ViaBerna, Stage 11/20

You leave Thun through the park-like shore landscape towards Gwatt. Above Lake Thun, crossing the Kander Gorge, you reach Spiez via meadows and forests. Following the idyllic path to Faulensee, you finally leave the shore here. The destination is the village of Aeschi with a view of the Niesen and the lake.

From Thun railway station, the hike initially leads to Lake Thun. Along the shore, the path passes Scherzligen Church, an ancient pilgrimage site, before heading out of the town. Open meadows soon alternate with shady stretches of forest. Above Gwatt, directly on the route, stand the ruins of Strättligen, the remains of a 13th-century hilltop castle.

The route continues on signposted hiking trails throughout, across the gently rolling terrain between Thun and Spiez. This long middle section is characterised by alternating woodland, pastures and the edges of settlements. In Spiez, the route leads to the castle on Lake Thun before plunging back into the forest.

Finally, the path climbs steadily to Aeschi bei Spiez. After around 20 kilometres, the destination also marks the highest point of the hike, at just over 860 metres. The approximately five-and-a-half-hour hike ends near the Aeschi b. Spiez, Post bus stop.