This family friendly hotel in Brienz has it all. Come for the Wes Anderson-style decor, and stay for the majestic Giessbach waterfall which thunders just steps away from the front door.
When you travel with children, it can sometimes be a struggle to galvanise them to sightsee. I know I can’t be the only one passing out bribes to get them out of the door to explore at times… Enter the Grandhotel Giessbach, in Brienz, Switzerland, which sits atop of not one but two of the area’s main tourist attractions. Three if you include Lake Brienz. I’m spoiling you, I know.
Where is Brienz? Well it’s right in the heart of some of the most picturesque Swiss scenery. Nearby you’ll find Lake Thun, Spiez, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and more. It’s easy to access by train, and many visitors choose a Swiss Pass to help them travel around.
Once on site at the Giessbach, firstly there’s the Giessbach waterfall, from which the hotel gets its name. Step out of the door and you simply cannot miss it. Thundering down from the mountain above, when the wind is blowing you can feel its spray dust your face from the hotel terrace.
But do get closer, taking the steps up a short way. Nature loving kids will be blown away by the water’s power, tangible from both a viewing bridge in front of the Giessbach, and also a path that allows you to actually walk behind the water itself.
But there’s more. Indeed, just meters away lies the oldest funicular in Switzerland, dating back to 1879. Yes, really. You can even see the station from many of the hotel’s pretty balconies. Hotel guests ride for free during their stay, and it’s a joy to do so – the funicular descends down the mountainside a short way away from the hotel, towards Lake Brienz below. At its foot there’s a working jetty, and the BLS-Schiff boat stops there daily. A sightseeing-ship-come-water taxi, this means guests can sail to nearby Interlaken and back with ease. Arriving to your hotel by boat will never not be an amazing experience too, especially for children.
Back at the Grandhotel Giessbach itself, rooms have an old school grandeur to them, with carefully curated furniture in keeping with the stature and age of the hotel (it’s 150 years old), yet with modern bathrooms and crisp, expensive white sheets. Cots and day beds for children are provided. There’s a definite Wes Anderson vibe elsewhere, with nostalgic, quirky touches like sculpture and wallpaper.
When hungry or thirsty, the terrace I mentioned earlier comes into its own on clear sunny days, when guests flock for undisturbed views of the bluer than blue Lake Brienz, sipping the bar’s original cocktails and sampling the casual daytime menu.
Children are welcomed wholeheartedly, here and all over the hotel, and staff remember names and drinks orders in the restaurant. There is a kids’ menu too. In the grounds by the waterfall are lawn games aplenty, a beautiful wooden bowling alley, and there’s an outdoor pool to enjoy when the sun shines.
On first glance at Google maps it may seem remote, but with train travel king in Switzerland, a daily shuttle can pick you up from Brienz train station, with baby and booster seats provided for safety.
*Rooms at Grandhotel Giessbach start from around £190