Hinterburgseeli Hike: Catch the 17:14 Bus Down

On the morning of 26 December 1999, the storm Lothar knocked down about 14 million cubic metres of Swiss forest, three times what the country cuts in a normal year. Above Brienz, woodcarvers turned the fallen timber into foxes, owls and children. More than 100 of their figures now line the path from Axalp to the Hinterburgseeli, a small green lake under the cliffs of the Oltschiburg.

I have done this walk in summer, and I found cows at the lakeside.

Most people meet this lake on someone else's photo. Fewer look at the bus timetable, and that is where the day goes wrong. On Tuesday 22 September 2026, five buses come back down from Axalp, and the last one leaves at 17:14.

Get the bus right and the rest is simple: a 6 km loop, more than 100 carvings, a lake cold enough to wake you up, and one steep zigzag at the end.

Is the Hinterburgseeli worth the bus ride up to Axalp?

Yes, if you want a mountain lake that costs nothing beyond the PostBus fare. Switzerland Tourism lists the woodcarving loop from the Axalp bus stop at 6 km, 400 m of climbing and 2 h 5 min. Skip it while snow covers the path, which the trail association says can happen from October to May.

The lake sits at about 1,515 m in the municipality of Brienz. On swisstopo's outline it covers about 4.6 hectares and measures roughly 280 m across.

The setting earns the trip. The canton of Bern describes the reserve around the lake as mountain lakes with boulder shores, subalpine conifer forest, sycamore maple stands, rock and scree, with the Oltschibach stream winding through wide alpine pastures.

On its own, the lake would not justify more than two hours of trains and buses from Interlaken and back. The carvings make the walk worth it, and the lake gives it an end point. If you want the photo, come at midday: that is when I find the water at its greenest.

Fun fact: swisstopo's register of official place names does not spell it Hinterburgseeli. The national map writes Hinderburgseewli.

Timoté says: "The mistake people make up here is staying at the lake and never seeing the carvings."

Timoté Baily, mountain photographer at Swiss Local Adventures

How do you get to the Hinterburgseeli from Interlaken?

Take the train from Interlaken Ost to Brienz, then PostBus 155 to the end of the line, Axalp, Sportbahnen. The bus ride takes 37 minutes, and the whole trip took 61 to 69 minutes in our timetable query for Tuesday 22 September 2026. The walk starts at the bus stop, behind the Axalp Stübli restaurant.

On that Tuesday, buses leave Brienz station for Axalp at 08:36, 10:04, 12:04, 14:36, 16:36 and 18:04. They come back down at 09:14, 10:42, 12:42, 15:42 and 17:14. The 17:14 reaches Interlaken Ost at 18:24.

November thins the line out. On Tuesday 10 November 2026, only three buses leave Axalp: 10:42, 12:42 and 17:14. The trail association rounds the ride from Brienz to about 40 minutes.

Insider tip: Plan your day backwards from the bus down. On 10 November 2026, if you miss the 12:42, the next and last bus from Axalp is the 17:14.

If you want the rest of the day on this side of the lake, our day trip to Brienz from Interlaken covers the village, the boat and the Rothorn.

Which path should you take from Axalp to the lake?

Take the woodcarving trail, the Schnitzlerweg. The association that looks after it says you reach the Hinterburgseeli after about one hour of walking, past more than 100 carved people and animals. If you only have 30 minutes, the association recommends its short loop, which gives you a first look at the carvings.

The carvings exist because of Lothar. SwitzerlandMobility writes that woodcarvers from Brienz made them from timber the 1999 storm brought down. Carving is an old trade here, and Brienz still teaches it at the wood carving school in Brienz.

The association's list of works runs from 1999 to 2025. It includes an owl, a kingfisher, a stag beetle and a Schwyzerörgeli, the small Swiss accordion. The figure in the photo above, a boy roasting a sausage, is a 2004 work by Ruth Fischer, according to its Wikimedia Commons description.

Want to watch the carvers at work? The association has set its carving week for 20 to 24 July 2027, with sculptors carving on the trail.

My own order: the carvings on the way out, then the direct way back once I have seen the lake.

How fit do you need to be for the Hinterburgseeli hike?

Moderately fit. Switzerland Tourism calls the 6 km loop fairly easy and suitable for children, with 400 m of climbing. The trail association warns that steeper passages and several cattle turnstiles make it hard work with a pram. SwitzerlandMobility describes the last stretch as a steep zigzag down to the lake.

You finish at almost the same height as you start. The Axalp, Sportbahnen bus stop sits at 1,534 m and the lake at about 1,515 m on swisstopo's height model, so the 400 m of climbing comes from the ups and downs in between.

For scale, hiking up the Brienzer Rothorn from the lake means 1,782 m of climbing. The Hinterburgseeli loop asks for less than a quarter of that.

On the winter version of the route, SwitzerlandMobility advises caution around the Gausband rock ledge.

On footwear, my view is simple: trainers are enough for this path.

Can you swim in the Hinterburgseeli?

Yes. Switzerland Tourism mentions the opportunity to swim and barbecue at the lake, and the canton's 1974 protection decree bans boats and rafts but says nothing against swimming. Expect cold water: SwitzerlandMobility writes that only the brave bathe in it in summer. We found no official water temperature for the lake.

On one of our tours, on 2 May 2025, two of our guests swam here while ice still covered part of the lake. The photo above is from that day.

Leave the inflatable at home. The decree bans boats and rafts of any kind on the Hinterburgsee, and any pollution of the water. Only people with fishing rights may use a rowing boat there.

One komoot reviewer writes that you can cool off in the lake after the walk from Axalp. For water you can measure before you jump, our guide to swimming in Lake Brienz reads the official gauge.

I have been in myself. It is cold, but it is fine.

What is not allowed around the Hinterburgseeli?

The lake lies inside the Hinterburg-Oltscheren nature reserve, which the canton of Bern protected on 20 November 1974. Fires are allowed only at the approved, marked fireplaces at the lake. Boats and rafts of any kind are banned on the lake. Drones, hang gliders and bikes on hiking trails are banned.

The canton's rules page also bans feeding or disturbing animals, hunting, carrying weapons, and sports events or gatherings without a permit. The 1974 decree adds tents and caravans, picking or digging up plants, and dumping rubbish. Radios and music players are banned at the lake.

You may pick berries, but only by hand: the decree bans tools such as a berry comb.

The trail association adds: no camping, no fishing, and dogs on a leash. It asks you to bag dog waste, and it has placed a portable toilet above the lake. Carry everything else back to Axalp.

When is the trail clear, and when is it under snow?

From May to September. The trail association says the path is easy to walk in those months and can lie under snow from October to May. Photos from our tour on 2 May 2025 still show snow patches beside the trail and ice on part of the lake. In winter the route becomes a signposted snowshoe trail.

The snowshoe version is SwitzerlandMobility route 181: 5 km, 280 m up and 280 m down, 2 h 25 min, graded medium, from the Axalp, Sportbahnen bus stop. SwitzerlandMobility points to axalp.ch for snowshoe hire.

Autumn has its fans: one komoot reviewer calls it the ideal season for lunch by the lake.

Check the bus before you pick the month. The September Tuesday we queried had five buses down, the November Tuesday had three.

If I had to pick one month, it would be June.

Your questions about the Hinterburgseeli hike

These answers cover the questions listed on komoot's Hinterburgseeli page and the doubts hikers raise about dogs, camping, food, children and winter. Each answer names its source, checked on 14 September 2026: the canton of Bern, the trail association, Switzerland Tourism or SwitzerlandMobility.

Can you bring a dog to the Hinterburgseeli?

Yes, on a leash. The trail association asks you to keep dogs leashed, to bag their waste and to bin it properly. The canton's 1974 decree bans letting dogs run unsupervised and disturbing wild animals anywhere in the reserve. The pastures belong to the Hinterburg and Oltscheren alp cooperatives, and I saw cows by the lake myself, as a komoot reviewer did. The canton's rules page also bans feeding or disturbing animals, so keep your picnic away from the herd. Several cattle turnstiles interrupt the path, so expect to stop and guide your dog through.

Can you camp or sleep at the lake?

No. The trail association lists camping as forbidden, and the canton's 1974 decree bans tents, caravans and other shelters across the reserve. The same association notice bans drones and littering. Plan to sleep in Brienz and take an early bus up. On Tuesday 22 September 2026, the first bus leaves Brienz station at 08:36 and reaches Axalp at 09:13. That gives you the lake in the morning and leaves the 12:42 or the 15:42 for the ride down, with the 17:14 as your spare.

Is there anywhere to eat near the Hinterburgseeli?

The route pages name one restaurant, the Axalp Stübli, next to the bus stop where the walk starts. The trail association tells you to check each restaurant's own website for opening hours, so do that before you count on lunch. At the lake itself, bring a picnic. Switzerland Tourism mentions barbecuing at the Hinterburgseeli, and the canton allows fires there only at the approved, marked fireplaces. The 1974 decree also bans radios and music players at the lake, so the picnic stays quiet. For the practical side, the trail association has placed a portable toilet above the lake.

Is the Hinterburgseeli trail OK for children and prams?

For children, yes. Switzerland Tourism describes the woodcarving loop as fairly easy and suitable for children, and the carved animals give them something to look for along the way. For prams, think twice. The trail association calls the walk rather strenuous with a pram, because of steeper passages and several cattle turnstiles, and SwitzerlandMobility describes the last stretch as a steep zigzag. A child carrier suits this path better, and the 30-minute short loop suits small legs. If your children like watching people make things, come during the carving week of 20 to 24 July 2027, when sculptors work on the trail.

Can you do the Hinterburgseeli hike in winter?

Yes, on snowshoes. SwitzerlandMobility signposts the Hinterburgseeli Trail as snowshoe route 181, a 5 km round trip from the Axalp, Sportbahnen bus stop with 280 m up and down, in 2 h 25 min. It grades the route medium and advises caution around the Gausband rock ledge. Axalp has a small winter sports area, and SwitzerlandMobility points to axalp.ch for snowshoe hire. Buses run more often in mid-winter: on Friday 15 January 2027, the first six buses up leave Brienz at 08:36, 10:04, 11:04, 12:04, 13:24 and 15:04.

Plan the Hinterburgseeli around the bus down

Go between May and September, take the 08:36 or the 10:04 from Brienz, and walk the woodcarving loop at your own pace. Count on the 15:42 bus down and keep the 17:14 as your spare. That leaves time for the carvings, a cold swim and a picnic at a marked fireplace, without watching the clock at the lake.

What stops most people is getting there without a car: a train, a change in Brienz and a mountain bus with five runs down on a September Tuesday. If that is the part you would rather hand over, we can plan a custom private tour around the lakes above Brienz.

Source: Switzerland Tourism, Axalp-Schnitzlerweg, Canton of Bern, Hinterburg-Oltscheren nature reserve, Schnitzlerweg Axalp, 2026.

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