#unique since 1892

About us

Berghotel Oeschinensee – a family business since 1892

Guests from all over the world were already aware of the beauty of Lake Oeschinen above Kandersteg. This was one of the reasons why David Wandfluh decided to build an inn on Lake Oeschinen in 1890. Great-great-grandfather Wandfluh was a simple farmer from Kandergrund at the time. In addition to gastronomy, our family has also upheld the tradition of "farming". Today, the mountain hotel is run by the fifth generation and is completely family-owned. Unfortunately, businesses with a long-standing tradition are becoming increasingly rare - so we are particularly proud to stand for tradition, quality and humanity.

Agricultural business

Sheep have long been our passion and at the same time our family meditation. The farm has around 30 animals. The sheep spend the summer on the steep slopes below the gondola lift. We only use fodder that grows in our own meadows and that we bring in ourselves in the summer. We process and prepare the lamb meat ourselves in our own kitchen. The hard but beautiful work gives us pleasure and we are very proud of our lamb products. We sell the sheepskins and lambskins in our store at Lake Oeschinen. The farm has been run jointly with the Grossen family from Reginahof in Kandersteg since 2023 and has around 40 cows, cattle and sheep.

Berghotel Oeschinensee - History

Today
The number of visitors is steadily increasing, but there are also frequent staff departures. The team shrinks from 40 to 23 employees within 2 months. However, the average age of our team is still 16. A request to extend the toilet facilities, which were far too small, was rejected by the canton on flimsy grounds. The business was converted to self-service within 6 weeks in order to be able to operate at all. The hotel remains closed for overnight stays in summer 23.
Logistics
An Iveco delivery van with a lifting platform was purchased. All logistics are no longer handled via the private road but via the gondola lift. Regular official closures of the access road from Kandersteg due to natural hazards from the Spitzten Stei make planning impossible. Throughout the entire operation, massive investments are made in making the team's work easier (ergonomics). In addition, compactor skips are purchased for waste from the entire mountain. The disposal to the waste incineration plant in Thun is done by the company itself.
Pandemic
The uncertain situation surrounding the "Spitze Stei" and Corona prompted us to come up with new ideas. Together with our 30-strong team, we are constantly working on new ideas. This is how our "Fondue2Go" and "Oeschi ice cream" came about.
Food Trucks & Bergstübli
The first food truck was manufactured by the carpenter according to our specifications. The second followed a year later. The Bergstübli at the mountain station was taken over. The official closure with 24 hours' notice is always in the back of our minds. The mobile food trucks and the Bergstübli can therefore offer employees and guests something to eat when the Berghotel am See has to close.
Return
David Jr (Christoph's older brother) comes back home after his years of traveling. Since then, he has been actively supporting us and working in the kitchen.
5th Generation
Christoph (hotelier) & Lea (PR specialist) Wandfluh take over the business in the 5th generation. Together with their two children, the family spends the summer at Lake Oeschinen. The team comprises around 15 employees. The first floor is completely renovated. Cold storage rooms were extended in 2015.
Fiber Optic & Sewer System
All businesses on the mountain are connected to the Kandersteg sewage system. In addition, a fiber optic cable is laid to Lake Oeschinen. A new supply line is dug for the drinking water supply to the mountain hotel. The municipality contributes 0 francs.
Horse-drawn Carriage
More and more older guests found the walk from the lake back to the mountain station too long. Heart attacks were the result. From 2003 to 2006, a horse-drawn carriage therefore transported mainly older guests from the mountain station to Lake Oeschinen. The work was too strenuous for the horses, so from 2007 an electric vehicle was used (the first prototype was a flop).
4th Generation
David & Susanna Wandfluh take over the family business and continue to run it in the 4th generation. Over the next 30 years, the house was completely renovated and refurbished. The kitchen was completely extended, the refrigeration systems expanded, all rooms refurbished and a solar system installed back in the early 1990s.
Construction of the Chairlift
David Wandfluh builds the chairlift from Kandersteg to Oeschinen. The construction of a chairlift was a pioneering achievement at the time - the construction of a cable car through the air was not granted much success. At the time, funiculars on rails were more in vogue than a cable car in the air.
1945
During the war, international tourism collapsed completely. Mainly Swiss guests and many school trips visited Oeschinen Lake. Daily menu: Soup with sausage, CHF 2 - one sausage for two children.
Expansion 1912
The mountain hotel was generously extended. The current floor plan is largely the same as today. Among other things, an open "drinking hall" was built. The "donkey stable" is still preserved today.
Foundation 1892
David Wandfluh built the Berghotel on Oeschinen Lake as a small guesthouse with 10 rooms and a restaurant.
2021
2021
2020
2019
2015
2012
2013
2003
1981
1949
War time
Expansion
Construction of the Berghotel