Brienz Rothorn Railway with kids - a historic rack railway above Lake Brienz

The Brienz Rothorn Railway is a rack railway from 1892. It climbs from Brienz on the turquoise Lake Brienz up to Rothorn Kulm, 2,244 m above sea level. The line is 7.6 km long, rises 1,678 m and takes about an hour. Steam locomotives still run on it today. We were here on 11 August 2024, during our campervan holiday through the Alps.

By train to Brienz

The day after the trail below the Eiger we left Beza at the campsite in Interlaken again. Brienz is 15 km away by train, and with the Swiss Half Fare Card the ticket cost us 4.30 CHF per adult. On the lakeside promenade the kids played with the water pumps.

By rack railway up the Rothorn

We bought return tickets with a seat reservation. Here the kids needed their own tickets: for the six of us we paid 174 CHF. On the steepest parts the track has a gradient of 25%.

At the top

Up there we took a short walk to the summit cross and had a picnic with a view of the lake. At the top there is also a wooden cow with the words Brienzer Rothorn, and on the terrace a big swing shaped like a cogwheel, big enough for the whole family.

Back to Interlaken by boat

After coming down we did not take the train back. We went from Brienz to Interlaken by boat across the whole of Lake Brienz, and the water here has an amazing turquoise colour.

The next day we moved closer to Lucerne and went up the Stanserhorn in a cable car with an open roof.

Practical info

We checked this in November 2026.

Tickets

• Return to Rothorn Kulm: adults 98 CHF, with the Swiss Half Fare Card 49 CHF, children aged 6-15 10 CHF.
• Children under 6 travel for free.
• A seat reservation costs 8 CHF per person and is added automatically in the online shop.
• In 2024 we paid 56 CHF per adult with the Half Fare Card, 18 CHF per child aged 6-15 and 8 CHF for our youngest, including the seat reservation.

Season and time

• The railway goes all the way to Rothorn Kulm from early June to the end of October. Before that it only goes to the Planalp middle station.
• The ride up takes about an hour, and you should plan at least an hour at the top.

Getting there

You can get to Brienz by train from Interlaken Ost. In 2024 it cost us 4.30 CHF with the Half Fare Card.