Whilst spending a week visiting family in Bern, I was lucky enough to spend a day cruising around Lake Thun (shamelessly maximising my Eurail pass! 🙈). With just a day to explore, I focused on a loop that still showed off the best of the lake.

Here’s what I did — but feel free to stretch it out and see even more of the beautiful villages and castles dotted through the countryside and along the lakeshore. Bring your swimmers if you’re visiting in warm weather, as the bright blue lake water provides a cool respite from the summer heat. If I could do this again, I’d probably spend one full day enjoying Thun, followed by another day cruising around the lake.

How to get to Thun:

Getting to Thun is straightforward and scenic, making it an easy day trip from either Bern or Interlaken.

You can take a direct train to Thun from Bern Central Station. It takes about 30 minutes, passing through lovely Swiss countryside, with the town of Thun slowly unfolding from the window, crowned by its castle on top of a hill.
- You could very easily start this trip from Interlaken instead of Bern.
Purchase train tickets via the SBB website/app or the Eurail app if you have a Eurail pass.

Thun

Thun is known as the gateway to the Bernese Oberland and the summer capital of Switzerland, and after visiting, I felt that name suited it perfectly.

Although I wish I had spent longer in the town itself, I only had about an hour to wander on foot before catching the scenic ferry from the wharf next to the main train station. Even with limited time, I found it to be a charming little town, with buildings harking back to late medieval times, streets and wooden bridges lined with flowers, and the town itself punctuated by a small island (Bälliz) in the middle. This island turns the forks of the Aare River into peaceful canals, where locals enjoyed a meal and an aperitif at leisure.

A few highlights that stood out to me include:

Enjoying crossing the multiple wooden bridges that zigzag across the town centre. Go and see the two river lock bridges where people surf in the rushing water of the Aare (Flusswelle and Mühleschleuse).
Walk up to Thun Castle (Schloss Thun) and visit Rathausplatz, which has the 16th-century City Hall (Rathaus) and a great view of the castle.
Sit down for a meal at one of the restaurants along the riverbanks of the Aare.
Walk through the shopping area (the main street) on Bälliz, the small island in the centre of town.
Schadaupark and Schloss Schadau. I didn’t visit myself but saw it in passing as the ferry entered the river, and it looked stunning (you can also visit the Thun Panorama there).
Mani’s for bagels (this was recommended to me, though I didn’t try it myself).

Lake Thun scenic cruise

From Thun, the day naturally flowed onto the water.

I absolutely recommend the Lake Thun scenic cruise with the historic paddle steamer ships (Blümlisalp). The fare is fully included with a valid Eurail pass. Otherwise, fair warning, it’s quite pricey 😅, approx 50CHF return if you’re going to Spiez (as of Aug 2025).
To board the ferry, simply line up at the wharf ahead of the next scheduled arrival. You can purchase tickets on board or use your Eurail pass. Tickets are checked en route, so make sure you’re travelling with a valid one!
As the ferry moves between stops, you’ll notice plenty of places to swim. Some particularly picturesque spots I saw include the swimming areas near Hünibach wharf, Schloss Hünegg, and Schloss Oberhofen am Thunersee.
Sailing east along the lake, you’ll catch glimpses of the Alps, including the Mönch and Eiger peeking out in the distance — truly breathtaking.

Spiez

I only had time to take the ferry as far as Spiez, which sits roughly at the halfway point of the lake. Still, it felt like a perfect place to pause and wander.

Here’s what I enjoyed in Spiez, though I wish I could have stayed longer to really soak it in:

Walk up to the medieval castle (Schloss Spiez) and explore the grounds and the church. There’s a lovely café in the courtyard.
Take the shaded path next to the Spiez Castle parking lot down to the water, to go swimming behind the castle near the vineyard. There are public facilities such as bins and toilets if needed.
Dolce Vita, the ice cream shop next to the boat pier, had delicious local ice cream, and the outdoor seating area was very peaceful between boats coming and going.

Getting home

If you’re planning to continue on to Interlaken, you can take the cruise all the way across the lake to the Interlaken West terminal. I turned around at Spiez instead and headed back to Bern in the evening.

I could have also taken the train straight back to Bern from Spiez, but after such a calm day, I couldn’t resist spending a little more time on the lake as the afternoon light filtered across the mountains.

Hope you enjoy this little slice of the Alps as much as I did. 💙

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