Hike Up Brienzer Rothorn: 1,782 m From the Lake

One line sits above everything else on the Brienz Rothorn Railway website, in small grey type that most people scroll straight past. It says the hiking trail from Brienz to Planalp via the Milibachgraben remains closed due to severe weather.

That line has been true since the evening of 12 August 2024, and it is not a seasonal closure. A thunderstorm turned the Milibach into a debris flow, and the water tore away the path and its bridges. The federal hiking closure register still lists it today as closed until further notice.

So can you walk up the Brienzer Rothorn instead of paying CHF 98 for the steam train? Not a clean yes. It is 1,782 metres from the platform at Brienz to the summit cross at 2,348 m. But the path the maps and blogs still show is closed, and the register lists the detour as closed too.

Here is what the federal register lists as closed, what the day costs and what it asks of your legs, and the shape Pierre, who founded Swiss Local Adventures, recommends while the lower path stays closed. Then the one deadline that decides whether it works.

Can you still hike up the Brienzer Rothorn from Brienz?

Not on the usual line. The historic Milibach path was destroyed by a debris flow on 12 August 2024 and is closed until further notice. Interlaken Tourismus describes a detour via the Trachtbach and up to Gäldried. The federal hiking closure register lists the Gäldried section as closed too, duration unknown, as read on 13 September 2026. Treat it as closed.

The confusion is not your fault. Three official pages say three different things right now, and all three were read on 30 August 2026.

The railway puts the closure banner at the top of its hiking page, worded around the Milibachgraben. Read quickly, it sounds like the whole ascent is shut.

The federal hiking closure register at map.geo.admin.ch, fed by the Swiss Hiking Federation and the cantonal associations, carries three validated entries, all with the reason "Storm damage". Two are titled Brienz Milibach and marked "Closure with detour", duration "until further notice". The third, 899 metres long, is titled Brienz Gäldried and marked "Closure", duration "unknown". All three read: "The hiking trail is not passable due to storm damage. The path and bridges were torn away by the masses of water."

And Interlaken Tourismus, in its own route database, contradicts itself. Its route Brienz - Gäldried - Planalp is flagged "This route passes through an inaccessible area and is therefore closed." Its route Hike to the Brienzer Rothorn, covering the same ground and more, is not flagged, and its description says plainly that a mudslide in August 2024 closed the original Milibach stream trail and that hikers must use an alternative route via Trachtbach toward Gäldried.

Both entries belong to the same publisher. On 8 October 2026 the Hike to the Brienzer Rothorn route was still online and still described the detour. Which of the two reflects the path today has to be checked on the ground.

What happened to the detour via Gäldried?

On paper, the detour leaves Brienz on the other side of the stream and climbs via Trachtbach to Gäldried. It rejoins the main track below Planalp. The federal register lists its Gäldried section as closed. These three lengths come from the federal geodata service, read on 30 August 2026, because nobody publishes the numbers.

Read that table twice. The diversion is 3,060 metres of walking to replace 1,968 metres of destroyed path. On paper you walk roughly 1.1 kilometres further for the same 320 metres of climb. In total 2,867 metres of hiking trail on this mountainside are closed.

No official page gives a date for reopening the old line. The federal register says the path and bridges were torn away by the water. What is planned on the Milibach is a flood protection project for the village, which foresees moving the stream to the west, not a footpath.

Fun fact: The Brienz Rothorn Railway opened on 16 June 1892 after just 16 months of construction by around 700 workers, most of them from Italy. It fell silent when war broke out in 1914, reopened to Rothorn Kulm in June 1931, and has never been electrified to this day.

One point of confusion worth clearing up here: the Brienz in the landslide headlines of recent years is a different village, in Graubünden, 150 km away. If you have seen those pictures and wonder whether the lakeside Brienz is safe to visit, we explain which Brienz had the landslide and what that means for your trip.

How much climbing is it, and why does every source give a different number?

Between 1,678 and 1,782 metres, depending on who you ask and where they stop counting. That spread of 104 metres is real, and it exists because the sources end at different points: some at the railway terminus, some at the summit cross.

The arithmetic behind the last line is simple and you can check it. Brienz station sits at 566.3 m on the federal elevation model, and the municipality's own figures agree at 566.5 m. The federal elevation model puts the Brienzer Rothorn summit at 2,348.0 m; the railway gives 2,350 m. Subtract, and you get 1,781.7 metres.

If you stop at the railway terminus rather than walking the last stretch, the railway puts that station at 2,244 m, which makes the climb 1,678 m. The Berghaus itself stands slightly higher, at 2,263 m.

Interlaken Tourismus rates the route "difficult", and the fitness it requires "very difficult". The railway notes that the routes around the Rothorn are red and white marked mountain paths, and its own wording is worth keeping in your head: "Hikes in the Rothorn area are not walks and are at your own risk."

How fit do you need to be for 1,782 metres?

Fit enough to climb for five to six hours without a rest day afterwards. There is no flat section, no cable car bail-out, and above Planalp there is no shade at all.

The railway itself puts the hike from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm at around 5 to 6 hours (consulted on 8 October 2026). My own climb on foot from Brienz to the summit took about four hours, but plan on the railway's figure, not mine. The Milibach path below Planalp has been closed since 12 August 2024. Interlaken Tourismus gives 5 hours for its route of 9.8 km and 1,757 metres.

Three things decide this hike, and none of them is the technical grade.

The aspect. Brienz sits at 566 m and the summit is almost exactly due north of it. You spend the whole day climbing a south-facing flank, which is why the snow leaves it early and why it bakes in July and August. The lower half runs through forest and gives you shade. From Planalp upward you are on open grass with the sun on your neck for 900 metres.

The water. Planalp at 1,341 m is the only reliable stop, with a mountain restaurant and beds. Above it you carry what you drink. That is roughly the halfway point by height, and it is the last time anyone will sell you anything until the summit.

The deadline. The last train down from Rothorn Kulm leaves at 17:40, and the one before it goes at 16:28. If you walk down to Planalp instead, the last train from there leaves at 18:12 and reaches Brienz at 18:40, according to the railway's timetable valid until 25 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026.

That last point is the one the route databases do not model. A route card that says "5 h" is measuring moving time on a good day, and it has never met your knees at hour four.

Asked about the mistake visitors make when they want to walk up the Rothorn, Pierre answers:

"Setting off too late for the last train."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interviewed on 14 October 2026

He adds two more: the closed trail, and fitness.

If any of this reads as too much, the honest split is below. Nobody hands out medals at the top, and the mountain does not know whether you rode up.

What does it cost to walk up and ride down?

CHF 63.00 for an adult, which is the one-way fare in either direction, against CHF 98.00 for the return. Walking up and riding down therefore saves CHF 35.00, and the saving is bigger in proportion for anyone with a Half Fare card. All fares below come from the railway's own 2026 price page, read on 30 August 2026.

Now the part that is not on the price page, and that matters far more to someone arriving on foot.

A downhill seat is not something you can count on. The railway sells a seat guarantee, but it is bought in advance and the seats are not numbered. On busy days the whole railway sells out, and the homepage carries a banner reading FULLY BOOKED TODAY. The banner was up on 29 August at 19:25 and again on 30 August, a Saturday and a Sunday at the end of August.

If you reach the top on foot and the train is full, you are looking at a night in the Berghaus. Do not count on walking all the way back down to Brienz either: the federal register lists the Milibach path and the Gäldried detour below Planalp as closed.

Buy the downhill leg before you start walking if you can, and if you cannot, treat the overnight as your plan B rather than your disaster.

Insider tip: Check your pass before buying a ticket. A one-way ride between Brienz and the Rothorn costs CHF 63.00 at full price and CHF 31.50 with a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass, and the railway is free with a Bernese Oberland Pass.

The downhill departures from Rothorn Kulm in the 2026 season are 09:06, 09:38, 11:15, 12:20, 13:28, 14:28, 15:28, 16:28 and 17:40, with the 09:06 running only on Saturdays and Sundays in July, August and September. Note the gap: after 16:28 you wait 72 minutes for the last one. Note also that the final uphill train arrives at 17:31, nine minutes before the last one leaves, which tells you exactly how much of an afterthought the evening is on this line.

Should you split it at Planalp, or sleep at the top?

Three shapes for this mountain on paper, and only one of them is the full climb, which needs the closed section below Planalp. Pick by how much of the day you want to spend on foot and whether you want to be on the summit at an hour when nobody else is.

Planalp to the summit is where the mountain actually opens up: the treeline falls away, the lake goes turquoise below me, and the Tannhorn ridge comes into view. The forest section you skip is pleasant. It is also the part the federal register lists as closed.

And then there is the version that makes the whole climb make sense. The Berghaus Rothorn Kulm takes guests overnight, from CHF 82 to CHF 160 per person depending on the room, with children from 2 to 15 at CHF 41 to 61, tourist tax on top. There are double rooms, family rooms and multi-bed rooms with six or eight bunks. The railway's own shop sells a voucher at CHF 290.00 for one night for two people in a double room including dinner, and it says outright that the travel is not included and that you can combine it with "your hike".

Walk up in the afternoon, eat at 2,263 metres, and have the summit to yourself until the first train of the day gets there. That arrival is 08:36 on Saturdays and Sundays in July, August and September and 09:31 on every other day, so a sunrise up there belongs to whoever slept in the building. It is the only way to stand on that summit without a hundred other people.

"My own way on this mountain: the train up, and on foot back down."

Timoté Baily, mountain photographer at Swiss Local Adventures

That was before August 2024, and I walked all the way down to Brienz. Below Planalp, the federal register lists both the Milibach path and the Gäldried detour as closed. Pierre has walked up the Rothorn himself, and this is his answer for a fit walker while the lower path stays closed:

"Train to the top, on foot to Planalp."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interviewed on 14 October 2026

That is the third line of the table above: ride up to Rothorn Kulm, walk the 903 metres down to Planalp, and take the train from there. The railway sells the one-way ride up at CHF 63.00 for an adult, and its hiking page puts the walk from the Brienzer Rothorn down to Planalp at 2.5 hours (read on 15 October 2026). The 903 metres count from the station at 2,244 m; the summit cross is a 15-minute walk above it.

When can you walk it, and what closes the mountain?

The trail is walkable from roughly late spring to the first lasting snow, but the railway runs to the summit only from 6 June to 25 October 2026. From 9 May to 5 June it runs as far as Planalp, and outside those dates there is no ride down at all. Four separate things close this mountain, and only one of them is obvious.

Snow. At 2,244 m, late September can go either way.

Sold-out days. August fills the railway completely, and if you ride up and walk down to Planalp, you need a seat in both directions.

Fire risk. A steam locomotive in a dry summer is a fire hazard.

Weather on the ridge. The train is a timetable, not a rescue service. Carry your own weather plan, and check the railway's homepage the morning you go rather than any aggregator, because these banners change by the hour.

For the safety basics, the railway points walkers at sicher-bergwandern.ch, published by the Swiss accident prevention agency BFU with Schweizer Wanderwege. It is worth two minutes before a 1,782 metre day.

Your questions about hiking up the Brienzer Rothorn

How long does it take to hike up the Brienzer Rothorn from Brienz?

Between five and six hours of moving time for the full ascent, plus stops. Interlaken Tourismus gives 5 hours for 9.8 km and 1,757 m. Add an hour for lunch at Planalp and photographs above the treeline, and a realistic door-to-summit figure from a 09:00 start is early afternoon. The last train down leaves Rothorn Kulm at 17:40, so build your day backwards from that.

Is the Brienz to Planalp hiking trail open in 2026?

No, according to the federal hiking closure register, read on 13 September 2026. The historic path through the Milibachgraben is closed until further notice after the debris flow of 12 August 2024. The register says the path and bridges were torn away, and no official page gives a reopening date. The register also lists the Gäldried section of the detour as closed, duration unknown. Interlaken Tourismus flags its Brienz - Gäldried - Planalp route as closed too. Its Hike to the Brienzer Rothorn route, over the same ground, still describes the detour.

How much does it cost to hike up and take the train down?

CHF 63.00 for an adult, CHF 31.50 with a Half Fare card, CHF 5.00 for a child aged 6 to 15. That is the one-way fare, and the railway confirms it applies in both directions. The return ticket costs CHF 98.00, so walking one leg saves CHF 35.00. A seat guarantee costs CHF 8.00 extra when bought in advance, and it is worth having for the descent because the railway does sell out completely on busy summer days.

Is the Brienzer Rothorn hike hard?

Interlaken Tourismus rates it "difficult" on a red and white marked mountain path, and the difficulty here is endurance rather than technique. 1,782 metres of continuous ascent with no flat ground, on a south-facing slope with no shade above 1,341 m, is a serious day. While the path below Planalp is closed, Pierre's advice for a fit walker is to take the train to the top, walk down to Planalp and ride from there.

Can you stay overnight at the top of the Brienzer Rothorn?

Yes. The Berghaus Rothorn Kulm at 2,263 m takes guests in double, family and multi-bed rooms with six or eight bunks, from CHF 82 to CHF 160 per person, children 2 to 15 from CHF 41 to 61, tourist tax extra. Book on +41 33 951 12 21 or berghaus@brb.ch. For anyone walking up, it removes the 17:40 deadline entirely and gives you the summit to yourself until the first train of the day arrives, at 08:36 on Saturdays and Sundays in July, August and September and 09:31 otherwise.

Is there water on the way up the Brienzer Rothorn?

Planalp at 1,341 m has a mountain restaurant and is the only reliable stop on the way, roughly halfway by height. Above it you carry what you drink, on open grass with no shade for 900 metres of climb.

What can you see from the top?

The railway claims 693 mountain peaks on a clear day, from Pilatus, the Rigi and the Titlis across the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to the Chasseral in the Jura. That number is the operator's own and it is oddly precise, which is why it is worth quoting rather than rounding. The railway puts the summit trail from its terminus at about 15 minutes.

Start early, and buy the ride down before you leave

If you take one thing from all of this, make it the tickets. Buy the ride up to Rothorn Kulm before you leave, at CHF 63.00, in the railway's webshop or at the station in Brienz, and check at the same time how to secure your seat down from Planalp. A seat guarantee bought in advance adds CHF 8.00 per person and holds one departure time, which cannot be cancelled or changed.

Then check the federal closure register on the morning you go. On 13 September 2026 it listed the Milibach path and the Gäldried detour as closed. That is why Pierre advises treating Planalp as the place where the walk ends and the train takes over. The last one from there leaves at 18:12.

If this mountain is one day of a longer stay, our best day trips from Interlaken, our best outdoor adventures in Interlaken and summer in Interlaken show what fits around it. For a local's short list, see things to do in Interlaken.

Perhaps what holds you back is not the time it takes to get there but the logistics of a mountain you do not know well. Pierre says that is what makes people hesitate before the Rothorn.

"On a private tour, everything is taken care of: tickets, times, the way back."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interviewed on 14 October 2026

On a private day, Pierre walks the mountain with you, as long as the train runs to the summit, which this year is until 25 October 2026. Plan my Rothorn day with Pierre, or message him on WhatsApp: he answers within the hour.

Source: Brienz Rothorn Bahn timetable and prices, Brienz Rothorn Bahn hiking page, Interlaken Tourismus route "Hike to the Brienzer Rothorn", the federal hiking closure register at map.geo.admin.ch and sicher-bergwandern.ch, all read on 30 August 2026, with elevations from the swisstopo federal elevation model.

How we made this: facts and prices checked at the official sources on 8 October 2026, written with AI assistance.

*Written by Timoté Baily, your mountain photographer at Swiss Local Adventures