The historic Swiss city of Thun with the snow capped mountains of the Berner Oberland in the background.
Here’s a Swiss travel tip for exploring the Berner Oberland region of the Swiss Alps. When you’re traveling from Zürich to Interlaken, consider hopping off the train in Thun, exploring a castle or two, and then riding a historic lake steamer the rest of the way.
Thun Castle (Schloss Thun) built in the late 1100s, keeps watch over the Rathausplatz.
Details:
One of the fastest and most convenient ways to travel from Zürich to Interlaken is by train. At the time of this writing, the transfer from the Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Interlaken West takes 1h 49 min with one change in Bern. From Bern, the train heads southeast toward the town of Thun and then scoots along the southern shore of the Thunersee before arriving in Interlaken.
To add style to your trip, consider hopping off the train in Thun, visiting a castle or two, and then riding a historic paddle wheel steam ship the rest of the way to Interlaken. There are two castles in Thun—Schloss Thun and Schloss Schadau. Feeling like royalty? You can dine and spend the night at Schadau Castle. We recommend it!
Schadau Castle (Schloss Schadau) built in the mid 1800s on Lake Thun.
Here’s a sample itinerary.
Depart Zurich at 08:02 am.
Arrive in Thun at 09:24 am (Direct connection with no changes!)
Stash your luggage and walk over to Schloss Thun (Thun Castle).
The castle is open every day during the summer at 10:00 am.
After visiting the castle…
Hop on the historic paddle wheel steamer Blümlisalp for a 12:40 pm departure. You’ll arrive in Interlaken West at 02:49 pm.
The Blümlisalp paddle wheel steamer (built in 1906) has a restaurant on board so you don’t have to worry about lunch. The views of the mountains, castles, and lakeside villages will knock your socks off while you eat! There are five fairy tale castles on Lake Thun which you’ll get to see as you ply the turquoise waters.
You’ll also pass by quintessentially Swiss villages with picturesque church steeples. There are 12 churches on Lake Thun that are 1,000 years old!
Oberhofen Castle (Schloss Oberhofen) on Lake Thun dates to the early 13th century and houses a living history museum. The lake steamers dock at Oberhofen, passing directly in front of the castle and affording incredible views.
Oberhofen and Spiez are two of my favorite stops along the way. The castle in Oberhofen is delightful to photograph, and Spiez is one of the prettiest lakeside villages in Switzerland. If you can’t make it to Thun, then consider hopping off the train in Spiez and visiting Spiez Castle and the historic church there instead. The midday steam ship departs Spiez at 01:28 pm for arrival in Interlaken at 02:49 pm.
Spiez, one of the prettiest lakeside villages in Switzerland. The church is 1,000 years old and portions of the adjacent castle walls and the keep are 800-900 years old. This is the view looking down from the castle tower.
Are you a romantic type? How about a sunset cruise on Lake Thun? We’re happy to help you arrange it. Photo credit: BLS Ltd.
Note: This is the summer 2021 schedule (assuming no COVID shutdowns). Other boats depart somewhat hourly throughout the day from 08:40 am to 6:40 pm. Please contact us for the most up-to-date schedule and options.
This excursion pairs well with our Berner Oberland Inn-to-Inn Hike.
Tschüss!
