Somewhere between Interlaken and the middle of a very deep lake, dinner takes an unusual turn. Outdoor Switzerland runs a Cheese Fondue Float on Lake Brienz: you board a red Zodiac with a guide who rows you onto the water, where a red-and-white checkered tablecloth, heated ceramic fondue pots, bread and wine are already waiting. The meal lasts about an hour and a half, and the scenery does most of the heavy lifting.
Lake Brienz is the deepest lake in Switzerland and its water is famously, almost artificially blue. From the boat you get mountain peaks reflected in the surface, and if you time it right, a sunset. On one recent September evening a writer took five adult family members out on a private charter and reported bluebird skies, accordion-heavy Alpine playlists on a Bluetooth speaker, and waves from a passing cruise ship. The group went through all six bottles of included wine, which tells you something about the atmosphere.
The experience started life as a raclette float, but the company swapped trays for fondue pots — Switzerland's national dish being the bigger crowd-pleaser. The details are handled for you: the cheese is pre-prepared, the pots are heated, and the guide rows. Wine comes in at one 500-ml bottle per person, plus water and hot tea. And when the bread runs out, the fun isn't over — the crusty cheese残留在 pot bottoms, what the Swiss call la réligieuse, gets scraped off and fought over.
Booking is straightforward. The float runs September to April, weather permitting, and you can book directly with Outdoor Switzerland or via GetYourGuide and Viator. Private charters take up to eight people, and kids from age eight are welcome. For winter floats, dress properly — coats, beanies, gloves — because you're on open water for 90 minutes. If cheese isn't your thing, there's a chocolate version too: blankets, hot tea, and marshmallows and fruit for dipping.
Why bother? Interlaken's usual menu — Jungfraujoch day trips, Grindelwald hikes, paragliding, lake cruises — is excellent but well-trodden. A fondue float is the kind of quirky group activity that works especially well for mixed-age families or friend trips where someone insists the plans be "extra." It's low-effort (no hiking fitness required), high on atmosphere, and doubles as dinner, so it slots neatly into an evening. If you're staying in the Bernese Oberland anyway, it's an easy half-day add-on: the launch point is in the small village of Bönigen, about a five-minute bus ride from central Interlaken.
