Bernese Oberland

En route from Mürren, the cable car goes
through the Birg station (2677m), where you
can stop to take in marvellous views.
THE LAKES
Anyone who travels to Interlaken for the
fi rst time from Bern will never forget the
moment they clap eyes on Thunersee (Lake
Thun). As the train loops past pastures and
tidy villages on the low southern shore,
some people literally gasp at the sight of the
Alps rearing above the startlingly turquoise
waters.
Bordering Interlaken to the east, Brienzersee
(Lake Brienz) has just as many
cameras snapping with its unbelievably
aquamarine waters and rugged mountain
backdrop.
Steamers ply both lakes from late May
to mid-September. There are no winter
services on Brienzersee, whereas special
cruises continue on Thunersee. For more
information contact BLS (%033 334 52 11;
www.bls.ch). A day pass valid for both lakes
costs Sfr64 from Tuesday to Sunday, Sfr29
on Monday; children pay half-price. Eurail
Passes, the Regional Pass and the Swiss Pass
are valid on all boats, and InterRail and the
Swiss Half-Fare Card get 50% off .
Thun
POP 43,400 / ELEV 559M
Ringed by mountains, hugging the banks
of the aquamarine Aare River and topped
by a turreted castle, medieval Thun is
every inch your storybook Swiss town.
History aside, the town is infused with a
young spirit, with lively crowds sunning
themselves at riverside cafes and one-of-akind
boutiques fi lling the unusual arcades.
1 Sights & Activities
The tourist offi ce’s one-and-a-half-hour
guided tours (Sfr15 per person), every
Wednesday and Saturday from May to October,
take in the Altstadt and castle.
For a magical 360-degree view of Thun,
the lake and the glaciated Jungfrau mountains,
walk 20 minutes south of the centre to
Jakobshübeli viewpoint.
oSchloss Thun CASTLE
(www.schlossthun.ch; adult/child Sfr8/2; h10am-
5pm) Sitting on a hilltop and looking proudly
FREE WHEELING
Should you wish to pedal along the
river and lake, free city bikes are available
for hire from Thun Rollt (Aarefeldstrasse;
passport & deposit of Sfr20;
h7.30am-9.30pm May-Oct) close to the
station.
back on 900 years of history, Schloss Thun is
the castle of your wildest fairy-tale dreams,
crowned by a riot of turrets and aff ording
tremendous views of the lake and Alps. It
once belonged to Duke Berchtold V of the
powerful Zähringen family. Today it houses
a museum, showcasing prehistoric and Roman
relics, tapestries, majolica and plenty of
shining armour.
Altstadt NEIGHBOURHOOD
It’s a pleasure simply to wander Thun’s
attrac tive riverfront Old Town, where plazas
and lanes are punctuated by 15th- and
16th-century townhouses. A stroll takes in
the 300-year-old Untere Schleusenbrücke, a
covered wooden bridge that is a mass of pink
and purple fl owers in summer. Nearby is the
split-level, fl ag-bedecked Obere Hauptgasse,
whose arcades hide boutiques and galleries
selling everything from handmade jewellery
to chocolate and Moroccan babouches
(slippers). At the street’s northern tip is
cobblestone Rathausplatz, centred on a
fountain and framed by arcaded buildings.
FSchadau Park GARDENS
Dating to the mid-19th century, candyfl osspink
Schloss Schadau now shelters gourmet
restaurant Arts, but it’s free to explore
its botanical gardens on the banks of Lake
Thun. The grounds bristle with tulips and
crocuses in spring, rhododendrons in summer,
and golden beech trees in autumn.
In the park you’ll fi nd the 1000-year-old
Kirche Scherzlingen (h10am-6pm Apr-Oct),
with its beautifully restored Carolingian
tower, and the early 19th-century Thun
Panorama (adult/child Sfr6/5; h11am-5pm
Tue-Sun May-Oct), which boasts being the
world’s oldest panoramic painting.
Flussbad Schwäbis SWIMMING
(Grabenstrasse 40; adult/child Sfr4.50/2.50;
h9am-7pm May-Aug, to 6pm Sep) Cool off in
the turquoise Aare River at this open-air
pool, with a splash area, slides and sandpit
for kids.
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THE BERNESE LAKES OBERLAND SIGHTS & SIGHTS THUN ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITIES