Lake Lungern Lake

Address: Lake Lungern (Lungernsee), Lungern, Obwalden, Switzerland

Hours: Open year-round

Admission: Free (public lake)

Lake Lungern (Lungerersee) is an alpine lake in central Switzerland, in the canton of Obwalden, set below the Brünig Pass. It is a compact mountain lake bordered by the village of Lungern and steep valley sides.

The lakeshore is used for swimming, boating and short lakeside walks; the village of Lungern and the Brünig Pass road provide the main visitor access and viewpoints. The setting is typical central Swiss alpine valley terrain with cultivated slopes and coniferous woodland.

The lake lies within a glaciated alpine valley; the settlement of Lungern developed on its eastern shore and the Brünig Pass has long been a transport route across the central Swiss Alps.

Geographically it sits in central Switzerland, in canton Obwalden, at the base of the Brünig Pass and adjacent to the village of Lungern, with mountain ridges rising around the valley.

• Viewpoints and access: Best views are from the road and walking paths around the village of Lungern and from the Brünig Pass road that runs along the lake’s shore. The village provides public access points for swimming and small boats.

Lake Lungern (Lungerersee) is served by the Zentralbahn Brünig railway: take the Luzern-Interlaken (Brünig) line to Lungern station. The lake and village are about a 5-15 minute walk (roughly 0.5-1 km) from the station.

By car, follow the A8/Brünig Pass road from Lucerne toward Brienz and take the Lungern exit; the drive is roughly 25-35 km (about 30-40 minutes) from Lucerne depending on route and traffic.

• Aim for early morning (weekday if possible) for glassy reflections of the surrounding Alps and to avoid busy weekend parking at the village - the Brünig railway stops at Lungern, which is usually easier than hunting for roadside parking.
• Use Lungern railway station or the village lakeside car parks as your access point rather than trying to park at small roadside pullouts; arriving on the Brünig line also gives a scenic, stress‑free arrival.
• Most visitors stay around the village and marina - walk the lakeshore path westward out of town to find quieter coves and better photo angles of the steep valley walls.