Managing the Wild Beauty of Lauterbrunnen’s Weiße Lütschine

The Watercourse Master Plan for the Lütschine river is intended to reduce catastrophic consequences from flooding events.
Photo: Andreas Staeger

Lauterbrunnen’s striking Weiße Lütschine river is not just a scenic marvel — it also plays a vital role in Switzerland’s water system. Fed by melting snow from the surrounding mountains, it flows into the Aare River, continues to Lake Biel, skirts the southern edge of the Jura range, and eventually joins the Rhine at Koblenz in northwestern Switzerland.

In 2005, a devastating storm swept through the Bernese Oberland, causing widespread destruction. Its aftermath triggered a range of long-term initiatives — one of which is the Lütschine Watercourse Development Plan, designed to help prevent similar catastrophes in the future.

In 2023 and 2024, the first phases of river regrading could be observed from the balcony of Eyhus. The riverbed was widened, and large stones were strategically placed to improve water flow and reduce the risk of flooding. A crucial element of this project is bedload management — guiding as much sediment and debris through the river channel as possible. Dedicated spaces have also been created to accommodate deposited material and store debris removed during and after flood events. At Stechelberg, one can often witness massive boulders being shifted as part of this ongoing effort.
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Remaining untamed yet deeply cared for, the Weiße Lütschine continues to captivate with its wild beauty, gurgling and feet cooling offerings.