Thun and Spiez

Duration:

~ 9 hours (8am to 5pm)

Style:

public transport + walking + lake boat

Steps:

~14,000

Main stops:

Sierre/Siders -> Thun -> River Aare -> Schloss Thun -> Lake Thun boat -> Spiez -> Schloss Spiez

Best moment:

Watching people surf in the river, admiring the scenery in Thun and Spiez.

Verdict:

One of the prettiest and most relaxed day trips we did from Crans-Montana.

Funicular or bus, round two.

We took the scenic bus down to Sierre at around 9am. This time, we were the only ones on board, which made the whole descent feel peaceful and pretty private.

Once we arrived in Thun, one of the first things we noticed outside the station was a group of young military personnel. They looked like they were heading to training.

Later, we found out that Switzerland does have mandatory military service for Swiss men, while women can serve voluntarily.

We strolled towards the centre and soon reached the River Aare.

The colour of the water was unbelievable: blue, crystal clear, and so clean that we could see straight through to the bottom and watch the fish moving below.

It sounds like such a simple thing, just clear water in a river, but we were genuinely in awe and felt so blessed. Switzerland kept doing that to us. It made ordinary things feel quietly luxurious.

We walked along the river for a while and then came across something unexpected: locals surfing on the river.

At one of the river locks near the wooden bridges, the water created a strong standing wave, and people were taking turns surfing it. Some used a rope attached near the bridge to pull themselves into position before riding the wave.

What a brilliant little facility.

Watching people surf in turns made us want to jump straight into the water ourselves and swim in that pristine blue river.

We crossed the lovely wooden bridge to the other side and continued staring into the water like we had never seen a river before.

The mountain backdrop, the elegant flow of the Aare, the old town beside it, the surfers, the clarity of the water: it all made Thun feel effortlessly spectacular.

We found a bench overlooking the river and sat down for our packed lunch.

Sandwiches by Swiss water might be one of the best budget travel hacks there is.

After a bit of quiet contemplation, we headed towards Schloss Thun, Thun Castle, through the old town. On the way, we came across another surfing spot.

Schloss Thun was also the most air-conditioned place we had been to in Switzerland so far, which deserves its own line of appreciation.

We walked up to the roof, and as we were coming back down, we heard a sudden roar of rainfall.

It was heavy.

Very heavy.

So heavy it made us instantly grateful to be inside a castle rather than sitting on a bench admiring the crystal-clear water. We sat inside and waited for it to calm down.

Luckily, after about 20 minutes, it eased.

Then we headed to the ferry port for the boat to Spiez.

We arrived just in time.

The boat was much nicer than expected, with a wooden staircase, a bar and what looked like an exposed engine room. We went upstairs and stood at the front because all the seats were wet.

The view across Lake Thun was beautiful: deep blue water, surrounding mountains, and little villages appearing as the boat stopped along the shore.

The wind blew our hair everywhere, but the fresh air was uplifting.

Then came the ticket check.

We confidently showed our Swiss Travel Passes.

The staff member looked at us and said the upper deck was first class.

"Sorry," we said, immediately sheepish, as we realised we had been standing in the first-class area all along, probably blocking the views of the actual first-class passengers.

Luckily, it was already our stop at Spiez, so we escaped the embarrassment quite conveniently.

So much for "noticing more". We had jogged on board, rushed upstairs, stood proudly at the front, and somehow failed to notice all the signs along the way.

As we stepped off the boat, it felt like we had entered a fairytale.

Spiez was ridiculously picturesque, especially under the bright blue sky. The water was blue, almost turquoise. The houses were pretty. The castle sat above the lake.

We sat on a bench outside Spiez Castle for a while, watching people swim and paddleboard, and just admired the lakeside scenery. It was so hot that we were almost sweating just sitting still.

Eventually, we went inside the castle. There were decorated rooms to wander through, but the tower was the highlight. From the top, the views opened up in every direction: lake, mountains, village rooftops, boats, and that impossible Swiss water.

Spiez is one of those places where you can take a good photo almost anywhere you point your camera.

We did a few loops, took in the views properly, then walked towards the centre of Spiez. There was not a huge amount there, so we went to Migros near the station, picked up our usual cheap bottle of water to share for the journey back, and made our way home.

It was an insanely beautiful day.

On the train and bus back to Crans-Montana, we were still thinking about the water.