Lake Thun Lake

Website: https://www.thunersee.ch/en/

Lake Thun (Thunersee) is a lake in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, located west of Interlaken and framed by the Bernese Alps. The lake sits at about 558 metres above sea level and stretches roughly 17 kilometres.

The shoreline is dotted with notable castles and historic towns such as Thun, Oberhofen and Spiez, all of which are accessible by regular boat services. Historic paddle steamers and modern ferries operate on the lake, linking lakeside settlements and providing scenic cruises.

The lake is popular for watersports, lakeside promenades and panoramic alpine views from the southern shorelines and nearby ridges.

Lake Thun is a glacially formed basin; settlements and fortifications on its shores date from the medieval period and grew in importance as regional administrative and trading centres. Many of the shoreline castles were built or significantly rebuilt between the medieval period and early modern era.

The lake occupies a broad valley west of Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland and is drained by the Aare River at the town of Thun; roads and rail link the lake to the surrounding alpine valleys.

• Size and drainage: The lake sits at roughly 558 metres above sea level and is approximately 17 kilometres long, with the Aare River draining it at Thun.
• Castles and boat services: Several well-preserved medieval castles and lakeside towns provide frequent stopping points served by regular boat services, including historic paddle steamers.

What to See#

• Thun and Thun Castle: The town at the western end where the Aare River leaves the lake and several historic buildings and a medieval castle sit close to the shore.
• Oberhofen Castle: A prominent castle on the southern shore with lakeside gardens and a museum, dating to the medieval period and later restorations.
• Spiez Castle: A fortified castle and castle church on the southwestern shore that sits on a headland with a harbour and vineyard terraces.
• Interlaken: Interlaken on the eastern end, which sits between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and acts as the main transport hub for the two lakes.

Lake Thun is accessible from both Thun and Interlaken. Thun has direct rail connections to Bern and regional services; Interlaken Ost is served by trains from the Bernese Oberland and is a short walk to the lakefront. Regular BLS boat services operate on Lake Thun between lakeside towns; local roads and buses also provide access to beaches and promenades around the lake.

• Use the regular boat services between Thun and Interlaken to hop between lakeside towns (Thun, Spiez, Interlaken) and visit quieter stops midweek or outside midday cruise times.
• Include smaller bays and castles such as Spiez Castle or the St. Beatus Caves on the northeastern shore; these attractions are reached easily from the boat piers and tend to be overlooked by visitors rushing between the two main towns.