Bernese Oberland

ainbow trout with fi g-vanilla sauce (mains
Sfr24 to Sfr44).
Schwert HISTORIC HOTEL $$
(%033 221 55 88; www.schwert-thun.ch; Untere
Hauptgasse 8; s Sfr75-100, d Sfr145-230; W) Nestled
at the foot of the castle is this graceful
18th-century hotel, with an inviting woodpanelled
restaurant (mains Sfr28 to Sfr43).
Hardwood fl oors, high ceilings and the
occasional antique lend the individually
decorated rooms old-world fl air.
Hotel Krone HISTORIC HOTEL $$
(%033 227 88 88; www.krone-thun.ch; Obere
Hauptgasse 2; s Sfr140-210, d Sfr220-330; W)
Housed in a 14th-century bakers’ guild
house on Rathausplatz, the Krone seamlessly
combines historic charm with contemporary
design. The rooms are bright
and spacious, and the homely restaurant
(mains Sfr30 to Sfr50) serves Swiss–French
cuisine.
5 Eating & Drinking
oFluss FUSION $$
(%033 222 01 10; Mühleplatz 9; mains Sfr27-58;
h11am-12.30am, closed Sun winter) Right on
the banks of the Aare River, this contemporary
glass-walled lounge restaurant attracts
a young crowd who come for the
beautifully prepared sushi, sashimi and
herb-infused grill specialities. The olive
tree-dotted waterfront deck is perfect for
sundowners and people-watching.
Kaffee und Kuchen CAFE $
(Obere Hauptgasse 34; snacks & light meals
Sfr6.50-21; hclosed Sun evening & Mon winter)
This vaulted cellar has an arty vibe and
invites lazy days spent reading, guzzling
coff ee and lingering over brunch. The
homemade food – from breakfast rösti to
rich chocolate-chilli cake – is delicious.
Arts INTERNATIONAL $$
(%033 222 25 00; www.schloss-schadau.ch;
Seestrasse 45; mains Sfr29-56; hclosed Mon;
vc) Ornate stucco and chandeliers create
a regal backdrop at this restaurant in the
perkily turreted Schloss Schadau. The views
of the Jungfrau mountains are as appealing
as the seasonal cuisine – think sautéed fi let
of charr with pea-mint ravioli. Vegetarians
and kids are well catered for.
Kaffeebar Mühleplatz CAFE $
(Mühleplatz 1; snacks Sfr6-15; h10am-12.30am
Sun-Thu, 10am-1.30am Fri & Sat, shorter hours
in winter) This is a cool riverside spot for a
baguette or coff ee.
3 Entertainment
Mokka CLUB
(www.mokka.ch, in German; Allmendstrasse 14;
hWed-Sun) Has a top-drawer line-up of DJs,
gigs and festivals. Music skips from funk to
ska and electro punk.
Konzepthalle6 ARTS CENTRE
(www.konzepthalle6.ch, in German; Scheibenstrasse
6) Cutting-edge design space and cultural
centre, hosting events from concerts to
poetry slams in a converted factory.
Arena Thun SPECTATOR SPORT
(%033 225 18 00; www.arenathun.ch; Weststrasse
12) This new arena is home base to Swiss
Super League football giants FC Thun. Take
bus 3 from the train station.
8 Information
Post office (Panoramastrasse 1A; h7.30am-
7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) Opposite the train
station.
Tourist office (%033 225 90 00; www.thun.ch;
Bahnhofplatz; h9am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm
Sat, plus to 1pm Sun Jul & Aug)
8 Getting There & Away
Thun is on the main north–south train route
from Frankfurt to Milan and beyond. Frequent
trains run to Interlaken West (Sfr15.20, 30 minutes).
Boats glide across the lake to Interlaken
Ost (Sfr39) and Spiez (Sfr19). Thun is on the A6
motorway, which runs from Spiez north to Bern.
Spiez
POP 12,500 / ELEV 628M
Hunched around a horseshoe-shaped bay, with
a medieval castle rising above em erald
vineyards, the oft-overlooked town of Spiez
makes a great escape. The vibe is low-key
but the setting magical, with views to conical
Niesen (2362m) and a fjord-like slither of
the lake. Its vines yield crisp, lemony riesling
and Sylvaner white wines.
1 Sights & Activities
Schloss Spiez CASTLE
(www.schloss-spiez.ch; Schlossstrasse 16; adult/child
Sfr10/2; h2-5pm Mon, 10am-5pm Tue-Sun Easter-
Jun, mid-Sep–mid-Oct, 10am-6pm Jul–mid-Sep)
This turreted medieval castle is smothered
in oil paintings of its former masters, the
infl uential von Bubenburg and von Erlach
137
THE BERNESE LAKES OBERLAND EATING & EATING SPIEZ DRINKING & DRINKING