A total of three steamboats operate on our two lakes: The steamboats Blümlisalp and Spiez on Lake Thun and the steamboat Lötschberg on Lake Brienz – whereby the steamboat Spiez is not part of the scheduled boat service due to its size, but can be hired exclusively.
The steamboats «Blümlisalp» und «Lötschberg»
The two nostalgic paddle steamers from the Belle Epoque are the pride and joy of our fleet on Lakes Thun and Brienz.
The steamboat «Blümlisalp» on Lake Thun (built in 1906) has had an eventful history. After two decades of decommissioning, the ship was completely refurbished between 1990-1992 thanks to a nationwide fundraising campaign by the cooperative «Vaporama». On 22 May 1992, the steamboat «Blümlisalp» was able to set sail on its second maiden voyage.
The steamboat «Lötschberg» on Lake Brienz (built in 1914) embodies pure nostalgia and romance. The saloon steamer was restored according to the principles of historic preservation and awarded the "Special Award 2008" by ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The two paddle steamers are cruising on the two lakes during the summer months and are very popular with young and old.
The steamboat «Spiez»
Once constructed as a steamboat, the steamboat Spiez was subsequently rebuilt several times. From 1952 onwards, the boat sailed as a motor vessel for several years and was then taken out of service in 2007. Numerous donations and investments finally made it possible for the boat to set off again as a steamboat on its second maiden voyage in April 2022 with a newly built steam engine. Due to its size, the steamboat Spiez is not suitable for scheduled lake cruises, but the boat can be rented exclusively. Built in 1901, the «Spiezerli» is the oldest steamboat in the BLS Lake Cruise fleet.
Important information:
The DS “Spiez” is currently not in operation. Public trips are planned for the period from the end of October to the beginning of November. The exact dates and times of the public rides will be published on the website on August. Tickets will be available in the webshop from this date.
As part of these trips, there are individual days on which the DS “Spiez” is available for private hire. The time slots for possible charter trips are from October 27 to 29 and from November 3 to 5, 2025. Booking requests for this are already being accepted Request advice | BLS-Schiff.
