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Oeschinensee is a majestic place in the Swiss Alps that seems too good to be true. This enchanting alpine lake offers breathtaking views, but also many more things, like a swimming paradise or challenging hikes. It truly seems like a place straight out of a fairy tale!
So, come discover this beautiful lake with me in this blog post and learn how you can also visit this magical place!
You might also like: Exploring the enchanting five lakes trail (5-Seenweg) near the Matterhorn
For your information, all these pictures were taken in July 2023.
Length
7.2 kilometers
Duration
3 hours
Height difference
530 meters
Difficulty
Moderate
Oeschinensee is a lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland and is located at an elevation of 1.578 meters (5.177 feet). The lake was created by a giant landslide which is supplied with water by the glacial streams of the more than three thousand meters high Blüemlisalp, the Oeschinenhorn, the Fründenhorn, and the Doldenhorn. These are the surrounding mountains of Oeschinensee. Part of the lake is used for electricity production and as a water supply.
The easiest way to reach Oeschinensee is by cable car. You can also hike up without taking the cable car, but this will take way longer and requires much more effort. The cable car station is located in Kandersteg and has a huge parking lot.
A single ticket costs 22 CHF and a return costs 30 CHF. If you have a Half-Fare Card or a Swiss Travel Pass, the price will be half. You can find all the information here.
The cable car runs frequently during summer (mid-June till mid-September) from 08:30 AM to 06:00 PM. The times during fall and winter are shorter, as they both end at 05:00 PM. During fall (mid-September till mid-October), the cable car starts at 08:30 AM, and during winter (mid-December till mid-March) at 09:00 AM. In the middle of the winter, between mid-October and mid-December, the cable car is closed. Read the whole timetable here.
The best time to visit Oeschinensee is between June to September as the weather will be better all around, with warmer days, less rain, and longer days. The most popular time is during the summer, though, because all the snow has definitely melted and the lake offers an excellent opportunity for hiking.
From December to May, the lake is frozen for about five months. Sometimes, ice skating is possible on the lake. Note that some trails might be inaccessible due to snow.
Ultimately, the best time to visit Oeschinensee depends on your own preferences and the activities you want to do. Keep in mind that the weather can change at any time, so it’s always best to check beforehand on this live webcam.
There are a lot of hiking trails at Oeschinensee, but the most beautiful one is the Heuberg hiking trail as it has the most beautiful panoramic view! The hiking trail goes in a loop, so you have different views the whole time.
I would start with the left part of the hiking trail as it’s the hardest and most technical part of the hike. Besides, you’ll be at the viewpoint with the trees faster that way. It took us one hour to reach this magnificent view. The hiking path itself is quite good, but the hike itself can be hard. Especially in the beginning, because you will need to conquer a decent amount of elevation.
We did this viewpoint at sunset and hiked all the way down to the car park at dawn and in the dark. If you have a headlight, this isn’t very hard to do as the path is really good for the rest of the hike. It took us around 2 hours!
You can stay overnight at Berghotel Oeschinensee, but in the year 2023, the lodge wasn’t accepting overnight stays, so we decided against it and hiked all the way down. But I can imagine this would be a great solution if you want to do a sunrise mission!
There are some other options for staying overnight, like the mountain lodge called Arva, which is right next to Berghotel Oeschinensee. Other options are Blüemlisalphütte SAC and Fründenhütte SAC, but these are further away from the lake. But these are more meant for hikers who do other hiking trails.
There are so many hikes to do in Switzerland, but here are a few of my favorites:
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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