Lake Thun boat trip

The Swiss celebrate National Day on 1st August, an arbitrary date to commemorate the coming together of three men from Cantons Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden in 1291 to sign the first Federal Charter for what we now know as Switzerland. (There are lots of versions of this origin story and the idea of Switzerland as a nation evolved over the years but „sometime in August 1291“ is generally accepted as when this all went down in central Switzerland.) People celebrate with grilling, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the summer heat by the water. I‘m convinced that no Swiss resident is ever far away from a body of water, whether it be a lake or a river, and with recent sizzling summer temperatures, there‘s no better way to cool down.

M and I, however, decided to avoid the lakeside crowds and hop on a boat across Lake Thun instead.

BLS runs the ship services across Lakes Thun and Brienz, and they have a great deal for day passes to use on all services on both lakes. (It‘s only 35 CHF for Half-Fare / Halbtax Card holders!) I wanted to be on / near the water without having to deal with the inevitable crowds along the lakeshore, so away we went!

View of the Niesen, with an SBB train snaking its way along the lake

By the way, if you‘re a fan of historic ships, BLS still regularly operates steamships (Dampfschiffe) — the Blümlisalp on Lake Thun and the Lotschberg on Lake Brienz. Throughout the summer, there are special sunset cruises complete with dinner options.

The trip from Thun to Interlaken by ship takes a little over two hours. There are lots of stops in between, on both sides of the lake, and throughout the slow journey, we got to experience the beauty of the surrounding landscapes in a slower fashion. 

Friendly SUPers waving hello

From fairytale castles ...

Schadau Castle on the left and a view of Thun castle and city church tower in the background

Oberhofen Castle, direct on the lake

... to vineyards on the sunny eastern side of the lake ... (Many of these family owned vineyards are still in production — the Swiss wine industry is largely unknown outside of the country, as the majority of the wine produced here is consumed here.)

... to picturesque towns lining the lakeshore ...

Spiez

Faulensee

... to hilly mountain farms (which must have fantastic views!) ...

... and interesting geological features on the surrounding rock face.

Interlaken is the final stop, and we disembarked the ship right at Interlaken West train station. If you wanted to go and take a boat across Lake Brienz, the day pass is also valid for the five-minute journey from Interlaken West to Interlaken Ost Station (otherwise you‘d have to walk 20 minutes through town). 

Disembarking at Interlaken

After the long journey in the sun, it was time for a bite to eat. M and I popped over to Unterseen, a cute little town just across the river from Interlaken. We fueled up a cute cafe / shop Mad Cow and wandered along the river, out of town, past the hospital, back towards the lake and Weissenau.

Patriotic sweets, what more can you ask for?

The walking route — as ever — is clearly signposted and you only have to walk through a small portion of neighborhoods before you reach a gravel path that follows the Aare River out of Interlaken to Lake Thun. 

 

There was also lots of shady parts, which was good while walking during the heat of midday.

At the end of the path, you‘ll reach the Weissenau Ruins, where a 13th century castle once stood on an island (the water has receded and it‘s all on dry land now), protecting the water trade routes of the region. You can wander around the ruins, imagine the harbour in the open plot of grass, and even climb to the top.

The grassy meadow was once a harbour

Walk along the path a bit further towards Neuhaus and you‘ll come across a parking lot and an entrance to the Weissenau Nature Reserve. Swimming, fishing, boating, and otherwise human activity is prohibited in this protected part of land and water where native birds and fish thrive. It‘s quiet and peaceful up until the very end of the trail, where it leads to the Badis of Neuhaus. 

Spot the frog

Spotted a deer!

View of the Niesen and the Blümlisalp ship in the background

There were a few unexpected thunderstorms the day we went, so we waited them out before hopping back on the ship back to Thun. All in all a lovely day spent on and by the water!

FYI — Due to the coronavirus regulations, protective face masks are required on all forms of public transport, including boat services (something that irked quite a few people). Most ship passengers we saw complied with the rules, but of course, you have the reluctant ones, sporting the latest chin guards or not wearing masks at all. The ships also have hand sanitizer on board, as well as public restrooms for hand washing.