Brunch on Swiss lakes and rivers for a relaxed Sunday

Advertising: Contribution in cooperation with the Association of Swiss Shipping Companies

A leisurely start to Sunday with brunch is one of the favorite weekend activities of the Swiss. How about combining a hearty breakfast with a relaxed – and in summer also welcome refreshing trip across the water? We have taken a close look at various brunch offers from Swiss shipping companies and show our favorites in this article. A relaxed start to Sunday is guaranteed with these brunch tips.

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In cooperation with the Association of Swiss Shipping Companies, I present you a selection of excursion ideas and culinary tours from Lake Constance to Lake Zurich this summer season. After a detour to Ticino with two tips for boat trips on Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore and a romantic evening cruise on the candlelight steamer on Lake Lucerne, this article is all about brunch on Swiss lakes.

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The local hero: Sunday brunch at the Rhystärn in Basel

The Rhystärn has been the flagship of Basel’s passenger shipping industry for almost three years. On the spacious panorama deck of the modern ship, you can experience the Basel skyline – which always surprises with new architectural accents – from a different – and above all very relaxed – perspective. The Rhystärn has also become a popular breakfast spot with a refreshing gastronomic offer that focuses on local and homemade products from A to Z. In the summer months, the “RHYbrunch” takes place on the Rhystärn every Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. And late risers can breathe a sigh of relief at this point: You don’t have to be on board at 10:00 a.m. The ship docks every hour at the Basler Schifflände and lets passengers on and off.

In addition to the modern, light-flooded ambience at the brunch on the Rhystärn, what impressed us is the focus on local products (including the associated explanations of which companies the products on the table come from) and the fact that the food is served to the table here in a relaxed manner. «Buffet battle?» Not at all! Due to the pandemic, the Rhystärn crew switched to Etagère and received such positive feedback that it will continue to do so in the future. Another pleasing aspect of the concept change is that it has massively reduced food waste.

And don’t worry: even if the food is served in bites, you definitely won’t leave the ship hungry. Baselbieter sweet cider, plait from the wood-fired bakery Bio Andreas, cheese from the village cheese dairy Allschwil and all kinds of fine surprises such as an incredibly delicious lentil salad served in a Weck jar. A great recommendation for all those who want to spend an enjoyable and relaxed Sunday morning on the Rhine

The RHYBrunch at a glance

Season: Summer months April to beginning of November
Duration: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (hourly entry and exit possible)
Departure point: Basel Schifflände
Costs: Adults 59 CHF for brunch incl. round trip / Children from 6 years 27 CHF
More info / booking: RHYbrunch Basel

The rich one: summer brunch on Lake Zug

Our second brunch tip on Swiss lakes catapults you 20 minutes by train from Zurich into the middle of the magnificent mountains of Central Switzerland. In fact, the Lake Zug shipping companies combine their scheduled boat trips on Sunday mornings in the summer months with a wide range of culinary delights. The word combination of “brunch” from breakfast and lunch is taken literally for once. The summer brunch is served in three acts, guaranteeing a three-hour feast.

If you have reserved a table in advance (on the off chance you just get on the scheduled boat trip is not recommended due to the manageable scope of the ship), you can first try your way through the brunch buffet consisting of various types of bread from the Treichler bakery (the inventor house of the legendary Zug cherry cake), various cereals, a cheese and meat platter and a fruit basket. In the meantime, you sail along the flanks of the Rigi to Arth.

On the way back, the buffet is supplemented with hot dishes (hash browns, scrambled eggs and bacon) and other changing products as well as a selection of crisp salads. And shortly before we dock back in Zug, the brunch fun is rounded off with a dessert buffet.

So: sit down, toast with a glass of Prosecco, try your way through the buffet and enjoy a wonderful summer Sunday on Lake Zug.

The summer brunch at a glance

Season: Summer months May to August
Duration: 10:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Departure point: Zug Bahnhofssteg
Cost: Adults 93.10 CHF for brunch incl. round trip / Children from 6 years 46.30 CHF (GA / Half-Fare travelcard is valid and will be deducted from the price of the round trip; with GA travelcard the brunch costs 53.50
CHF)
More info / booking: Summer brunch Lake Zug

The cosy one: the MobiCat brunch trip

Since 2001, a “prototype” of solar-powered shipping has been operating on Lake Biel. The solar catamaran EMS MobiCat was developed and put into operation with a view to the national exhibition Expo02. The goal at the time was to demonstrate the potential of solar energy. In the meantime, the technology in this area has developed massively and the MobiCat has been upgraded. The expanded storage capacity makes it possible to store the entire production of a beautiful summer’s day, which is roughly equivalent to the consumption of an average household in two months. This means that the solar catamaran can not only run on 100% solar energy, but also feeds green electricity into the grid on nice days.

Every Sunday, the MobiCat departs for a combined brunch / Lake Biel round trip. And don’t worry, thanks to Speicher, the MobiCat glides smoothly and calmly through the waters of Biel even on cloudy days. It is exciting to take a look at the technical data of the electricity production from time to time, which are clearly visible on the ship. But don’t forget – despite all the fascination for solar energy and the technology behind it – to help yourself to the brunch buffet.

Compared to the RHYBrunch and the summer brunch on Lake Zug, the buffet at MobiCat is a little less extensive (especially in terms of vegetarian/vegan options). But here, too, you will find everything you need for a cosy “Zmörgälä” with a view of St. Peter’s Island and the pretty wine-growing villages on the northern shore of Lake Biel. Tip: Try the hash browns here! I’m actually definitely not a fan of hash browns, but even I got a second helping from the hearty homemade hash browns on the MobiCat.

The MobiCat Brunch Cruise at a glance

Season: Summer months June to beginning of October
Duration: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ship opens from 10:45 a.m.)Departure point: Port of Biel/Bienne (10 min walking distance to the train station)
Costs
: Adults 74 CHF for brunch incl. round trip / Children from 6 years 36 CHF
Further information / booking: Brunch trip Lake Biel

 

What is your favourite brunch in Switzerland?