Gstaad Lauenensee • Easy walk around idyllic Swiss lake

This short walk around the beautiful Lauenensee lake is a good choice for anyone looking for an easy, relaxing outing with mountain views. The trail is a wide dirt path, easy to navigate and suitable for all-terrain strollers. On hot days, some brave souls go for a swim in the cool water (we did!), a special experience in this idyllic setting. You can grill sausages at one of the picnic areas near the water or lunch at the restaurant with a view.

This lake is a popular destination and can get quite crowded, especially on weekends. So go off hours if you can. We did this hike in the late evening, an ideal time as most day trippers have left and the fading light is particularly beautiful.

Location

Gstaad is located in western side of the Bernese Oberland, about a 1hr drive south of Bern. The Lauenensee lake is a bit south of Gstaad, accessible by car or bus. 

Trail map

The trail around the Lauenensee lake is a loop, starting and ending at the parking and bus stop. You can do this loop in either direction. We prefer clockwise because you face the mountains when you walk back on the east side of the lake, not in the forest.p

See trail map on SchweizMobil • Komoot • AllTrails • OutdoorActive

Trail conditions

The path is mostly a wide smooth dirt path, suitable for strollers (possibly wheelchairs). The west side of the lake has a section through the forest, which is a bit more narrow and has gravel. There is also a small footbridge (pictured later) but it should be manageable for most strollers.

Longer trail option

For a longer day, we suggest hiking to this lake on the panorama trail from Gstaad-Wispile, a moderate 3h hike. Since it’s a one-way trail, you can return to your starting point by bus. See trail details.

Directions

You can drive to this lake. But we suggest you take the bus instead because of the limited parking and narrow one-lane road to the lake. If you have the Gstaad Card (free for overnight guests), the bus ride is free.

By bus

From the Gstaad train station, take bus 181 to Lauenensee, the end of the line. The journey takes 34 mins. The bus schedule is quite irregular so definitely check the current bus schedule on PostAuto.ch. The last bus from Lauenensee to Gstaad is 17:40 – don’t miss it!

By car

From Gstaad, drive on Lauenenseestrasse all the way to the end of the road to 46°23’37.3″N 7°20’27.4″E. It’s a normal two lane road until you reach the Lauenen village, when the road narrows to one lane and is a bit tricky to drive with passing traffic. Drive slowly, especially around curves and be prepared to back up to a turn out for passing traffic. This is especially difficult if you encounter a bus (you might want to time your drive so there isn’t an oncoming bus).

There is a parking lot near the lake at 46°23’37.3″N 7°20’27.4″E (shown below). Parking costs CHF 8 for 6 hrs (minimum charge). You can pay with coins, credit card or Twint. Once the parking lot is full, they close the road to cars, starting at Lauenen village. In this village, there is parking next to the Lauenen b. Gstaad, Geltenhorn bus stop, where you can catch the bus to Lauenensee.

You pay for the parking at the meter next to this hut. There are toilets here.

Services

Near the lake, you’ll find the Lauenensee Restaurant, which can be very full on busy days – you might have to wait awhile for a table. The restaurant has a toilet and you’ll find a toilet near the Lauenensee parking. There is also a water fountain next to the restaurant. There is a self-service café at Mattestübli, also near the lake.

What to wear & bring

You aren’t on top of a mountain, so just dress appropriate to the weather. If you want to swim at the lake, remember to bring your swimsuit and a towel. There are no changing rooms, so you might use your towel for some privacy when changing. The path is easy so you can wear regular walking shoes. You don’t need sticks.

If you want to grill a picnic, there was wood near the fire pits, but bring matches and newspaper/firestarters to get the fire going.

Best time to go

The path around the Lauenensee is usually ready for walking from late April through October, weather dependent. The wildflowers will be in bloom from late June through mid August. The pictures here were taken in mid-August.

Photo story of the trail

The path on the east side is a dirt road that accesses the houses and farms in the countryside here.

View of the lake from the east side.

On the east side, there is a big picnic area in the shade with lots of tables and fire pits.

View of the lake from the picnic area.

Looking back on the path from the far side of the lake.

Really nice light around 19:00 in August.

At this sign, the trail splits. Turn left following the Seerundweg sign (aka lake loop trail). The trail to Lauenen goes to a village a couple km down the road.

Following the footpath around the lake. The trail gets more narrow here. You can take strollers but there are a couple bumpy parts you’ll need to navigate.

This path through the forest is welcome shade on a sunny day.

There is a small footbridge and gate, that are wide enough for most strollers and wheelchairs. But could cause a little difficulty for some.

Back to the big views from the west side of the lake.

Gorgeous reflections and view across to the Wasserngrat mountain.

A picnic area with a fire pit on the west side of the lake.

If you come on a hot day, you can swim in the smaller lake near this dock. The water is very chilly! When we hiked here from Wispile, we swam for about 30 mins, a really nice way to cool off.

The Lauenensee Restaurant has a view of the lake, outdoor seating and a small playground. It’s hard to get a table on sunny weekends.

I hope you enjoy walking around the Lauenensee!

See more hikes in the Gstaad region