Lakes Thun and Brienz

In 1835, Lake Thun launched the paddle steamer Bellevue, jump‑starting resort life along its shores—piers, Belle Époque villas, and scheduled landings stitched the waters to the Alps. The twin lakes still speak in dates and details: the Giessbach Falls tamed by an 1879 funicular, the St. Beatus Caves tied to a hermit’s legend, and Brienz, where a woodcarving school opened in 1884 shaped a national craft. Between the Niederhorn and the Faulhorn ridges, the color shifts from deep teal to glacial turquoise as the day turns.

Departing from your Grindelwald hotel, your private driver and Mercedes are on hand all day: 20–30 minutes to Interlaken, then we customize. Cruise to Oberhofen Castle or pivot to Brienz for workshops and its historic quay; while you explore, your driver waits, coordinates tickets if needed, then steers to the St. Beatus Caves (about 10 km from Interlaken) or the Giessbach ramp. Late afternoon, ride up Harder Kulm (1,321 m) for sunset over the Aare and the two lakes, then ease back to Grindelwald.