Key Takeaways

The Giessbach Falls Trail offers a special experience where hikers can walk directly behind the main cascade of the multi-tiered, 400m tall waterfall, providing unique views of Lake Brienz and the Grandhotel Giessbach.

The hike is a short, scenic loop near Brienz, Switzerland, featuring multiple waterfall views, stunning turquoise-hued views of Lake Brienz, and the option for a snack break at the historic Grandhotel Giessbach.

Visitors must pre-reserve and pay for parking at the Grandhotel Giessbach, as vehicles require a scanned QR code to enter and exit the lot.

Giessbach Falls Trail

Located near the eastern border of the Bernese Oberland in Brienz, Switzerland, Giessbachfälle (Giessbach Falls) is one of Brienzersee's (Lake Brienz) most-visited waterfalls with its multitude of cascades that comprise the 400m tall waterfall, Giessbach Falls.

Hiking the Giessbach Falls Trail

For nearly 200 years, visitors to Giessbachfälle (Giessbach Falls) have been showing up in droves to experience the multi-tiered 400m tall waterfall with views of Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) from behind the main cascade, Giessbach Falls. This short hike is one of the best waterfall hikes in the area and for good reason. The route includes several views of waterfalls, views of Lake Brienz, and even includes a stop at the Grandhotel Giessbach for a quick snack and espresso.

Reaching Giessbach Falls - 0.3 km

At the western end of the parking lot, hikers will find the trailhead with signage that leads uphill toward Giessbach. The trail leads through the forest before reaching a turn that follows switchbacks downhill before the trail crosses the Giessbach. As the trail crosses the stream, you'll follow a footpath bridge that runs under a cliff directly behind Giessbach Falls. As you walk behind the waterfall, you'll find stunning views of Grandhotel Giessbach, Lake Brienz, and the plunging waterfall of Giessbach Falls — the Giessbach experience!

Just after passing behind the waterfall, the trail leads downhill toward Lake Brienz, but along the way are more stunning views, waterfalls, and more. Near 0.35 km from the start, you'll find a breathtaking view of Giessbach Falls main cascade that you just hiked behind. Stick around for a few minutes and you'll find more tourists making their way behind the waterfall too.

Giessbach Falls VII, VIII, VIIII - 0.55 to 0.78 km

As you make your way downhill, the trail will quickly split into two directions. Keep right at the intersection to continue along the path to reach views of Giessbach Falls VII (7), VIII (8), and VIIII (9). Around 0.55 km from the start, you'll find a beautiful view of Giessbach Falls VII with a glimpse of a cascade located high above the waterfall you just hiked behind. The view from this bridge is impressive and the bridge itself dates back to the 15th century. Here, you'll also find more views of Grandhotel Giessbach and Lake Brienz. As you continue to follow the path downhill, you'll find two more views of Giessbach Falls, this time Giessbach Falls VIII (8) and Giessbach Falls (9). The trail provides a couple of great viewing points for both waterfalls, located around 0.7 km and 0.78 km from the start.
After the trail passes the Grandhotel Giessbach, it leads into the forest and crosses the "Napolean Bridge" around 0.9 km. The scenic stone arch bridge has managed to survive flooding since its construction, however, the nature park's guide did not provide a date when it was built.

Lake Brienz & Funicular Station

The trail continues to wind its way downhill through the forest after crossing the Giessbach at the "Napolean Bridge". Hikers will want to keep-right at the trail junctions to make their way down to Lake Brienz and the funicular station located by the water. Along the way, near 1.23 km, are views of Lake Brienz and its turquoise-hued water located just above the funicular. As the trail leads out to Lake Brienz, you'll first need to walk below the funicular station following a short tunnel. On the opposite side of the tunnel, the trail leads out to a boat dock and provides access to the funicular in case you want to ride that back uphill.

Hiking up to Grandhotel Giessbach - 1.35 to 2.2 km

From Lake Brienz, the hike back uphill requires a bit of effort as the trail follows many switchbacks to ascend to Grandhotel Giessbach. Along the way are several more points-of-interest to enjoy like Giessbach Falls XI (11), located at the outflow of the Giessbach where it joins with Lake Brienz, located near 1.44 km. Following the switchbacks uphill, you'll leave views of Lake Brienz behind (for now), but you'll find a short but scenic Giessbach Falls X (10) located behind a funicular pillar near 1.87 km. This short but scenic waterfall includes a wide pool at its base where visitors can take a dip on hot days. The trail continues following more switchbacks as it ascends and eventually reaches the Grandhotel Giessbach around 2.2 km. At the Grandhotel Giessbach, hikers and visitors have the option to take a break, have a snack and/or espresso, where they can sit and enjoy the scenery around them including views of Lake Brienz and the multitude of steps/tiers of Giessbach Falls. On our hike, we each had a tasty pastry snack (brownie and apple strudel) along with an espresso as we sat and enjoyed the stunning views.

Hiking to Parking - 2.2 - 2.67 km

After enjoying a snack at the Grandhotel Giessbach, you'll want to hike back to the parking lot to complete the loop. As you leave the hotel, you'll find your last views of Giessbach Falls with an amazing view of at least 4 main cascades in the stream from the upper deck of Grandhotel Giessbach. Next, the trail leads eastward before it curves around toward the parking lot. Follow signs for parking to wrap up the hike around 2.67 km.

Reservations & Parking

All visitors must reserve a parking space at the Grand Hotel Giessbach, which can be found on their website here. Vehicles are not allowed to enter the property without scanning their prepaid parking reservation's QR code, so plan ahead and have the QR code ready to scan to enter and exit via the parking barrier. The parking lot is large enough to fit approximately 50 vehicles vehicles as of September 2025. Cost for reservations is 15 CHF as of September 2025.