Brunnen is situated on the shores of Lake Lucerne with views of the Urnersee to the east, and across to the Bürgenstock and Gotthard Massif. Thanks to its central location amidst a diverse mountain and lakeside scenery, Brunnen is an ideal starting point for excursions in central Switzerland.

The holiday resort of Brunnen lies directly on beautiful Lake Lucerne, nestling between the Urmiberg and Stoos-Fronalstock and facing the Rütli and Schillerstein mountains in the heart of William Tell country. The resort is well served by railway, bus, motorway and boat as well as by a little cableway up the Urmiberg, the eastern foothill of the Rigi.

The historic Axis Road, built with many artistic buildings into the steep rocks on the eastern shore of Lake Uri, has linked Brunnen with Flüelen since 1865.

Brunnen enjoyed early prominence when, in 1865, King Ludwig II, a great admirer of William Tell, travelled to Brunnen. Regularly at midnight, he would have himself rowed out on the Urnersee to listen to alpine horn music, played at his command, against the backdrop of fairytale mountain scenery. Many writers and painters, including Goethe and Spitteler, have also been much taken with Brunnen.