Thun Attractions
The old-world town of Thun (French Thoune), which has belonged to the canton of Berne since 1384, lies on the River Aare just below its outflow from Lake Thun. Charmingly situated on both banks of the swiftly flowing green river and on a 1km/0.6mi-long island in the middle, with its castle on a hill 30 m/98ft high dominating the town, it is the gateway to the Bernese Oberland. An unusual feature of the old town is the flower-bedecked pedestrian walkways running along above the arcades containing the shops on ground level in the main street (Hauptgasse).
Brahms Quai
The Aare basin is lined by the Johannes Brahms Quai, where there is a bronze monument to the Late-Romantic musician who spent several summers in Thun and who dedicated a violin sonata to the lake.
A series of little wooded islands extend opposite the shoreline with a romantic path; to walk along this is called "Inseli-Kehr machen" (doing the round of the islands).
A series of little wooded islands extend opposite the shoreline with a romantic path; to walk along this is called "Inseli-Kehr machen" (doing the round of the islands).
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Municipal Art Gallery and Museum
In the Thunerhof is the Municipal Art Gallery (closed Nov.), containing painting and sculpture of the 19th and 20th C., particularly by Swiss artists, among them F. Hodler and C. Amiet. The paintings include Swiss and foreign work, both old and modern.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 21:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Restaurant or food service
Swiss Gastronomy Museum
The Swiss Gastronomy Museum in Thun contains 5,000 books on gastronomy.
Thun Schweizerisches Gastronomie Museum
Schloss Schadau
Seestrasse 45, Postfach 3602
CH-3600 Thun
Switzerland
Schloss Schadau
Seestrasse 45, Postfach 3602
CH-3600 Thun
Switzerland
Hours
June 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Facilities
Gift shop
On-site accomodations
On-site accomodations
Swiss Steam Engine Museum
On the site of the former Schadau market garden (ca. 17,000 sq. m/183,000 sq. ft) a museum has been established, illustrating the history of the steam engine. Exhibit No. 1 is the paddle-wheel steamer "Blümlisalp" which used to ply on Lake Thun. Other exhibits include the steamship "Lötschberg" (from Lake Brienz) as well as steam trains of the Schynige-Platte, the Brünig and the Brienz-Rothorn railroads.
Wocher-Panorama
The panorama painted by Marquard Wocher between 1809-1814 is the oldest in the world. The panorama produces a view of the civil life of Thun with the Bernese Alps behind.
Hours
May 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Thun Surroundings
Amsoldingen, Switzerland
About 6km/4mi southwest of Goldiwil is the village of Amsoldingen (644 m/2,113ft) on the shores of a small lake. It has a castle and a fine Romanesque church (St Mauritius) of the 10th or 11th C. which shows Lombardian influence.
Goldiwil, Switzerland
Some 5km/3mi northeast of Thun is the health resort of Goldiwil (1,010 m/3,314ft; pop. 1,000).
Kiesen - Dairy Museum
8km/5mi northwest of Amsoldingen on the Berne road is Kiesen, where a visit to the dairy museum is highly recommended. Here can be seen apparatus used in cheese-making, and a village cheese dairy has been reconstructed (sound-film and slide show).
Scherzligen
1.5km/1mi south of Thun the village of Scherzlingen on the lake has a little 12th C. church (frescoes).
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