Thun Things to Do

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This is a city owned property, a wonderful old building, found in a beautiful setting along the shore of Lake Thun, just at the point where the Rive Aare drains from the lake.

The setting is quite beautiful, the lawns were manicured and green, the gardens are quite colorful and meticulously kept, and the Schloss itself is quite an impressive structure that contains the Schweizerisches Gastronomie Museum or the Swiss Gastronomy Museum. I didn’t actually venture into the museum but it contains books and documents relating to the” food and beverage culture found in Switzerland”.

The Schloss was built between the years 1846 and 1854 in the Gothic Revival Style for the Swiss banker magnate, Abraham Denis Alfred de Rougemont.

The park is a venue for free music during various times throughout the summer months. You can verify at the provided web address to see if anything might be available during your stay in Thun..There are benches to sit on and along the lakeshore is a PERFECT venue to watch the ferries coming and going on the Thunersee..

You can dine here at the Schloss on a covered outdoor terrace that overlooks the lake or indoors if you prefer during the winter months at a fine restaurant that receives reviews that are quite good. If you’re interested in arranging a civil wedding than here at the Schloss Schadau is the perfect venue to do this.

They offer various services that are wedding related, including a venue to host both the ceremony and the reception. The grounds would make an ideal spot to tie the knot and you can achieve most of the formalities right here in one spot.

We explored briefly inside, the building was renovated and restored not too long ago and contains some remarkable stone sculpting and amazing period decoration. My photos really don’t do the beauty of the sculptures much justice but hopefully you get enough of an idea to entice you to visit.

The operational hours are somewhat confusing but Ill include a link for you to consult if you might be interested in exploring this piece of amazing Thun architecture and beautiful grounds.

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You really SHOULD take some time to investigate this small but ancient church.

Situated in a slightly out of the way location, its setting is peaceful and beautiful, just on the edges of the Schadau Park Access to the church is FREE of charge.

The Church of “Our Dear Lady” is first documented in 762 and the tower is known to have been constructed separately in about the 9th Century. You can see frescoes that have survived that are thought to date from periods between the 13th and the 16th Centuries.

Unfortunately the availability of information about the history of the structure is not readily available so I cant tell you more about its history.

A visit here to view the frescoes is pretty unique I think. They are worn and in some places barely visible but the feeling of Peace that’s present here is wonderful. It’s a small church and when we visited here we had the place to ourselves, truly an enjoyable few minutes.

The Kirche Scherzligen is close by to the Schloss Schadau and the Panorama if you’re taking in one or two of these attractions make the stop here to see another historical attraction that Thun has to offer.

There’s a parking area just across the street that we used while we visited the Church, the Schloss Schadau, and the Panorama. Parking was not free but cost us maybe 5 CHF for an hour and a half.

Every Sunday from June until October you can participate in a guided tour of the church from 1400 PM until 1500 PM..the tour is only presented in the German language and to date there is no English language tour available.

For access on your own the church doors are unlocked from April 1st until October 31st between the hours of 1000 AM until 1800 PM..
Winter hours are from November 1st until March 31st when you can visit between the hours of 1100 AM until 1400 PM

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Thun’s Old Town is a treat to stroll thorough and has many structures that date back to some of the earliest days of the development of the city. Taking your time, you can witness some of the remarkable and unique buildings that contribute so significantly to the “feel” of what the city of Thun is today.

You can include a stroll along the Obere Hauptgasse , a street that features a two leveled type of sidewalk, an upper walkway about six feet off the level of the street. The Hauptgasse is one of the oldest streets here in Thun and the idea of the upper walkway was to make the most of available space, stores and business at street level and housing access from the upper levels.

Shops line both sides of the street and during the summer in particular, banners and the emblem of the Canton of Bern, the Bear can be seen strung between the two sides of the street. Bicycles and vehicles share this space easily with pedestrians. Buildings of historical significance are scattered along the way. Along the way look for number 56, a building that housed Napoleon the Third who lived here with his mother between the years 1834 and 1835.
Another building of interest along the Hauptgasse is the Schmieden…first documented at this location as the Smith’s Guildhall in 1437.The façade that you see today dates from a renovation completed in 1779 and today contains a bar, restaurant that I did not take time to try out.

Following the Hauptgasse you will soon arrive at Rathausplatz, the Town Square, where you can see the Rathaus, the town hall that was originally built around 1500, various additions have been made to this structure over the years and this façade that you see today was constructed in 1685 Other structures seen here include the Krone or Crown, originally housing the Bakers Guild, and the Platzschulhaus, originally built to house a hospital between the years 1793 and 1797 and then used as a school between 1806 and 1949.The original Butchers Guildhall is found here also,the Metzgern, the original structure dating back to 1361.This building also underwent a major renovation in the late1500’s and again in 1770.The structure that you see today is the renovated façade of 1770.

You can then go from there in any direction that you’d like, and still take in a number of other old structures, or head up the Schlossberg towards the Schloss Thun or to the river and perhaps the Muhleplatz to “people watch” or for a meal or a beverage. Whatever you decide to do I think that taking the time to walk about the Old Town is a MUST do when you’re spending time in Thun.

You can get yourself a map and a brochure outlining a route for you to use from the Tourist Information Center located in the train station if you like. Another brochure entitled “Historic Sites” provides details of significant buildings which really makes a walkabout more meaningful.

We walked by this beautiful building...right on the banks of the River Aare...You cant help but discover it as it is possibly the most grand building along the walkway...the day that we drove coming from Interlaken we parked in a close by public parking lot for about an hour while we enjoyed a quick look around.

Thunerhof was originally built as the “Grand Hotel” in 1875, designed by an architect from Bern, a man named Adolph Tieche. The hotel operated until 1934 and the Municipal Government took over the property in 1942 and now in addition to the gallery, the City's administration also is located in this building.

In 1949 the City’s art collection has been housed here BUT ARE NOT on permanent DISPLAY…Presentation of the work is done on an EVENT basis and occurs through special exhibitions.

The Kunstmuseum is connected and funded through the the “Friends of the Kunstmuseum Thun" an independent group that in fact owns the permanent collection and make it available for “loan” to the museum to make the work available to the public.

The Kunstmuseum Thun indirectly funds and supports the “Panorama” of Thun which is a priceless piece of Thun’s history that’s available to view in a separate building in Schadau Park. You can see more information about the Panorama here in another “tip”.

The museum presents mainly contemporary art through exhibits that occur throughout the year.
Important minor masters, classic Swiss modern art, a large group of Swiss Pop art works as well as works from a promising artistic community in the region have been collected and are displayed here.

Here if you're interested you can have a guided tour. Workshops for children and young people are available also.

The hours of operation are Tuesday to Sunday, 1000 a.m. to 1700 p.m...Wednesdays 1000 a.m. to 2100 p.m. and CLOSED on MONDAYS...

Access to the Kunstmuseum is NOT free but costs 10 CHF for adults and children under the age of 12 are FREE.

Check the event schedule to see if you would like to pop in and spend some time here..

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It’s always a peaceful way for me to relax a little, walking or sitting beside water and in Thun there are plenty of opportunities to explore a little along the shores of the river.

There are many beautiful riverside walkways that provide some incredible views of some of the most prestigious buildings that Thun has to offer. The water color of the river is a beautiful turquoise and the walkways are mostly all paved and well maintained.

Commencing at the Aarebassin, the spot where the lake empties into the river, you’ll find a walkway on either side of the river on both channels, that will take you closer and eventually into the center of the city, and the other way around obviously.
You can use many different bridges, some for pedestrians only for crossing back and forth between to get different perspectives without missing a beat!

The "Quay" as it’s referred to have cafes along its two kilometers length and attracts walkers, joggers, cyclists and people on in-line skates. It’s a great place to walk a little and people watch, feed the swans and ducks, and generally just kick back a little and relax and admire the amazing sights of Thun that the walkways provide.

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Another option - if not doing a boat cruise - to explore the beautiful Lake Thun region is to drive or (recommended) take a bus along the shores of the lake, stop at some beautiful place and enjoy the views. And there are countless places with stunning views! I personally prefer the northern shore of the lake because the road is mostly right by the lake or in close distance and the scenery is more dramatic. Also, you have the better views of the Bernese Alps IMO.

Well known places along the northern shore are Hilterfingen, Oberhofen, Gunten, Merligen - all of them nice villages with picnic spots by the lake, cafes and restaurants.

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Kandersteg is located in the Bernese Oberland at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level at the foot of the Lötschen Pass. The peaceful holiday resort with about 1000 inhabitants with all its wooden chalets has maintained its village character and in summer is an absolute hiker’s paradise. In winter the emphasis is on Nordic ski sports.
Kandersteg owes its development into a tourist destination to its good transport links at the northern entrance to the Lötschberg Tunnel. Here the car can be loaded onto the train in order to roll back off the train at the southern entrance to the tunnel in the neighbouring Canton of Valais. The railway tunnel furthermore secures the connection within the Lötschberg holiday region which, in addition to Kandersteg, includes the Lötschen Valley on the southern side of the tunnel.

Kandersteg is characterised by a broad spectrum of accommodation: from 5-star luxury hotel to holiday apartments, camping sites through to international scout centre with dormitories there is everything. Several mountain guesthouses and huts belonging to the Swiss Alpine Club in the Lötschberg holiday region provide the basis for several-day mountain tours.

Summer

With its extensive network of attractive mountain, hiking and walking trails Kandersteg is a paradise for nature and hiking fans. The most famous routes lead across the Gemmi Pass straight to Leukerbad in the Valais, to Lake Oeschinen or through the wildly romantic Gastern Valley and finally over the 2690-metre-high, historically important Lötschen Pass to the Lötschen Valley.

Lake Oeschinen – accessible from Kandersteg by chairlift or along a wide, family-friendly hiking trail – not only offers the idyll of a deep blue mountain lake, but also excites with a fast toboggan run. The Allmenalp via ferrata, undisputibly one of the most spectacular in the Alps, is a particular challenge.

Winter

Kandersteg is a snow-sure cross-country skiing paradise. Over 50 kilometres of tracked trails (classic and skating) are available in the valley floor and on the sun terraces. Downhill skiers are catered for at Lake Oeschinen and at Sunnbüel. The ski areas appeal to beginners, laid-back skiers and families.

The Kandersteg artificial ice rink is ideal for skating and curling. Around the village and between Blausee and Gemmi Pass winter walkers find their trail network. For ice climbers there is the Kander Valley and for fishing enthusiasts there is ice fishing in winter.
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The tower of this church has a commanding view of the River Aare...and dates originally from the 1330's...its undergone additions and renovations and in 1738 Paulus Nader reconstructed this as a Protestant Church..

Historical contents include a Renaissance era Communion Table that dates from 1602.The Tower contains an exhibit relating to the history of the structure.

We didn't make the time to enter the building ....unfortunate...but in fact just one more reason for me to return here someday...