The Best Way to Eat Swiss Fondue? Floating on Lake Brienz

I could say that I was surprised to find myself and my family floating along in a red Zodiac on the deepest lake in Switzerland, eating cheese fondue and sipping white wine as the sun set. But really, it was all by design. When I designated myself as chief planner for an autumnal family trip to the Alpine nation with my adult children and their partners, I searched for an activity that would knock their socks off. I found it in Interlaken, with a floating fondue experience. Yes, you read that right.I love Switzerland, and have visited the land where the hills are alive with the sound of cowbells more than 30 times in my life. And while I’ve done many amazing things in and around the Swiss Alps—skiing, hiking, trottinetting, whittling my own Swiss cow from a block of wood—I knew getting my Gen Z crew excited about family time involved finding something a little more unconventional.We were going to be staying in the Bernese Oberland, a picture-postcard region with legendary sites like Grindelwald, the Jungfrau and Eiger mountains, and Interlaken. Everyone was up for hiking and taking cable cars to waterfalls; paragliding was sadly vetoed. But a unique culinary experience would surely work, I thought—the way to their hearts is through their stomachs.Luckily, I had heard about a Cheese Fondue Float experience offered by a company called Outdoor Switzerland a few years ago. Back then, it was raclette—toasted cheese scraped onto boiled potatoes—that served as the dish du jour. But fondue, Switzerland’s national dish, is much more well-known, so the company savvily swapped raclette trays for caquelons (ceramic fondue pots). I found the experience listing on Get Your Guide, and reviews praised the change, highlighting the delicious cheese and wine and the gregarious fondue fun. I confirmed a private booking for the six of us a month before we left home, and kept my fingers crossed for good weather.I needn’t have worried—my prayers were answered with glorious temperatures and bluebird skies on the day of the tour, a leisurely Sunday in September. A five-minute bus ride from downtown Interlaken brought us to the small village of Bonigen, the launch site located on scenic Lake Brienz. After shaking hands with our guide, a tall, friendly Dutchman named Hild, we donned life jackets, listened to the mandatory safety briefing, and stepped into the boat, alternating sides to keep the weight even. Once comfortably settled around the pretty red-and-white-checkered tablecloth, which was already topped with plates, cups, and two fondue pots, Hild slowly rowed us onto the lake.Hild, the writer's fondue float guide Claudia LaroyeAn overhead shot of the pretty tablescape and gorgeous lake Claudia LaroyeLake Brienz is the deepest lake in the country, and it’s surely one of the most scenic too. Moving out from the shore, we encountered spectacular views of towering mountains, their peaks mirrored in the impossibly blue water. I poured the prepared cheese fondue into the heated fondue pots, and the mixture began bubbling, filling the air with a sharp aroma as it warmed into readiness.The fondue float experience includes white wine (one 500-ml bottle per person), as well as water and hot tea. We took turns pouring wine into our copper cups as my eldest son took command of the Bluetooth speaker, setting a lively mood with traditional Alpine tunes played on accordions and hackbretts (a kind of dulcimer), mixed with the occasional yodel ditty. At one point, our float’s music and laughter brought friendly waves from passengers on a passing cruise boat, along with toots from the ship’s horn. We whooped and waved in return.Once the cheese was steaming hot, we dipped and swished bread cubes into the melted goodness, savoring the delicious alchemy of bread and cheese alongside celebratory toasts in honor of our family adventure. As the cheese disappeared, the fondue pot heated the remains into what the Swiss call “la réligieuse”—toasted cheese bits that are scraped from the bottom of the pot. We fought playfully over dibs on the last delicious morsels—trust me, they’re good to the last perfectly browned crumb.Raising a glass to a unique family adventure Claudia LaroyeCheese, please! Claudia LaroyeThe entire experience lasted about an hour and a half, and during that time, the six of us managed to drink all six wine bottles on board. None of us are big drinkers, but the beauty of the surroundings inspired the good times to flow, and, well, so did the wine.Photos and videos captured our cheesy adventure, but the memory of enjoying such a unique culinary and cultural experience with my favorite people in the world will be forever burned into my mind. You can have a fondue anywhere, but while floating in one of the most iconic locations in one of the most beautiful countries on earth? Even my discerning Gen Z travel companions agreed: “That’s extra.”One of Outdoor Switzerland's boats Get Your GuideHow to book with Outdoor SwitzerlandThe Cheese Fondue Float experience on Lake Brienz in Interlaken is available to book on the Outdoor Switzerland website, as well as on GetYourGuide and Viator. It is offered between September and April, weather permitting. If booking in the colder months, bundle up with coats, beanies, and gloves, as you’ll be out on the water for up to an hour and a half. Private charters are available for groups up to eight people; kids eight years and up are welcome. More of a dessert person? Outdoor Switzerland also offers a Swiss Chocolate Fondue experience. Get cozy under blankets, sip hot tea, and dip marshmallows and fruit into creamy melted Swiss chocolate while a qualified guide rows you merrily along the beautiful Brienzersee.