On a warm sunny August Sunday my husband and I went exploring the jewels of one of the most beautiful regions of Switzerland – Berner Oberland. Our destination was beautiful Oeschinen Lake (Oeschinensee), a stunningly beautiful alpine lake located in the mountains above the village Kandersteg in Oeschinen Valley.
The Oeschinen Lake can be reached by foot from Kandersteg. This hike would takes app. 1 hour. Because my husband and I wanted to do some hiking by the lake, we decided to save time and took gondola lift instead.
After a short scenic ride, we arrived at the upper gondola station. From there we walked for app. 20 minutes before we reached the lake. There is also electric car shuttle to the lake (and back) available, but we didn’t use it.
The Oeschinen Lake lies at the altitude of 1,578 metres and is surrounded by the majestic mountains covered with glaciers and ancient woods of pine. I have no words to describe the beauty of this place. I’ve seen many stunning places in the Alps, but the first sight to the emerald Oeschinen Lake still managed to take to take my breath away. It is most certainly one of the most beautiful and scenic places in Swiss Alps. No wonder, it was included to Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage site which stretches across the 824 square kilometres of Bernese High Alps.
My husband and I hiked the panoramic trail above the lake. What a beautiful trail that was! High mountains, glaciers, lake, creeks, waterfalls, green pastures with cows grazing – simply amazing. Views were breathtaking from every single part of the trail.
On the way up, we stopped by the creek to rest. We dipped our sore feet in the cool clear water. When we were sitting there and relaxing, a cow came to the creek to drink. Friendly as most of the Swiss cows are, she wasn’t bother by our presence. She drank the water and even allowed us to pet her. Then, all the sudden she turned to our backpacks that were lying on the ground by the water and started to lick them. We rushed to move the backpacks out of her reach, but it was already too late. The straps were dripping her saliva mixed with creek water. Luckily we were by the water so we were able to wash it out.
Rested and reacher for the memorable encounter with the cow, we continued our hike. When we’ve reached the mountain hut, we stopped for a quick lunch. Simple platter of locally produced cheese and sausages filled our empty bellies and we were ready to return back to the valley.
When we reached the shore of the lake, we stopped and spend some time resting by the lake. It was a hot summer day and the conditions were perfect for swimming. Regrettably we didn’t bring our swimsuits with. We’ve only watched people swam in refreshing crystal clear water.
After a rest by the lake, we walked back to the upper gondola station. Before we’ve returned to the valley, we stopped by the summer sled run conveniently located just next to the gondola station. I am usually a big fan of such attractions, but because we purchased the ticket combo where the sled run ride was included in the price of the gondola ticket I did it. It was not the most exciting ride, but it was fun.
After the summer sledge ride we’ve boarded the gondola and returned to the valley. Reacher for another amazing experience we drove back our home to Lucerne determined we will return to the Oeschinen Lake soon.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
HOW TO GET TO OESCHINEN LAKE?
By public transport:
By train & bus:
Take the train to Kandersteg. From the Kandersteg train follow the signs to the Oeschinensee (Oeschinen Lake).
By car:
Drive to Kandersteg, then follow the signs to the lower station of the Oeschinensee cable car.
So beautiful~
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Wow! Those pictures 🙂
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Breathtaking scenery! Lovely post 🙂
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Thank you dear! 🙂
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We were on this lake a few years ago and it was amazing. Great place! And very cool blog post!
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I’m happy to hear you like this place. It is indeed amazing. Thank you! 🙂
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beautiful!
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Absolutely stunning! And love the lunch with a view!
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That looks like heaven.
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Wow, beautiful! I really want to go to Switzerland!
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Thank you! Switzerland is definitely a country well worth visiting. I hope you manage to add it to your future travel plans! 🙂
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This is such a gorgeous place that words fail me. Your photos really bring out the colours of nature and showcase the stunning scenery!
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Thank you dear! 🙂
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I spent 4 days there back in 2012, it was amazing! Beautiful photos, they really brought back good memories 🙂
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Thanks, I am glad to hear that my photos evoked some good memories. 🙂
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You did so many cool hikes in Switzerland! And photos are just great. I got enough inspiration for my next trips 🙂
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Oooh thank you for your kind words! I did some hikes, yes. Though, not nearly as many as I would love to. 🙂
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Omg I have this place saved in my maps but every time I see those pics, it takes my breath away! Stunning lake and scenery!
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Hehe, I hope you manage to visit it soon. It is truly spectacular place. 😉
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The view looks really marvelous! This place is added to my list. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Indeed they are. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Wow Switzerland really is gorgeous! I love gondal rides even though I’m totally afraid of heights but it’s worth for the view, right? And that view on the lake with the mountains in the background is definitely postcard perfect!!
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I agree about the beauty of Switzerland and about the gondola rides. Sometimes are the views well worth the ride. Thank you! 🙂
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Wow! That is one heck of a cliff on one side of the lake! Beautiful photos of an incredibly scenic place that I did not know about – thanks!
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Aww, that’s SO lovely. It would be great to stay there for a few days and just… be.
Found you through #WanderfulWednesday
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Yes, staying there for few days and exploring the peacefulness of the area before all the day-trippers come must be amazing.
Girls responsible for #WanderfulWednesday are making great job! So many great and interesting blogs can be found at their linkup. 🙂
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Stunning photos!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Spectacular scenery! What a great hike 🙂
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Beautiful scenery! With those impressions we already have a target for next summer 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
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This is just so beautiful!
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Wow! This looks awesome
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Beautiful photos…that lake is so blue…amazing!
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Goodness these photos are so beautiful they don’t look real! Thank you for sharing them!
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Hehe, this place is real. It is super beautiful and photogenic. No photoshop was needed for editing the photos. 😉
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Dang that place looks gorgeous! Nice post.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Lincoln Life Blog and commented:
great post, really enjoyed it.
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Thanks! 🙂
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your welcome
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Oh wow this is one beautiful hike! I must add it to our list of places to visit. #adventurecalling
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It most certainly was. I can definitely recommend this hike.
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Oh wow that lake looks absolutely beautiful, like a fairytale. I bet it was amazing hiking there, I would love to go one day. Your photos are stunning, such an enjoyable post, I felt like I was there with you. If only my lunch stop was as scenic as that! Thanks for joining us at #AdventureCalling
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Oh we’ve been looking at campsites in Switzerland recently so will definitely search for some in this area. It looks such a beautiful place to walk and hike and the gondola stations would certainly help us with our little ones when we didn’t fancy a big hike. Great post and photos. Thanks for joining us on #adventurecalling, i hope you can again tomorrow.
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Beautiful scenery! Great photos! #FarawayFiles
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Thank you! 🙂
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Oh wow!! Such a beautiful region of Switzerland! I’ve never heard of this lake before, but I would definitely take the gondola up to save time to hike around for those panoramic views too! #FarawayFiles
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Hehe, I think it is a hidden gem of Switzerland. You should definitely pin it for some of your future trips. 😉
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So beautiful Urska! I was looking for Heidi (from the books) everywhere it is such a picture perfect part of Switzerland. i’d love to go hiking there one day. #FarawayFiles
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Hehe, I’m afraid there was no Heidi there. Though, the scenery would definitely fit the descriptions from the books. 😉
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Seems like a great way to spend the day – beautiful weather and views, friendly cows, and a lunch with a view!
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Most certainly! It was a great day out! 🙂
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JAW DROPPING! Swoon! So beautiful Urška! I remember hiking in Switzerland in my 20’s and just loving it. Would love to step out on a hike like this again. Just seriously stunning. Thanks for sharing with #FarawayFiles.
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Hehe, I knew you would like this. To me is Oeschinen Lake one of the most beautiful places in the Swiss Alps. Would highly recommend visiting it. 😉
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