Botterens Beach: natural swimming at the end of the lake

A discreet shore at the southern end of Lake Gruyère

Lake Gruyère stretches over thirteen kilometres, and its southern part remains the most confidential. It is there, level with Villarbeney, that Botterens Beach opens a gap in the vegetation. It is reached from the Lake Gruyère trail, the path that follows the shore and links the villages together. Nothing is laid out as it is on the big beaches to the north: here there is grass, trees and water. That plainness is exactly what makes the place interesting for families who like to combine a short walk with a swim.

What your children will discover

They discover a beach that has to be earned on foot, which already turns the outing into an adventure. Along the trail they spot the signs of the forest and the water birds, and arriving at the lakeside becomes a reward. On the shore they look for flat stones to skim, build branch dens and test the water temperature with a toe. It is a beach that leaves room for imagination rather than for installations.

What you do there and the atmosphere on site

People happily combine the walk and the swim: a stretch of the lakeside trail, a break on the shore, a picnic from the rucksack. The atmosphere is calm, almost intimate, with few people even in high season. It is the kind of place where you hear the lapping of the water rather than portable speakers, and where families greet each other as they pass on the path.

Lake Gruyère is an artificial lake, held back since 1948 by the Rossens dam thirteen kilometres further north. Its level varies through the year, and on a shore as natural as this one the difference is obvious: the band of pebbles widens when the water withdraws and narrows when it rises. It makes a good subject of observation for children, and a reason to come back in different seasons.

Before you go

• Recommended age: from 3 years old for the short approach walk, all ages for accompanied swimming
• Duration: two to three hours including the walk
• Price: free, open access
• Pushchair accessibility: access along a natural path, poorly suited to pushchairs
• Transport: by car to Botterens or Villarbeney, then on foot
• What to bring: closed shoes for the path, a picnic, water, insect repellent
• Best season: from late June to late August

Tips from parents

• Put proper shoes on the children: the approach is along a natural path, not from a car park by the beach.
• Bring everything you will need, there are no facilities and no shop on site.
• Locate the access point to the lakeside trail before you set off, the shore is not visible from the road.
• Keep children in sight: this is a natural shore, without supervision or swimming facilities.
• Combine it with a stretch of the Lake Gruyère trail to turn the outing into a proper little hike.

Useful information

• Address: Villarbeney, 1652 Botterens, beside the Lake Gruyère trail
• Official website: https://www.botterens.ch/
• Opening hours: open access all year
• Access (transport): by car to the village, then on foot along the lakeside trail; public transport connections to be checked on cff.ch

Why we recommend it

Because it offers a different experience from the laid-out beaches: a short walk, a wild shore, a swim you have earned. It is the ideal outing when you want to get the children moving before rewarding them with the water, and one of the few places on the lake where you really feel alone in the world on a weekday.

In a nutshell

A natural, free shore at the southern end of Lake Gruyère, reached from the lakeside trail: quiet swimming for walking families.