TL;DR: A 2-hour audio companion for the Luzern-Interlaken Express, connecting two of Switzerland's most popular destinations via the Brunig Pass -- the only narrow-gauge mainline in the Swiss Federal Railway network. Cross between central Switzerland and the Bernese Oberland via a cogwheel section, passing five lakes, carved wooden villages, and the open-air museum of Ballenberg. A practical, scenic, and historically fascinating Swiss rail journey.
Journey Overview
| Route | Lucerne -- Hergiswil -- Alpnachstad -- Sarnen -- Lungern -- Brunig-Hasliberg -- Meiringen -- Brienz -- Interlaken Ost |
| Duration | ~1 hour 50 minutes |
| Operator | Zentralbahn (zb) |
| Track | Meter gauge (1,000 mm), with cogwheel section over the Brunig Pass |
| Highest Point | Brunig-Hasliberg, 1,008 m |
| Swiss Travel Pass | Fully covered (free) |
| Best Seat | Right side from Lucerne for lake and mountain views; left side over the Brunig for valley panoramas |
| Best Time | Clear days for mountain views; autumn for golden forests |
Introduction
[Duration: 3 minutes | Departing Lucerne]
Welcome aboard the Luzern-Interlaken Express, and welcome to this ch.tours audio guide for one of the most practical and scenic railway connections in Switzerland.
The Luzern-Interlaken Express links two of the country's most visited destinations -- Lucerne, the jewel of central Switzerland, and Interlaken, the adventure capital of the Bernese Oberland -- in just under two hours. The route crosses the Brunig Pass at 1,008 meters, using a cogwheel (rack-and-pinion) section to manage the steep gradient, and it passes through a succession of landscapes that pack an extraordinary amount of Swiss variety into a short distance: urban lakefront, pastoral valleys, dramatic mountain passes, carved wooden villages, and turquoise alpine lakes.
What makes this line particularly interesting from a railway perspective is its gauge. The Brunig Line is the only meter-gauge line operated by the Swiss Federal Railways system (now operated by the Zentralbahn, a successor company). All other SBB lines use standard gauge. The narrow gauge was chosen in the 1880s because the tight curves required to climb the Brunig Pass were impractical at standard gauge, and the decision created a permanent architectural difference -- the trains on this route are narrower and more nimble than mainline Swiss trains, giving the journey an intimate, almost heritage-railway feel.
The Luzern-Interlaken Express runs every hour in each direction, uses modern panoramic coaches with large windows, and requires no reservation -- you simply board with your Swiss Travel Pass or ticket. It is one of the most accessible scenic train rides in Switzerland.
The train is pulling out of Lucerne station. We are heading south.
Segment 1: Lucerne to Alpnachstad
[Duration: 8 minutes | 0-15 minutes into the journey]
The train leaves Lucerne and immediately follows the southern shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstattersee). On the right side, the lake stretches before you, and the peaks of central Switzerland form the backdrop: Pilatus dominates the view to the southwest, its flat-topped summit at 2,128 meters; Rigi is visible to the east; and further along, the Stanserhorn and Burgenstock ridge shape the horizon.
The first stop is Hergiswil, a small town on the lakeshore known for its glass factory (Glasi Hergiswil), which has been producing hand-blown glass since 1817 and houses a museum and shop. If you look to the right as the train passes through Hergiswil, you may see the glass factory buildings near the lake.
After Hergiswil, the train rounds the base of Pilatus and arrives at Alpnachstad -- a small pier and station that is the departure point for the Pilatus Cogwheel Railway, the steepest cogwheel railway in the world with a gradient of 48 percent. If Pilatus is on your itinerary, this is where you would alight. The cogwheel railway climbs from 434 meters to 2,073 meters in approximately 30 minutes, and the views from the summit encompass Lake Lucerne, the Swiss plateau, and the Bernese Alps. The round trip costs approximately CHF 76, or CHF 38 with the Swiss Travel Pass (50 percent discount).
The train leaves Alpnachstad and turns inland, away from the lake. You are now entering the Sarneraatal -- the valley of the Sarner Aa river -- in the canton of Obwalden, one of the original half-cantons of the Swiss Confederation.
Segment 2: Sarnen and the Obwalden Valley
[Duration: 8 minutes | 15-30 minutes into the journey]
Sarnen, the capital of Obwalden, is a small, attractive town of about 10,000 on the shores of the Sarnersee (Lake Sarnen). The lake, visible on the right side, is a modest but pretty body of water, 7 kilometers long and tucked into a green valley surrounded by forested mountains.
Obwalden is deeply traditional -- one of the most conservative cantons in Switzerland, with a strong attachment to direct democracy and alpine customs. The Landsgemeinde -- the open-air assembly where citizens gather in a public square to vote by show of hands -- was practiced here until 1998. The canton is known for its dairy farming, its apple orchards, and its quiet, unhurried way of life.
The White Book of Sarnen (Weisses Buch von Sarnen), written around 1470 and preserved in the Sarnen state archive, is one of the most important documents in Swiss history. It contains the earliest written accounts of the William Tell legend and the founding of the Swiss Confederation, and it served as a primary source for later historians and storytellers.
After Sarnen, the train passes the southern end of the Sarnersee and enters a narrowing valley. The mountains press closer, and the pastures become steeper. The village of Giswil appears on the right -- a small farming community at the foot of the Brunig climb.
Segment 3: Lungern and the Brunig Climb
[Duration: 10 minutes | 30-50 minutes into the journey]
The train arrives at Lungern, a village on the shores of the Lungernsee -- a small, deep lake whose turquoise-green color rivals Lake Brienz for intensity. The lake is visible on the right side, and on a clear day its color is remarkable -- a vivid emerald-turquoise that stands out against the dark green forests surrounding it.
The Lungernsee is a natural lake that was artificially lowered by about 30 meters in 1836 to create farmland on the former lakebed. The reclaimed land is visible as the flat, marshy area at the southern end of the lake. The lowering project was a significant engineering achievement for its time, involving the drilling of a drainage tunnel through the rock.
After Lungern, the real climb begins. The train engages the cogwheel -- the rack-and-pinion system that allows it to grip the steep track -- and the gradient steepens noticeably. You may hear the change in engine note as the cogwheel engages, a deeper, more labored sound as the train begins to haul itself up the mountainside.
The cogwheel section climbs from Lungern at 750 meters to the Brunig-Hasliberg summit at 1,008 meters -- a rise of about 260 meters in just a few kilometers. The gradient reaches up to 12 percent, far too steep for conventional adhesion-only rail. The cogwheel system, using a toothed rail between the running rails that engages with a gear on the locomotive, provides the grip needed to climb and, equally importantly, to descend safely.
As the train climbs, the views open up behind you. The Lungernsee appears as a turquoise jewel in the valley floor, surrounded by forests and meadows. The air cools. Conifer forests replace the mixed woodlands of the valley. And then, at the summit, you cross from the canton of Obwalden into the canton of Bern -- from central Switzerland to the Bernese Oberland.
Segment 4: The Brunig Summit and Descent to Meiringen
[Duration: 10 minutes | 50-70 minutes into the journey]
The Brunig-Hasliberg station, at 1,008 meters, marks the highest point of the journey and the watershed between two river systems. The water on the Lucerne side flows into the Reuss and eventually the Rhine. The water on the Interlaken side flows into the Aare and also into the Rhine, but by a completely different route, joining the Rhine hundreds of kilometers downstream.
From the summit, the train begins its descent into the Haslital -- the Hasli Valley -- and the views on the left side are commanding. The valley drops away steeply, and the town of Meiringen is visible far below, sitting on the valley floor at 595 meters. The descent is steep, and the cogwheel is engaged again, this time for braking rather than climbing.
Meiringen is a town of about 4,700 in the Hasli Valley, and it has two claims to fame that put it on the international map.
First, the meringue. Yes, the confection. Meiringen claims to be the birthplace of the meringue, allegedly invented here by an Italian pastry chef named Gasparini in the early 18th century. The claim is disputed -- several other towns across Europe make similar assertions -- but Meiringen has embraced the story with gusto, and local bakeries produce excellent meringues served with thick Oberland cream.
Second, Sherlock Holmes. The Reichenbach Falls, a 250-meter waterfall on the mountainside above Meiringen, is the location where Arthur Conan Doyle chose to kill off his famous detective in the 1893 story "The Final Problem." Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty grappled at the top of the falls and both plunged to their apparent deaths. Conan Doyle later resurrected Holmes due to public demand, but the Reichenbach Falls retain their literary association. A small Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen and a funicular to the falls attract devotees from around the world.
The Reichenbach Falls are visible from the train on the left side as you descend toward Meiringen -- look for the cascade tumbling down the cliff face in several stages.
Segment 5: Meiringen to Brienz
[Duration: 8 minutes | 70-85 minutes into the journey]
After Meiringen, the train enters the broad, flat Hasli valley floor and follows the Aare River westward toward Lake Brienz. The valley here is wide and agricultural, with orchards, dairy farms, and the occasional small village.
The Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht) -- one of the most impressive gorges in Switzerland -- is just south of Meiringen, but not visible from the train. The gorge, approximately 1.4 kilometers long and up to 200 meters deep but in places only 1 meter wide, can be visited via a walkway built into the rock face. It is a short bus ride from Meiringen and well worth a detour.
As the train approaches the eastern end of Lake Brienz, the turquoise color of the water comes into view -- Lake Brienz is famous for having the most vivid turquoise water of any major Swiss lake, colored by glacial flour from the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen glaciers.
The village of Brienz appears on the right side, sitting at the lake's eastern end. Brienz has been the center of Swiss wood carving for over 200 years, and the tradition continues today at the Schule fur Holzbildhauerei (School of Wood Sculpture). The Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg -- Switzerland's largest open-air museum, with over 100 historic buildings from across the country -- is located just east of Brienz.
Also at Brienz, the steam-powered Brienz Rothorn Bahn climbs to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn (2,350 m) -- the only purely steam-operated cogwheel railway still running regular services in Switzerland. The coal-fired locomotives are originals from the 19th century.
Segment 6: Lake Brienz to Interlaken Ost
[Duration: 8 minutes | 85-110 minutes into the journey]
The train now follows the northern shore of Lake Brienz, and the views on the right side are extraordinary. The turquoise water stretches before you, flanked by steep, forested mountains on both sides. Waterfalls streak the cliff faces -- Lake Brienz has the highest concentration of lakeside waterfalls in Switzerland.
On the left side, across the lake, the Giessbach Falls are visible -- a 500-meter cascade that drops in 14 stages directly into the lake, with the Grandhotel Giessbach perched on a terrace beside them. The Giessbach is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Switzerland, and the hotel, saved from demolition in the 1970s, is a landmark of Swiss conservation.
The peninsula of Iseltwald, jutting into the lake from the southern shore, is visible across the water. This small village gained international fame through a Korean television drama and now manages its newly discovered popularity with a ticketed jetty.
As the lake narrows toward its western end, the mountain panorama ahead begins to reveal the peaks of the Jungfrau region. On a clear day, the Jungfrau (4,158 m), Monch (4,107 m), and Eiger (3,967 m) appear above the valley, their snow-covered summits brilliant against the sky.
The train enters Interlaken Ost station -- your destination and the gateway to the Bernese Oberland. From here, connections depart for Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, and the Jungfraujoch, as well as the boat services on both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.
Closing
[Duration: 3 minutes]
Your Luzern-Interlaken Express journey is complete. In just under two hours, you have crossed from the heart of central Switzerland to the gateway of the Bernese Oberland, via five lakes, a cogwheel pass, a literary waterfall, and a wood-carving village, with the Swiss Alps growing larger in your window with every passing minute.
The Brunig Line is not one of Switzerland's branded luxury trains. It does not carry the marketing cachet of the Glacier Express or the UNESCO label of the Bernina Express. What it is, instead, is deeply, authentically Swiss: a practical, efficient, beautiful railway that connects two places people want to be, through landscapes they would not otherwise see, on a schedule that runs every hour. It is Swiss engineering in the service of Swiss life, and it has been running since 1888.
If you are continuing your exploration, ch.tours offers audio guides for Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, the GoldenPass Express from Interlaken to Montreux, and the Jungfrau region. Interlaken is one of the great Swiss crossroads, and every direction from here leads to something extraordinary.
From the other end, ch.tours also offers audio guides for Lucerne's walking tours, the Lake Lucerne cruise, and the Gotthard Panorama Express. The Luzern-Interlaken Express connects naturally to all of these.
Thank you for traveling the Brunig Line with us. Two hours, five lakes, one pass, and zero need for a reservation. That is Swiss rail at its finest.
Source: ch.tours | Audio Guide Script | Last updated: March 2026 | Data from Zentralbahn (zentralbahn.ch), MySwitzerland.com, SBB (sbb.ch), Swisstopo, Ballenberg (ballenberg.ch), Brienz Rothorn Bahn (brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch)