Blausee in Switzerland: bright blue lake with trout near Kandersteg

Blausee in Switzerland is one of those places where you wonder in advance whether it will be incredibly beautiful or a slightly disappointing tourist attraction. Bright blue water in the middle of a forest, trout swimming beneath you and a small nature park surrounding the lake. It sounds good, but you also have to pay an entrance fee.

We visited Blausee on our way to Kandersteg, where many people go for the well-known hike to Oeschinensee. That is a completely different place: larger, wilder and much more like a real mountain lake. Blausee is small, easy to explore and accessible. It is ideal for a short stop, especially when travelling with children.

We visited with our six-month-old daughter and thought it was a pleasant change. No demanding hike or steep climb, but simply a quiet walk, watching the fish and enjoying a cup of tea with a view of the water.

Also read our blog about Oeschinensee without the cable car if you want to explore more of this region.

Where is Blausee?

Blausee is located in the Bernese Oberland, between Frutigen and Kandersteg. From Kandersteg, it takes about ten minutes to drive there. This makes it a logical stop if you are staying in Kandersteg or travelling towards Oeschinensee.

The lake is located inside a landscaped and protected nature park. Do not expect a wild and free mountain lake that you can simply hike to. You enter through a gate, buy a ticket and then walk into the park. That may sound a little less adventurous, but it also makes the lake very easy and accessible to visit.

Arriving at Blausee

Blausee is easy to reach by car. Parking is not free, but it is well organised. We paid 5 CHF for four hours of parking. After that, the price increased to 10 CHF for eight hours. By Swiss standards, we thought this was quite reasonable.

From the car park, you walk to the entrance of the nature park. This is where you buy your ticket. Expect to pay around 11 CHF per person, although prices can of course change depending on the season or date. Always check the current prices before your visit.

It is useful to know that this is not a freely accessible natural area. Blausee is part of a nature park that is deliberately maintained. The area has existed as a park for a long time and is designed to protect the lake, the forest and the special atmosphere around it.

Reaching the lake in two minutes

After entering the park, you follow a wide, paved path downhill. This is convenient if you are visiting with a pushchair, buggy or wheelchair. You do not have to complete a long walk first, because you will already be standing beside the lake within two or three minutes.

And yes, the water really is as blue as it looks in the photos. It may even look bluer because you are standing so close to it. Blausee is not a large lake, but a rather small one. This makes the colour seem even more intense.

Its small size is something to keep in mind. Do not expect a large natural area where you can walk for hours. Blausee is mainly a beautiful short stop. You come here for the colour of the water, the trout, the forest and the peaceful atmosphere.

Why is Blausee so blue?

The first thing you notice is how clear the water is. You can see straight through it and spot the bottom, tree trunks and fish beneath the surface. This is because Blausee is fed by clear spring water and contains relatively little sediment.

The colour is created by a combination of light, depth, minerals and the clear lakebed. This gives the water its almost unnatural blue glow. It feels a little as if someone has turned the contrast up far too high, except that you are seeing it in real life.

Because the lake is small, you can see this colour very clearly. You do not have to search for the right viewpoint. You simply walk around it and keep getting a different view of the same blue water.

Spotting trout in Blausee

The trout may have been the most enjoyable part of our visit. Quite a lot of them swim in the lake, and the clear water makes them very easy to see. Large, calm fish glide through the water, sometimes very close to the shore.

For our daughter, this was of course fun to watch. But honestly, we also spent quite a while staring at the fish ourselves. The water is so clear that you almost forget you are looking into a lake rather than a huge aquarium.

The trout are not only here for decoration. Blausee also has its own trout farm. The cold, clean and oxygen-rich water is ideal for trout. At the restaurant in the park, you can therefore eat trout that comes from its own farm.

Walking around the lake

You can easily walk around Blausee. If you walk quickly, you can complete the circuit in 15 to 20 minutes. You probably will not do that, however, because you will keep stopping for photos, fish or views through the trees.

The path around the lake is partly well maintained and partly more like a forest path. We carried our daughter in a baby carrier, which was useful on some sections. However, the first section from the entrance to the lake is very accessible and easy to manage with a pushchair.

This also makes Blausee suitable for visiting with a baby or young children. You do not need to complete a demanding hike, there is plenty to see and you can easily stop for a break. You should of course be careful near the water, because the path runs close to the edge in some places.

The atmosphere: forest, water and peace

What we liked was that Blausee is located in the middle of the forest. This feels completely different from the large, open mountain landscapes you often see in this region. You walk between trees, cross small wooden bridges and pass rocks, while the blue water keeps appearing between them.

For us, this was a pleasant change. During this trip, we mainly walked through open mountain landscapes, so a forested location felt different. Smaller, quieter and slightly magical, without becoming too exaggerated.

You can tell that the area has been landscaped and is maintained. However, that did not bother us. As long as you know that you are visiting a small nature park rather than a wild mountain lake, your expectations will be much more accurate.

Boat trip and the legend of Blausee

A nice extra is that a short boat trip is included in your entrance ticket during summer. You travel across part of the lake in a small glass-bottomed boat. The clear water allows you to look down into the lake.

During the boat trip, you also hear more about the story of Blausee. There is a statue of a woman in the water. It is connected to the legend of the lake.

According to the story, a young woman lost her beloved. She came to the lake every day to look for him and eventually died from grief. Her tears are said to have given the water its deep blue colour. It is a little tragic, but it gives the place something extra.

Restaurant, terrace and playground

After walking around the lake, we sat down at the café for a while. Nothing complicated: a cup of tea, a muffin and a view of the lake. It was exactly what we needed.

There is also a restaurant at Blausee. Among other dishes, you can eat trout from the park’s own farm. There is also a playground for children and wooden loungers where you can relax with a view of the water.

This makes it easy to extend your visit. Not because there is an enormous amount to do, but because it is a pleasant place to stay for a while. Especially with children, it is nice that there is more than simply: “Look, a blue lake.”

How much time do you need at Blausee?

If you are quick, you can get a good impression of Blausee in 30 minutes. You walk to the lake, complete the circuit and return to the entrance.

One to two hours is more realistic. This gives you enough time to walk around slowly, watch the trout, take photos, perhaps join the boat trip and have a drink at the café.

Do not expect an activity that fills half a day. The area is simply too small for that. Blausee is at its best as a short stop or a relaxing afternoon visit.

Combining Blausee with Oeschinensee

Blausee is conveniently located near Kandersteg and Oeschinensee. We visited Blausee on our way to Kandersteg, but you can also easily combine it with a stay in the village.

Oeschinensee is much larger and requires more time and energy, especially if you hike up without the cable car as we did. Blausee is easy, quick and accessible. This means the two lakes complement each other well.

Read about our experience with the Oeschinensee hike without the cable car.

Staying near Blausee: Kandersteg as a convenient base

In my opinion, Kandersteg is the most convenient place to stay if you want to combine Blausee with other beautiful places in the region. From the village, it takes around ten minutes to drive to Blausee, and you are also in a good location for the well-known hike to Oeschinensee.

We stayed in a holiday home in Kandersteg with a view of the mountains. We thought it was ideal. You can have breakfast at your own pace, easily head out for the day and return to your own place after a hike or short stop at Blausee. Kandersteg has hotels, apartments and holiday homes, so you can choose the option that best suits your trip.

Some well-known options in Kandersteg include Hotel Ermitage, which is convenient if you want to stay close to the cable car to Oeschinensee, Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria & Apartments, which is a good choice if you want to stay in the centre of the village, and Hotel Bernerhof, which is also centrally located in Kandersteg. If you are travelling with children, Hotel Alpina may be an interesting option because of its garden and family rooms.

Would you prefer to book an apartment or holiday home? There are also plenty of options in Kandersteg. Especially if you are staying for several days and want to combine Blausee with Oeschinensee, having your own kitchen and some additional space can be very convenient.

Activities around Kandersteg

There is much more to do around Kandersteg than only visiting Blausee. You can hike to Oeschinensee, take cable car rides, go mountain hiking and enjoy other day trips in the Bernese Oberland.

Blausee: small, blue and ideal for a short stop

We thought Blausee was a pleasant stop. It is not somewhere we would drive an extra hour to visit, but it is perfect if you are already near Kandersteg.

The lake is small and you can see it fairly quickly, so do not expect a large natural area or a long hike. However, the clear blue water, trout, forest and short boat trip make it slightly different from other places in the region.

If you are travelling with a baby or young children, Blausee is especially convenient. Everything is easy to explore, you quickly reach the water and there is plenty to see without completing a demanding hike. For us, that was exactly what made this stop enjoyable.