Brienz

Where Is Brienz?

Brienz is a municipality and village on Lake Brienz, on the northern side. It rests at the base of a mountain called Brienzer Rothorn. It is in the Bernese Oberland area. Outside of the town of Brienz, the municipality has the settlements of Axalp and and Kienholz.

The municipality is situated within Interlaken-Oberhasli, an administrative district, in the canton of Bern. It has a population of roughly 3,000.

Interesting Sights

There are several interesting sights to see in Brienz. However, the natural scenery is beautiful enough. The points of interest are rather superfluous. Just being there, in and of itself, is more than enough for the average tourist – especially one that has never been to Switzerland.

Brienz Rothorn Bahn – a steam-powered train that goes up to the Brienzer Rothorn
The Ballenberg Open Air Museum has almost 100 original buildings that are more than a century old.
Wood carvings
There was a lake promenade built along the lakeshore and village during World War I. The promenade features flower beds, trees, and has amazing views that are not impeded by traffic.

History

The first settlements in the area date from the Bronze and Neolithic periods. In the 400s, the Celts made their first settlements in the valleys at the sources of the Danube, Rhine, and Rhone, at some point reaching to Belgrade and Vienna. At the close of the 1^st century, the Romans took over the area. Brienz was included in the Canton of Bern in 1528.

Economics

Woodcarving and tourism are the primary activities. The Cantonal Woodcarving School was set up in 1862, and it is a very respected and well-known school in the trade.

A Swiss firm called Lotscher makes the only real Swiss cuckoo clocks in the world today, and they are based in Brienz.