When the Swiss Alps became popular with British tourists in the late 19th century, the city of Thun on the shores of Lake Thun assumed a prominent role as the gateway to the more rugged, less accessible places. That all changed with the arrival of the railways and the opening of the Lötschberg tunnel.

Getting from Wengen to Thun

It’s another gorgeous day up in Wengen. I exit the Braunbär hotel just before eleven and walk the short distance to the railway station. I have a train at 11h11 that will take me back down to Lauterbrunnen and then from there onwards to Interlaken Ost.

At Interlaken Ost I transfer to the mainline to catch a train to Interlaken West, which is just a short ride of five minutes. Next to me is a middle aged couple. The woman turns to me and very politely asks me, “is this the eighty one?”, and for a moment I must look confused. So, she continues, “I’m sorry, we’re American…”. Eh, I’m lost. What has that got to do with anything and what’s the eighty one? And then it finally dawns on me and I realise she’s asking about the train number – the IC 81 to Zürich via Berne. I open the SBB app to check for her and tell her that they’re on the right train. She sighs with relief and adds that “it’s a bit confusing for us, we’re not used to public transport”, which makes me laugh, and I explain to her that the Swiss are Europe’s uncontested public transport champions. At Interlaken West I have to make a quick dash to avoid missing the boat, which is about to depart from the landing right next to the railway station.

Interlaken gets its name from the fact that it sits between two lakes – Lake Thun to the West, and Lake Brienz to the East. In the late 19th century a canal was built to join the two lakes to better manage water levels and prevent flooding. The landing for the boat at Interlaken West is halfway up the canal. Therefore, when the boat departs, it first has to reverse out into the lake, which takes about fifteen minutes.

I’m not heading directly to Thun. I’ve decided to make a slight detour and alight at the second stop after the boat departs Interlaken, which is the stop for the Beatus Caves.

The Beatus Caves is a complex network of 14 kilometres of caves, of which it is possible to visit the first kilometre. It’s a hike of about twenty minutes from the boat landing up to the entrance of the caves. It’s not far, but it’s a steep ascent on a dirt and gravel path. Along the way you’re rewarded with some truly magnificent views of Lake Thun and the mountains in the background.

The caves can feel quite claustrophobic because of the many visitors. The temperature inside the caves varies between eight and ten degrees Celsius throughout the year, which means they offer some respite from the heat if you visit during the summer months. I spend two hours up in the caves. At 14h43 I’m back at the landing to catch the boat onwards to Thun, which I should reach in about two hours.

Location

Schloss Thun sits perched on the top of a hill in the old town, overlooking the entire valley. It’s just a short walk of about ten minutes from the boat landing, mostly uphill.

Check-In

Check-in takes place inside the courtyard of the castle, in a small annex that houses the bar and the restaurant. All the doors open automatically when tapping the sensor with the room key, which takes a bit of getting used to. There are two types of rooms in the castle. There are the small rooms in an annex that is built inside the courtyard, and then there are the larger rooms that are located inside the original walls of the castle – and that is where I’ll be staying on this visit.

Room with Panoramic View

I’m staying in a room with panoramic views of Thun. Although, to be precise, I should say that I’m staying in THE room with panoramic views as there’s just the one room in this category. Accordingly, it can be difficult to find an availability. The room is spacious and nicely appointed. It has a large king bed that is very comfortable, even though the springs squeak quite a bit. As the name of the room suggests, it has excellent views. Upon entering the room, I open all the windows to let in the fresh, gentle breeze. I put my feet up and just take in the views.

The bathroom is quite spectacular and features a separate shower and bath. The bath is located right next to the window, so you can enjoy the spectacular view of the mountains while you soak.

The shower scores highly on the Knight of Malta test. It only happens very rarely that a hotel shower causes absolutely no spillage or leakage at all!

Amenities

The room has complimentary slippers and bathrobes. However, while the slippers are a decent size, the bathrobes are a bit on the small side. Either that or I’m too big.

There’s also a kettle and a Nespresso machine. To go with the coffee there are two small Toblerones and a few small tubs of cream in the fridge.

Dining – Breakfast

The restaurant is right behind reception. This where breakfast is served, which is a small cold buffet plus additional dishes that can be ordered from the waiting staff. It’s a nice spread and the breakfast team are accommodating.

Conclusion

The Schlossberg Hotel is a lovely place. Of course, the room I had was very nice, But I think it’s the views and the gorgeous scenery that make this place so remarkable. I think my only concern would be the lack of air conditioning – that’s a contentious issue among hotels in Switzerland. During my stay it was sunny and quite warm, but at least it cooled down enough during the night for the room not to get stuffy with the windows open. However, during the height of summer I’m not sure if the castle’s thick walls would be able to keep out the heat. Other than that, Thun is a nice town with a laid back vibe, and the easy access to the lake makes it feel like being at a seaside resort.