What to do at Lake Thun, Interlaken

Have you heard of Lake Thun? Planning your trip to Interlaken and wondering what to do at Lake Thun? This is everything you need to know to visit this beautiful place.

This blog was in collaboration with Switzerland Tourism and Swiss Travel System. All opinions are our own, we are excited to show you this incredible country!

Table of Contents

Where is Lake Thun?

Lake Thun is in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. It is about an hour from Switzerland’s capital city Bern and economic powerhouse city of Zurich. The town Thun is at the top of Lake Thun and Interlaken sits at the bottom between the two beautiful lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. As Interlaken is a popular destination for travel in Switzerland most people visit Lake Thun from here. If you are planning a trip to Interlaken make sure to visit Lake Thun, it really is a great day out. Think lake side castles, quaint towns and stunning mountain views.

How to see Lake Thun

Both offer boat cruises which is a great way to check them out but you can also take the train and jump off at different towns along the way. We had Swiss Travel Passes which allowed us access to trains, buses and the boats in the Interlaken area. You only need to buy one ticket and then use it for all your travel in Switzerland!

Where to stay at Lake Thun?

We stayed in Interlaken at No8 Boutique Hotel. It was excellent, the location was walkable and the hotel itself was clean, comfortable and had a shared kitchen which is perfect for self catering. There is also an excellent cafe around the corner, Spatz Cafe-great for breakfast or relaxing after a day of exploring with a glass of wine and charcuterie board!

No8 Boutique Hotel best hotel in Interlaken

What to do at Lake Thun, Interlaken?

OK you are here now what to do? There so much you can devote a full day to this beautiful place. Depending on what you are interested in here are our favourite ways to spend a day on Lake Thun.

Thun Old Town

Thun is known as the entry to the Bernese Oberland area, sitting on the north-western end of Lake Thun. It is a very quaint town, full of historical buildings and charming views. Spend time wandering the town taking in the mountains that surround the area. Check out the Rathaus, Thun Castle, Stadtkirche Thun, take a boat cruise on Thun Lake, Thun Panorama, walk along the Aare River and finally check out the river surfers in Thun! Tip-our Swiss Travel Pass got us in to Thun Castle and Thun Panorama for free!

River surfers at Thun what to do lake thun

Castles

There are a lot of gorgeous castles along the shores of Lake Thun, we visited Thun Castle and Spiez Castle. I also want to visit Castle Oberhofen, Castle Hunegg and Castle Schadau.

Thun Castle

Thun Castle is definitely worth visiting! We spent a good few hours exploring it. Before even entering you will walk up the little hill and pass by old buildings and the church. It really is picturesque although we visited on a rainy day, Thun Castle is a great rainy day activity, and I am sure it is even prettier when the sun is shining!

There is so much history to read and experience. After purchasing a ticket, or showing your Swiss Travel Pass to get free entry you will head out and up the stairs to the entrance.

The lower floors

The lower floors are dedicated to showing the beginnings of the castle and town. You’ll find a floor plan and the expansion over time as well as the start of the town and artefacts from this time. We saw little carvings, statues and incredibly a fire bucket…I am not sure it would really have done much in a big fire!

Hiding out from the rain at Thun Castle, what to do lake thun

Thun Castle a must visit and great for a rainy day activity

The middle floors

You will walk up the spiral stair case to access the floors above. Here there are ancient tapestries, pieces of furniture and weapons. Everything is well labelled and the history of each pieces is clearly explained. It was so well organised and we were able to learn about this unique historical time. The castle was also very child friendly, there were some interactive displays and by moving at your own pace you could absorb as much or as little as you prefer.

The upper floors and roof

This was my favourite area! You can walk up into the roof and see all the wooden struts holding it up. There is a small ladder to access this area. The information that is displayed explains how no metal is used in the roof at all, only wooden beams and wooden nails. After checking out the information here you can go up a few other tiny staircases to explore the turrets of the castle! These little round spaces give incredible views across Thun.

St. Beatus Caves

St. Beatus Caves is a famous attraction on Lake Thun. There is an approx 1km cave walk with stalactites and stalagmites that are millions of years old and really beautiful. The tickets are 19 CHF and you can visit by yourself, alternatively they are also included in this tour, the Beatus Caves, Blue Lake and Lake Thun Tour, it is excellent and well worth doing.

Spiez Castle

Spiez Castle is beautiful. The gardens are gorgeous and so well maintained. Unfortunately while we were there the castle itself was closed as the season had not yet begun. We loved the outside so much we can’t wait to come back and see the inside. The grounds consist of the castle and church, gardens and the lake front.

Its open from 1st May – 31 October 2023 (Monday 2 pm – 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm) and the ticket to the Castle Museum is 12CHF or free with the Swiss Travel Pass. There is a café onsite too during the open season. You can access the gardens and outdoor area at any time.

Spiez

Walking through the little town of Spiez toward the castle was really charming. There are historical points to check out along the way, lovely gardens and grape vines.

Take a boat cruise on Lake Thun

Taking a boat cruise on Lake Thun is a must do. Seeing the little towns from the water is a serene way to experience it with ease. The boat cruise is included in the Swiss Travel Pass as well. All you need to do is show the pass if requested when boarding.

Alternatively this Interlaken lake boat cruise tour is excellent and includes cruises on both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun!

Lake Thun really is a great place to explore. You could spend as little as an afternoon on a boat cruise or around two days and visit everything listed here. We will definitely be coming back to explore this area further! If you want any help planning or have any questions please leave a comment and we will be happy to help!