Wild camping at the Hinterburgseeli: the Axalp reflection lake is on Brienz ground, where even a bivvy bag is banned and fined
The little larch-and-fir lake above the Axalp sits on the municipal ground of Brienz, and Brienz forbids camping across the whole public space, tent or no tent. This is the rare rule that also names the tentless bivouac, so here is where you can legally sleep instead and still get the autumn reflection.
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What do these mean?
Illegal A specific rule bans it, usually with a fine, and it can be enforced. Sleep somewhere else.
Not allowed No real place to camp here. A gated site, a developed area, or nowhere sensible to lie down, even if no fine is attached.
It depends You can sleep here, but there's a condition first: ask the landowner, book a spot, stay inside a set zone, or use a bivvy instead of a tent. The report says which.
Tolerated No rule clearly allows or bans it, but a single night is accepted in practice and nobody enforces against it. Normal for high bivouacs above the treeline.
Legal Camping one night is fine here. Either a rule allows it, or we checked every law and found nothing against it. Still: pitch late, leave early, no trace.
The Brienz rule that also catches a bivvy bag at the lake
Wild camping at the Hinterburgseeli is not a grey zone. The lake sits on the municipal ground of Brienz, and Brienz has a clear camping ban written into its own police regulation, decided on 11 December 2014 and in force since 1 January 2015.1
The regulation forbids camping and then defines both "the public space" and "camping" so widely that a forest lake and a lone sleeper are both caught.
"Das Campieren im öffentlichen Raum ist verboten."Gemeindepolizeireglement der Einwohnergemeinde Brienz (2014), Art. 5 Abs. 1. Camping in the public space is forbidden.
Read what "the public space" means. Article 4 Bst. a defines the public space (öffentlicher Raum) as the area of the commune freely accessible to the public, "namentlich der öffentliche Grund, Wald und Weide (Art. 699 des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches), der allgemein zugängliche Luftraum, die öffentlichen Gewässer und die öffentlichen Spielplätze." So the forest, the pasture and the public waters are all inside the ban, and the Hinterburgseeli, a forest lake with pasture and woodland around it, sits squarely in it.2
"Campieren: jede Form des Übernachtens ausserhalb dafür vorgesehener Bauten. Dazu zählen das Übernachten in Zelten, Wohnwagen, Wohnmobilen, Autos sowie das Biwakieren."Gemeindepolizeireglement der Einwohnergemeinde Brienz (2014), Art. 4 Bst. c. Camping is any form of overnighting outside buildings meant for it, including overnighting in tents, caravans, motorhomes and cars as well as bivouacking.
This is the part that makes Brienz unusual. Most communal camping bans are written against tents and caravans, which leaves a tentless bivvy bag in a grey zone. Brienz closed that gap: Article 4 defines camping to include "das Biwakieren", bivouacking, by name. So you do not escape the ban by leaving the tent at home. A person lying out in a bivvy bag at the Hinterburgseeli is camping in the sense of Article 4, and Article 5 forbids it in the public space just the same.2
The fine is real. Article 19 Abs. 1 provides that a breach of Article 5, among others, "kann mit Busse bis zu Fr. 5'000.- bestraft werden", a fine of up to CHF 5'000. A note on numbering: the commune's own tourism and service page labels the camping ban "Art. 20", which is a common online mistake. Article 20 of the reglement is the clause that repeals the old rules; the live camping ban is Article 5, and the fine is Article 19.22
There is only one lawful exception, and it is not consent. Article 5 Abs. 2 lets the commune allow an exception on written application ("Die Gemeinde kann Ausnahmen auf Gesuch hin bewilligen"). That is a request to the Gemeinde Brienz, not a yes from a landowner. Because Article 5 reaches private forest and pasture through ZGB Art. 699, permission from the Alpgenossenschaft that owns the lake does not cure the commune ban, and the commune actively directs campers to its official sites, so this exception is not a realistic route for a night at the lake.23
A second ban on top: the lake is a private nature reserve
Even if the commune rule did not exist, the lake itself is off limits. The Hinterburgseeli, its shore and the ground around it are private land of the Alpgenossenschaft Hinterburg, and the whole basin is a signalised nature reserve (Naturschutzgebiet). The rules posted on site are explicit.4
What the on-site reserve signs say. No tents may be pitched around the lake ("Rund um den See dürfen keine Zelte aufgestellt werden"). Fires only at the official fire pits (Brätelstellen), never a wild fire. Dogs on the leash. No music systems. No boats. This is a managed day-use picnic reserve with benches, tables and official fire pits, and its own posted rules forbid the tent independently of the commune reglement.510
So the two bans stack. The commune reglement forbids camping and the bivvy in the whole public space, and the private reserve signage forbids tents at the water. Asking the Alpgenossenschaft does not open a door either: their yes cannot lift the commune ban that reaches private ground through ZGB 699, and their own signs say no tents anyway. There is no version of a night here that is inside the rules short of a written commune Ausnahmebewilligung, which the commune does not hand out for scenic camping.34
Where you can legally sleep and still shoot the reflection
The honest answer starts with the legal beds, because there are good ones close by. Brienz has official campsites down on the Brienzersee, and for a mountain night the open ground high on the Brienzergrat is a real option. You do not need the forbidden lake to get an autumn reflection: shoot the Hinterburgseeli on a day walk from the Axalp and sleep somewhere lawful.8
The lawful ways to sleep around the Axalp and Brienz. First, an official campsite on the Brienzersee in Brienz: Camping Aaregg (Seestrasse 28a), Camping Seebucht (Seestrasse 12) and Camping Seegärtli (Strandweg 12), all 3855 Brienz. Second, for a mountain night, genuinely open ground high on the Brienzergrat, above the treeline, one small tent gone by morning, which at best is tolerated and only well away from this lake. Third, keep clear of the Schwarzhorn game reserve: the federal Jagdbanngebiet begins about 250 m west and uphill of the lake, and free camping inside it is a federal offence, so "just go higher from the lake" walks straight into it. None of these is the Hinterburgseeli shore.88
The only night outside that Brienz does not fine is a genuine emergency bivouac. If injury, a sudden storm or darkness catches you out, an emergency bivouac to get through the night safely is lawful and is never fined. That is a real emergency, not a plan. Setting out in the evening with a tent or a bivvy bag to wait for the morning reflection is a planned camp, and that is what Article 5 forbids and Brienz can fine up to CHF 5'000.2
No wild fire. The reserve allows fires only at its official Brätelstellen, and the canton runs fire bans through dry spells in summer. Use the official pits if you picnic by day, and a gas stove otherwise. There is no case for an open fire on this protected ground.5
Why the verdict is Illegal, not just discouraged
Three things put this beyond doubt. First, there is a named municipal norm with a fine that reaches the exact ground: Article 5 of the Brienz Gemeindepolizeireglement, banning camping in the whole public space, with Article 4 pulling forest, pasture and public waters into that space and the tentless bivouac into camping. Second, there is a second, site-specific ban: a private nature reserve whose posted rules forbid tents at the lake. Third, the fine is real, up to CHF 5'000 under Article 19. When a spot has a clear norm and a second layer on top, the honest verdict is Illegal, not a soft "we would rather you did not".24
The ground itself says the same. The Hinterburgseeli is a managed day-use lake with benches, tables and official fire pits, reached in about an hour from the Axalp on the Schnitzlerweg, and it sits below the treeline with firs right to the water. This is not a quiet corner of open mountain; it is a picnic reserve that people visit by day. Even setting the law aside, a tent or a bivvy bag on this shore is in a protected reserve on a busy day-walk, which is a nogo on common sense before you reach the reglement.610
So the whole answer at the Hinterburgseeli is: shoot it by day, then sleep at a Brienz campsite or high on the Brienzergrat clear of the Schwarzhorn reserve. The autumn reflection is exactly as good from a day walk as from a fined camp, and it is the only version of the night that does not put you inside two bans at once.8
Where you can legally sleep
- An official campsite on the Brienzersee, in Brienz: Camping Aaregg (Seestrasse 28a), Camping Seebucht (Seestrasse 12) or Camping Seegärtli (Strandweg 12), all 3855 Brienz. A short trip down from the Axalp for a lawful night.
- High on the Brienzergrat, above the treeline, one small tent gone by morning, only well away from this lake and only where the ground is genuinely open. At best tolerated, and you carry the responsibility for reading the ground.
- Clear of the Schwarzhorn game reserve. The federal Jagdbanngebiet begins about 250 m west and uphill of the lake; free camping inside it is a federal offence, so do not treat "go higher" as an escape from the commune ban.
- Not the Hinterburgseeli shore. The lake is public Brienz ground where Article 5 forbids camping and Article 4 catches the tentless bivouac too, up to CHF 5'000, and it is a private nature reserve whose signs forbid tents.
- Not anywhere else in the Brienz public space either. The ban is commune-wide in the public space, forest, pasture and waters included, so a lakeshore or a forest clearing is caught the same way.
General rules for wild camping
This applies wherever you are genuinely allowed to sleep, which around the Hinterburgseeli means a Brienz campsite or genuinely open ground high on the Brienzergrat, never a tent or a bivvy bag at the lake. It is not legal text, it is decency and common sense in a signalised nature reserve on a busy day-walk.
- No fire. An open fire has no place in the mountains. A gas stove is enough.
- Pitch late, strike early. Set up towards evening, gone again early. A bivouac is one night, not a base camp.
- Leave no rubbish. Everything you carry up you carry down, organic scraps and toilet paper included.
- At least 50 metres from any water for the big business, so you do not foul what people and livestock drink.
- Stay small and quiet. A small group, no speaker, no drone, dogs on the lead, and the alp staff's word goes.
Disclaimer
This article reflects my research and assessment to the best of my knowledge, as of August 2026. It is based on the publicly accessible and official sources linked below. It does not replace legal advice and is not a binding statement of the current legal situation.
Municipal police regulations and their enforcement can change, reserve rules and cantonal fire bans come and go through the summer, and campsite services and prices are updated, so material written about this area earlier may be out of date. Before every tour, check the current sources yourself, respect the protection zones and the commune's rules, and follow the instructions on site. A genuine emergency bivouac in distress is a separate question from a planned camp. Anyone who spends the night outside bears responsibility for their own conduct and any consequences themselves. Hikebeast, Leon Helg and Saftladen GmbH accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of this text, and call on no one to break applicable law.
Gems of Switzerland
My 141 favourite spots in the Swiss Alps. With directions and a wildcamping analysis for every spot.
Frequently asked questions
Is wild camping allowed at the Hinterburgseeli?
Does the ban catch a bivvy bag, or only a tent?
Can I ask the landowner for permission?
Where can I sleep legally and still photograph the reflection?
Is an emergency bivouac allowed?
Leon Helg
Swiss filmmaker and software developer. Spends his free time in the Swiss Alps and maps his favourite spots for Hikebeast. Posts as @leon.helg on Instagram and TikTok.
Sources
- Federal geodata at the pin, WGS84 46.71806 / 8.06722, LV95 E 2'648'059 / N 1'174'287, elevation about 1'515 m (geo.admin.ch reframe and height services). The swissBOUNDARIES layer places the point in the municipality of Brienz, canton Bern. The lake lies below the northern-Alps treeline, with firs reaching the water. geo.admin.ch. ↩
- Gemeindepolizeireglement der Einwohnergemeinde Brienz, decided 11 December 2014, in force since 1 January 2015, read from the commune's own PDF. Art. 5 Abs. 1: "Das Campieren im öffentlichen Raum ist verboten." Art. 4 Bst. a defines the public space to include "der öffentliche Grund, Wald und Weide (Art. 699 des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches) [...] die öffentlichen Gewässer und die öffentlichen Spielplätze." Art. 4 Bst. c defines camping as "jede Form des Übernachtens ausserhalb dafür vorgesehener Bauten. Dazu zählen das Übernachten in Zelten, Wohnwagen, Wohnmobilen, Autos sowie das Biwakieren", so the tentless bivouac is expressly caught. Art. 5 Abs. 2 allows an exception only on written application to the commune. Art. 19 Abs. 1: a breach of Art. 5 "kann mit Busse bis zu Fr. 5'000.- bestraft werden." Note: a common online reference and the commune's own service page mislabel the ban "Art. 20"; Art. 20 is the Aufhebung-von-Erlassen clause that repeals the old 2005 GPR and 1967 camping reglement. The live ban is Art. 5 and the fine is Art. 19. brienz.ch. ↩
- Gemeinde Brienz, "Campieren" service page. The commune states that wild camping on communal ground is forbidden and directs campers to the three official campsites on the Brienzersee. This is the commune's own public restatement of the Art. 5 ban and confirms it does not tolerate scenic wild camping, so an Ausnahmebewilligung for a night at a beauty spot is not a realistic route. brienz.ch. ↩
- schweizersee.ch, Hinterburgseeli. The lake and its shore are private property of the Alpgenossenschaft Hinterburg and a signalised nature reserve. The posted rules include that no tents may be pitched around the lake, that fires are allowed only at the official fire pits, and that dogs must be kept on the leash. This is a second, site-specific ban that forbids the tent independently of the commune reglement. schweizersee.ch. ↩
- thunersee.ch, "Zum Hinterburgseeli auf der Axalp." Describes the Hinterburgseeli as a nature reserve with signalised rules on the Axalp, reached on a walk from the Axalp, below the treeline in fir woodland, a managed day-use spot rather than open wild ground. Basis for the observation that a pitch here sits in a protected reserve on a day-walk. thunersee.ch. ↩
- Wikipedia, Hinterburgsee. General facts: the Hinterburgsee (Hinterburgseeli) is a small lake on the Axalp above the Brienzersee, at about 1'514 to 1'515 m, coordinates 46.71806 / 8.06722, known for its autumn reflections. Used only for the non-legal descriptive facts. wikipedia.org. ↩
- swisstopo reframe service. The coordinate transform WGS84 46.71806 / 8.06722 to LV95 E 2'648'059 / N 1'174'287, used to identify the pin against the federal layers. geo.admin.ch. ↩
- geoadmin identify at the pin against the BAFU inventories. Identify at the point returns no federal game reserve (ch.bafu.bundesinventare-jagdbanngebiete), no wildlife-rest zone (ch.bafu.wrz-wildruhezonen_portal), no BLN, no Auen and no Hoch- or Flachmoor at the shore, so no federal camping trigger fires at the lake. The federal game reserve Schwarzhorn (object 4, the same reserve near the Bachalpsee) begins about 250 m west and uphill of the lake and dominates the ground toward the Brienzergrat, where free camping is a federal offence. geo.admin.ch. ↩
- swisstopo height service. The elevation at the lake is about 1'515 m, below the northern-Alps treeline (roughly 1'800 to 2'000 m here), consistent with the firs standing right at the water. Basis for the common-sense point that a forested, below-treeline lake is a nogo for a wild pitch. geo.admin.ch. ↩
- holztour.ch and teddy-b.ch, Hinterburgseeli. Describe the lake as a managed day-use reserve with an official Brätelstelle, benches and tables, reached from the Axalp on the Schnitzlerweg. Basis for the picture of a picnic reserve with official fire pits rather than open wild ground. holztour.ch. ↩
Gems of Switzerland
My 141 favourite spots in the Swiss Alps. With directions and a wildcamping analysis for every spot.