Between Thun, Interlaken, and Brienz, Brienz is the littlest of the three siblings. Thun is a major city in the Bernese Oberland Region and Interlaken a traditional resort town, so the hotel proces in nearby Brienz can be a steal if you know where to find the right deals.
Small it may be, but Brienz has the emeral-colored Brienzersee to its name and magnificent views of the Bernese Alps, heck it’s right inside of it. If you’re more interested in going up the mountains than doing water sports, Brienz is near the famous Jungfraujoch, Eigerhorn, and is the starting point for the only steam-powered rack railway in Europe bringing you up to the Rothorn. You can ride free on your birthday!
Rothorn Railway station 
Rothorn rail carrriages 
Carpentry museum 
Main street
Apart from having easy access to the mountains, it is also at the mouth of the Haslital valley where the Brünigpass, Glaubenbielenpass, and the Glaubenbergpass can bring you over the mountain range to the UNESCO Biophere Entlebuch in the plains of Bern. Watch out for winter restrictions on those routes.
The huge open air Ballenberg Museum is also just a 10-minute drive away and open all summer long. If you don’t like looking at agricultural exhibits, perhaps a visit to the neighboring Meiringen Air Base will be exciting enough for you. Tours are available and visitors are welcome to walk right up to the runway perimeter to observe fighter jet drills several days a week.
If you’re only in Switzerland for the Alps, then the Bernese Oberland is perfect for most tourists.
