Experiences provided by Swisstainable committed service providers: ** Engaged in Bern Region

For pure romance, it is hard to beat a cruise across the waters of Lake Thun on the historic paddle steamer Blümlisalp.

Série Horns – A Charming Alpine Stay for Feathered Guests: Set in front of the Posthotel Rössli chalet in Gstaad, Série Horns is a birdhouse series designed by interior architecture master's student Jaemo Lee. Inspired by the iconic postal horn, the design pays tribute to the hotel’s history as a former post office. Shaped like musical horns and crafted from wood with chalet-style roofs, the birdhouses symbolically link birds to messengers and nests to mailboxes. This poetic reinterpretation blends traditional Swiss aesthetics with functionality, offering a refined retreat for birds who appreciate alpine elegance.

In our idyllic seminar garden, just a few steps from the edge of the forest, we’ve created a lovingly designed insect hotel – our “Tiny Wings Resort” is a tranquil retreat for our smallest guests: wild bees and other beneficial insects. Thanks to our location between two nature reserves, many other animal friends also call this place home: frogs croak by the pond, swans and ducks glide across Lake Thun, and a wide variety of water birds regularly stop by. A place for holistic well-being – and a thriving habitat for bees & friends.

We are home to around six bee colonies, located directly on the hotel grounds and cared for by a local beekeeper. The honey they produce is used throughout the hotel, including at our breakfast buffet.

Whether a trip for two, a family outing or a group excursion: BLS Interlaken Lake Cruise offers a range of unique cruises each season, promising unforgettable moments on Lakes Thun and Brienz.

Sustainability has been a passionate calling at Giessbach ever since its rescue between 1982 and 1984. In 2019, efforts began to restore the historic vegetable garden from 1897. Today, herbs are harvested from our own garden, vegetables—wherever possible—come from our own fields or from the estate’s historic garden houses, and even the honey is produced by Giessbach’s own bees and is available for purchase. Naturally, all products are organic. Our beekeeper currently cares for 10 bee colonies, yielding around 400 kg of honey from the Giessbach estate each year. The peaceful, native Swiss bee species, the Carnica bee, has found a true home at Giessbach. Birds also find a safe breeding place in the park, with around 15 birdhouses offering shelter. When old trees in the nature park die, it can take decades for their trunks to decompose. During this time, they serve as deadwood habitats—an essential lifeline for thousands of species. Dead trees are among the richest and most vital ecosystems in the forest. Roughly a quarter of all forest-dwelling species depend on them. In Switzerland alone, these include dozens of bird species, hundreds of types of lichens, thousands of fungi and beetle species, and millions of microorganisms. The Giessbach Falls and their surrounding landscape have been designated a cantonal natural monument since 1950 and are protected accordingly. Thanks to the Giessbach Foundation, the Grandhotel Giessbach and its forest are now recognized as a cultural asset of national importance.

Switzerland’s capital, Bern, is the stuff of dreams for cycling enthusiasts. Whether riding an e-bike or a conventional bicycle, this is the place for all cyclists.