Sitzstufen an der Aare

The concrete steps along the Aare river, known as the Sitzstufen, form a wide, tiered staircase leading directly into the turquoise glacial water. Before these steps were installed in two thousand fourteen, the riverbank was a steep, overgrown slope that made accessing the water difficult for swimmers and locals. Project planners designed the structure to stabilize the bank and provide a public space for residents to gather. People sit here to watch the current pull wood and silt toward Lake Brienz.