not part of the Jungfrau Region, but it’s in the larger area called Bernese Oberland and fairly easy to get to from the town of Kanderstag.
Traveling to Kanderstag
If you’re traveling by train from the Jungfrau Region to Kanderstag, you can get there in under three hours. Since we stayed in Lauterbrunnen, I searched for the train route from there and you would train to Interlaken before changing trains to head to Spiez with a final train change there to take you to Kanderstag.
If you’re traveling by car, the drive is about one hour from Lauterbrunnen. Instead of parking at the gondola lift station that fills up fast, I recommend parking at the Kanderstag train station. It’s a short walk from the train station to the gondola lift station, and costs only 5CHF to park there.
It may seem strange to buy tickets for the gondola to go on a hike. This is what my thoughts were when planning our hike here, especially since they the lift tickets are so expensive. After going here and understanding the area, I promise you will want the tickets for the gondola. Especially if you’re going to do the hike I recommend later in the post as it’s a little longer.
If you decide not to take the gondola up to the trail head, you will need to plan to hike from the base gondola station to the trail head start which is approximately three miles. I will warn you that it appears to be a steady incline. The hike you’ll be doing around the lake will be around six miles more, bringing this to be a 12 mile round trip hike. If will be around 6 miles round trip if you use the gondola.
We had originally planned to save money and not get the gondola tickets, but we hiked Oeschinensee on day four of our trip and our legs would not enjoy that many miles. The views from the Gondola were amazing too – it all worked out so we could enjoy the lake!
Getting from the Gondola to the trails
Once you arrive at the train station, you’ll take a short walk through the town and you’ll be at the Gondola lift station in no time. There are kiosks to buy your tickets when you arrive – you don’t need to buy them ahead of time. If you’re visiting during summer, buying the tickets in advance may ensure the time you’d like due to busier crowds.
There are options to buy one way tickets or round trip tickets. Knowing ourselves, my husband and I splurged on the round trip to make sure we enjoyed the lake as much as possible. The round trip tickets were around $60 USD per person. I believe the prices can vary on time of year and time of day.
The gondola will take you up to the base of the different trail heads. After taking the gondola up the base of the trail heads (or hiking three miles to get there) you can truly begin the trek to the breathtaking turquoise lake!
Hiking Oeschinensee: overview
The gondola takes you to the beginning of the trail heads. There’s a few different hikes on Alltrails, but I’m going to recommend the Lake Oeschinen Loop. This is 5.5 mile loop that will guarantee you incredible views all along the trail. To make it a little easier, I recommend hiking the trail in a clockwise path.
If you hike the trail in a clockwise path, that means you’ll veer left at the Y of the trail head instead of veering right straight to the lake. This direction of the hike means the incline will be at the first half of the trail and it will be a very easy hike the second half of the trail. It’s a pretty straight forward trail and it’s unlikely to get lost, but you can always download the trail on Alltrails for peace of mind.
The views of the first half of the trail are from above on cliffs (picture below) and it was fantastic. There are a several stops along the way with benches are spots to sit and take a break. We enjoyed granola bars and oranges at around two miles in with the best view of the lake. While weather can be unpredictable, we couldn’t have asked for a clearer, sunshine day.
Once you hit the halfway point (about 3 miles in), you’ll stumble across a small trade post. The trade post has a bathroom and sells an assortment of refreshments like water, chips, and other drinks. We had already packed sandwiches, chips, Powerade, and other snacks so we could save some money and snack along the trail. I recommend doing the same so you can feel prepared!
The rest of the hike from the trade post is a downward path towards the lake. We were hiking Oeschinensee in early October, so the temperatures weren’t very high athe lake temperature was absolutely freezing. With that said, we didn’t partake in the polar plunge but this is an option if you’re feeling adventurous or visiting in the summer months.
From parking our car to: taking the gondola up, hiking, taking the gondola down, shopping in a grocery store and walking back to the car, we spent around six hours.
What to pack
As I mentioned in packing for Switzerland in fall, any time of year in Switzerland the weather can change very quickly and be unpredictable. I always recommend layers for any hike which starts with a comfortable backpack to store everything. At the start of our hike, we were dressed in leggings and hiking pants along with a tank top, long sleeve, and cozy jackets. By the end of the hike, we only had our leggings and long sleeves on. Layers are important and don’t forget them!
For hiking Oeschinensee, I’d recommend packing:
- Backpack: REI trail backpack – I like this one because of the waist strap support and how much stuff can fit in this bag
- Hiking boots: Merrell – the BEST hiking shoes ever made
- Long sleeve: Athleta long sleeve – I’ve been loving this long sleeve and it was the perfect base layer for long days.
- Leggings: I didn’t need wool leggings in October so I wore my trusted Lululemon leggings and they were perfect.
- Light jacket: Free people jacket – I rented the jacket from nuuly (use this link for $30 off your first order) and I almost bought the jacket I loved it so much!
- Warmer coat: Eddie Bauer – this waterproof jacket is lightweight and can fit in your carryon easily without compromising the warmth it gives.
- Waterproof raincoat or jacket: Northface raincoat – I’d recommend having your warmer coat be waterproof and using that as a raincoat but if not, this is the raincoat I have and love
- Reusable water bottle: Owala – I personally recommend the owala because there’s a built in straw but there’s a cover for the top so germs aren’t touching where you’re sipping from
- Gloves or mittens: Northface – I brought my skiing mittens and would put them in the bag when it warmed up!
- Hat: Carhartt – I have this hat in multiple colors because it’s not too warm for fall and is perfect for the chillier, higher altitude temperatures.
- Portable phone charger: 2 pack – We bought the two pack off amazon and we bring this on all of our trips. You can never take enough photos or videos!
- Sunscreen: face sunscreen – I’m acne prone and like the natrium brand!
- Sunglasses: Goodr glasses – I personnaly love the price point on these sunglasses.
- Snacks: Switzerland is so expensive when it comes to food, we were so happy we packed oranges, sandwiches, trail mix, and granola bars on our longer hikes to avoid over paying.
Optional, but a “nice to have” packing list:
- Hiking poles: they would be nice especially for the inclines and steep declines.
- Camera & tripod: we forgot our camera in the car but luckily our tripod and phone made the photos work
- Bathing suit and towel: if you’re up for a swim in the icy lake
As you plan your trip to Switzerland, you’ll quickly learn how many hiking trails there are. If you decided to take on hiking Oeschinensee, I don’t think you’ll regret it!
Read another Switzerland post
