Switzerland

Brienz Rothorn Railway

The last mountain line in Switzerland still running daily steam, the Brienz Rothorn Bahn shoves polished-brass locomotives up 1,678 vertical metres of cogwheel track from the shore of Lake Brienz.

Best forPhotographers · Walkers & hikers · Families
In April2°C · 13 rainy days
Ideal stayA day trip from Interlaken
Approx. flying time~11h 55m from Los Angeles

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Brienz Rothorn Railway, Switzerland Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyCHFSwiss franc
LanguageGerman, French, Italian and Romansh
Local time14:101h ahead of the UK
PlugsType C / JBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+41

Why go

A cogwheel line that climbs from the shore of Lake Brienz to a summit ridge at just over 2,200 metres, hauled for much of its timetable by coal-fired steam locomotives that push their carriages rather than pull them. The ascent takes about an hour at little more than walking pace, through pasture, then forest, then bare rock. It is noisy, smoky and entirely the point.

The railway runs seasonally, roughly June to October, and closes completely for the winter. Most people ride up, walk a stretch of ridge and come back down, which fits comfortably into half a day from Interlaken or Lucerne. Trains are small and popular, so booking matters in July and August. Weather at the top is often nothing like the weather at the lakeside.

Ideal stay: A day trip from Interlaken
The vibe: Nostalgic, steep, thoroughly alpine

From our guides

The smell of coal smoke and hot oil is half the ticket price; the summit view over the impossibly turquoise lake to the Bernese giants is the other half. It operates June to October only. Sit on the right going up, and book the first departure of the day.

Featured in Ten mountain railways with views you won't believe

Things to do

The steam ascent

Open-sided carriages, 1,678 vertical metres of climb and the smell of coal and hot oil. The lake side of the train has the better view going up.
Rothorn summit ridge

A short walk from the top station reaches a broad ridge with views down over Lake Brienz and across to the high Bernese Alps beyond.
Ridge walk to Planalp

A long downhill hike back to the mid station for anyone who would rather not ride both ways. Allow a few hours and proper footwear.
Lake Brienz

Turquoise from glacial silt, with passenger boats linking Brienz to Interlaken and a handful of cold, clear swimming spots along the shoreline.
Brienz village

A lakeside town long known for woodcarving, with a small harbour, a couple of workshops open to visitors and a slower pace than Interlaken.
Giessbach Falls

A tiered waterfall on the far shore, reached by boat and then a historic funicular, and an easy addition to the same day out.

Getting there

Fly to
Zurich (ZRH)

Nearest airport to Railway, about 84km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Brienz

Around three hours by train from Geneva (GVA), east along the lake to Bern or Interlaken and then on to Brienz. By car allow a similar time.
On the ground
Getting around

The rack railway's valley station is beside Brienz village station, and the climb to the summit takes about an hour. Lake steamers also call at Brienz from Interlaken.

Public transport: Excellent. Brienz is on the main line and the railway is timed to connect with it.

Flights

Los Angeles Railway, Switzerland

Flying from

Fly from anywhere — search 4,000+ airports worldwide.

Roughly 11h 55m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about -5°C in January to 14°C in July. Driest January to April; wettest in June, with rain on about 22 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

April2° · rain 13 daysCold and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Traditional Swiss hotels and gasthauser, chalet apartments and a couple of hostels around the lake, plus a small mountain hotel at the Rothorn summit for early risers.

Best base overall
Brienz

The lakeside village where the steam railway begins, small enough to walk end to end and quiet once the day trippers leave. Choice is limited, and shops shut early even by Swiss standards.
Find stays in Brienz
Best with children
Interlaken

Twenty minutes by train, with a far wider choice of family rooms, plus boats, cable cars and wet-weather options when the mountain is in cloud. It is busier and pricier than Brienz.
Find stays in Interlaken
Best value
Meiringen

In the Haslital a short hop away, where hotels cost less than the lakeshore and the Aare gorge fills an afternoon. It lacks the lake view that brought you here.
Find stays in Meiringen
Quietest
Iseltwald

A tiny peninsula village across the lake, reached by boat or bus, with turquoise water and almost no through traffic. Very few beds and a short walk to nothing much.
Find stays in Iseltwald

Worth knowing before you book: The railway runs only from roughly June to October, so check operating dates before booking rooms. Steam departures and the summit hotel sell out for summer weekends.

Search everything else in Brienz by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Brienz

Good to know

Season: The line operates only in the warmer months, generally from early June to late October. Check the dates before building a day around it.
Book ahead: Capacity is limited and steam departures fill first. Reserve in advance for peak summer weekends and for the first train of the day.
Steam or diesel: Not every service is steam hauled. If that matters to you, check the published timetable, which marks which departures use which.
Pack this: It is often ten degrees colder and much windier at the summit than at the lake. A windproof layer and decent shoes are worth carrying.
Rail passes: Swiss travel passes usually give a discount rather than free travel on private mountain lines such as this one.