Leissigen
Bern

Leissigen

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A holiday in the summer residence of the legendary creator of Ovaltine? Definitely! The historic chalet-style house right on the shore of Lake Thun has already received many enthusiastic visitors.

Outside view and house Leissigen Youth Hostel

Leissigen

Bern

In the fishing village of Leissigen, you have a whole range of Swiss landscapes to choose from. From the youth hostel's terrace, enjoy a wonderful view of Lake Thun and Beatenberg, where water has carved out an intricate limestone cave system with stalagmites and stalactites. At the hostel's own pebble beach, you can marvel at the Bernese Alps while paddling in the clear water. The Albert Wander house is a wonderful place from which to plan hikes to roaring waterfalls or bike tours along the lake shore. For those who aim even higher, follow James Bond's tracks up to the Schilthorn or travel to the top of the Jungfraujoch. But you can also enjoy a panoramic view from the suspension bridge in Leissigen.

  • Leissigen Youth Hostel
    Albert Wander Haus
    Oberfeldweg 9
    3706 Leissigen
    Switzerland
Classic

Opening times

Types 2024 2025
Opening dates    
Opening dates 02.05.2024 - 20.10.2024 18.04.2025 - 19.10.2025
Check In/Out    
Check-in 16:30 - 20:00 17:00 - 21:00
Check-out 08:00 - 10:00 08:00 - 10:00
Reception times    
Mon to Fri: 08:00 - 10:00
16:30 - 20:00
08:00 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
Sat and Sun: 08:00 - 10:00
16:30 - 20:00
08:00 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
Meal times    
Breakfast buffet 07:30 - 09:00 07:30 - 09:00
Dinner 18:00 - 19:30 18:00 - 19:30

How to find us

By train:

By train from Interlaken or Spiez (local train) to Leissigen. Ten minutes' walk from Leissingen station to the youth hostel (sign-posted).

By car:

The youth hostel has a limited number of chargeable car parking spaces, for which advance reservation is recommended.

Room categories

  • Number of beds
  • Double rooms
  • Family rooms
  • Shared rooms

Infrastructure

Prices (in CHF) and availability

  • Breakfast buffet   incl.
    Lunch only for groups on request CHF 19.50
    Dinner on request CHF 19.50
    Dinner for children aged 2–5 years on request CHF 8.50
    Dinner for children aged 6–12 years on request CHF 14.50
    Packed lunch on request CHF 10.00

    Yoummi – the catering option from Swiss Youth Hostels 

    • All prices exclusive of taxes CHF 2.50 per person/night, including VAT.
    • The Hostel Card Standard is included in the price of accommodation and is valid from the day of arrival to the day of departure.
    • You have the option of purchasing a Hostel Card Premium and benefit from cheaper accommodation prices in all Swiss youth Hostels. More information about the Hostel Card Premium
    •  Groups (minimum of 10 people) are advised to buy a Hostel Card Premium (personal: CHF 55.– / non-personal: CHF 99.–)
    • Find our children's prices on the family page
    • Group rates for children ages 2 to 5 years, a flat rate of CHF 15.–; from ages 6 to 12 years, accommodation prices / group prices apply
    • Car park per night CHF 10.–
    • Voluntary climate protection contribution CHF 0.30
    • Rates are subject to change, all rates in CHF
  • The Albert Wander House

    Leissigen Youth Hostel owes its existence to the remarkable social personnel policy of the Wander company as well as to the generosity of the founding family. The building was once the holiday home of company founder Dr. Albert Wander who sweetened the childhood of entire generations in many countries since 1904 with his Ovomaltine. In 1952, following the deaths of the founding couple, their descendants gave the «La Nichée» property on Lake Thun, together with most of its furnishings, to the company’s pension fund with the aim of making it available to Wander employees as a holiday home. Since 1992, the Youth Hostels Association has looked after the hostel.

    Ovomaltine

    In 1863, a young academic by the name of Georg Wander from Osthofen near Worms was appointed to the then Institute for Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Bern. He quickly felt at home in Bern and, in addition to his duties as an assistant, devoted himself to malt which at that time attracted a great deal of attention as a nutritious and easily digestible food. He soon became so absorbed in his own research that within two years he gave up his university post. From then on he earned an income as a producer of mineral water and supplier of chemical analyses of all kinds, devoting himself first and foremost, of course, to malt. Soon Georg Wander offered malt in the form of a bitter tasting syrup that was given as a tonic especially to new mothers and infants.

    In the mid-1890s, Georg Wander became so ill that he was forced to hand over his business to his son Albert who continued with the malt research on his father’s behalf. Continued development of the vacuum-drying process finally made it possible to produce malt in powder form. This meant the great breakthrough for the family company. Just one year later, Ovomaltine was launched.

    Company social policy

    Alongside an expansion of the malt product, a laboratory was built and in due course followed a pharmaceutical department that was soon also able to launch successful products. In 1963, the company operated in 93 countries and employed a workforce of around 6,000. In the 1960s, no less than eight persons were occupied almost exclusively with social tasks for the benefit of the employees. It was thus only natural that after the deaths of the founding couple, their heirs bequeathed the family property on Lake Thun to the company pension fund in 1952 with the aim of turning it into a holiday home for the employees.

    The «La Nichée» residence

    A total of three buildings are arranged at different levels in the extensive grounds. At the very top is the house for the staff, on the lakeside the spacious boathouse and between them the chalet-style main house from where a wonderful view over Lake Thun to the Niesen mountain rising on the opposite shore can be enjoyed.

    The end of the 1980s saw a gradual decline in interest in holidays at home with the result that the running was transferred to the Youth Hostels Association in 1992. Since 2001, the properties have been owned by the Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism.

Benefits in the area

  • PanoramaCard Thunersee: benefit from numerous discounts (some incl. public transport)
  • Especially for our members: free surfboard hire

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