A shining metal track curves across green Alpine meadows, and the peaks of the Bernese Oberland fill the horizon. Brice Milleson’s point-of-view video of the Oeschinensee mountain coaster above Kandersteg, Switzerland, shows one of the most scenic summer toboggan runs in the Alps.
The Oeschinensee mountain coaster video
Brice Milleson filmed the ride during a 2013 trip to Switzerland and published it as “Switzerland Mountain Coaster” in February 2015. The camera rides along on the sled, so the viewer follows each bend of the rail as the slope drops away and the mountains swing in and out of view.
The track is the summer attraction at the top of the Oeschinensee gondola from Kandersteg. It is a rail-guided toboggan: riders sit in a small sled fixed to the track and set their own speed with a brake lever.
Mountain coaster facts: length, season and prices
According to the operator’s current ride information:
- Track: 750 m long with a 150 m drop, starting next to the Oeschinensee gondola’s upper station.
- Season and hours: a summer attraction, open daily from 10:00 to 16:15, weather permitting. It runs only in dry conditions and closes when the track is wet.
- Children: from age 3 they ride with an adult; from age 8 they may ride alone once they know the track and an adult has handed over responsibility. Children under 8 ride free.
- Prices (2026): CHF 6 per ride before 13:00 and CHF 7 after, with discounts for multiple rides.
- Tickets: sold only at the machine on site, with no reservations. Cash, Twint and cards are accepted.
On the track, keep both hands on the controls, use the brake lever and never stop along the route. Phones and cameras are not allowed during the ride, so today’s visitors enjoy the view with their own eyes and leave the filming to videos like this one. Go early on fine days, when queues grow quickly.
Oeschinen Lake above Kandersteg
The coaster is the fun way down to a famous destination. Oeschinensee lies at 1,578 m above the village of Kandersteg in the canton of Bern, beneath the Blüemlisalp and Doldenhorn. The lake covers about 1.1 square kilometres and reaches 56 m deep. It was formed when huge prehistoric landslides dammed the upper Kander valley, and since 2007 it has been part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau–Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A gondola climbs from Kandersteg, and the walk from the top station to the shore takes around 25 to 30 minutes. Rowing boats can be hired from May to October, the lake is popular for summer swimming, and in winter, when conditions allow, ice walks are set up across its frozen surface. The Bergstübli restaurant at the upper station is handy for a break between rides.
More Switzerland to explore
Our Oeschinen Lake photo collection shows the lake through the seasons. Elsewhere in the Bernese Oberland, the Gimmelwald cat encounter is a charming mountain story, and Martina Bisaz’s Switzerland photographs capture snowy lakes and reflections.
Related reading
- The Cambrian in Adelboden: Mountain Views, Spa Time and a Better-Planned Stay
- Bern in Winter: Old-Town Walks, Seasonal Lights and Time Indoors
- Furka Pass: The Mountain Road, Its Seasonal Limits and the Journey Around It
- 15 Swiss Ski Resorts: Compare the Villages, Terrain and Connected Areas
- Oeschinensee: A Mountain-Lake Visit for the Right Season and Route
- Solvay Hut on the Matterhorn: A Shelter Reserved for Emergencies
- Nine Climbers on the Jungfrau: A Mountain Turned into a Tiny Planet
- Pilatus Cogwheel Railway: What a 48% Gradient Means and How the Train Climbs It
- Sphinx Observatory at Jungfraujoch: The Science Behind the Famous View
- The Matterhorn Through the Day: Twelve Photographs, One Remarkable Mountain
Sources
- Brice Milleson – Switzerland Mountain Coaster (YouTube)
- Oeschinensee – Mountain coaster (Rodelbahn)
- Wikipedia – Oeschinen Lake
- Video and still: Brice Milleson / ViralHog
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