One week in Interlaken – Day 6

Day 6 – Friday 27th July 2018

Today was our last full day and it was a scorcher. We had already decided that today was going to be based around Lake Thun and the boat that stops off at many different points around the lake. You can see all the stops the boat makes by using the map below.

We managed to get the first boat out which meant we could make the most of the day. One thing I would say is it would be wise to research the route and timetable beforehand because it is actually quite hard to follow and plan your day otherwise. We ended up using the boat on the way to Thun but then caught the train back to Interlaken after.

The trip from Interlaken West to Beatus-Höhlen was a very hot one, there is little to no shade on these boats and, as they don’t go super fast, there isn’t much breeze either. We were all very sweaty by the time we got off the boat and a little sunburnt. If possible, it would be better to do this on a slightly cooler day as you are very exposed (unless you’re good in the heat of course, which I am not!)

Anyway, eventually we made it to our first stop of the day. The reason we wanted to stop here was because I had read about some fantastic caves called St Beatus Caves. There is over a kilometre of lit pathways through these caves that have been carved into the mountain, and you can see huge stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over millions of years.

On the map up to the caves it looked like a tiny distance to walk, but that’s because it is a really steep ascent which we only found out when we got there. This definitely isn’t disabled friendly as there are shallow steps pretty much the whole way up, and I have to say it was a really difficult climb for those who aren’t used to doing it especially in the heat. We all felt quite flaky when we got to the top so it was a good job we had brought some snacks along with us so we could replenish ourselves.

The actual building complex that the caves start from is actually really pretty, and apparently the walk from the car park to the caves is also a sight to see – there are lots of trickling waterfalls making their way through lush green vegetation which is just breathtaking.

After getting our tickets to the attraction we decided that we wanted to follow a guided tour so we could get as much out of the experience as possible. These start every 45 minutes so we had a bit of a wait, but it was easy to get onto the next one with a group of about 15 people. The guide was very accommodating even though we were the only ones who spoke English she made sure that she explained what she had said in German to us afterwards, although I don’t think it was in quite as much detail but we got the main points.

The caves were a little bit underwhelming if I’m perfectly honest, I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of what was said went right over our heads or we were feeling particularly drained, but I think we found it a bit unremarkable. I think there are plenty of other things to do around Lake Thun that are more worth your time.

After walking back down to the dock, we carried on our journey by boat into Thun which is at the very tip of the lake. There was some very beautiful scenery along the way including churches by the water and foreboding mountains, and I think this journey was a bit more bearable than the last (and we were glad for a sit down!).

It sounds like there is a lot to see in Thun if you’re up for a long walk but we were all pretty exhausted so we opted to stay on flatter ground. A short walk away from there dock, we came across a huge group of people that were clustered by the bridge over the river. It turned out that a big thing in Thun in the summer was to dive off this bridge into the water below and be carried along as far as you wanted, by grabbing on to one of the many red handles along the river edge. In the summer, some locals even make it part of their commute home which I thought was crazy but so cool. There were people of all ages jumping off the bridge and being swept along laughing and splashing… I really wanted to try it but didn’t have my swimsuit and I think my mum would have had kittens .

There is also a lovely castle in Thun which we saw from a distance but didn’t venture into, instead we had a little wander and ended up spotting a surfer (not the sport you’d expect to see in a city!). He was using the water forced through a weir type thing which created some pretty good waves, and I have to say the surfer knew what he was doing too he didn’t come off once!

A little later on we walked past a shop that had so many delicious-looking ice creams for sale we just had to have one. We settled with our ice creams sitting on a bench and just watching the world go by – it was a lovely end to the day.

I have really enjoyed talking about my time in Interlaken, I hope you have found it insightful too! I do have one more day to talk about (it wouldn’t be a week otherwise!) but we actually ended up going to Bern on the last day so it wasn’t strictly ‘Interlaken’. But anway, I hope you like it either way!

Happy travelling!

Zoe and David x

Written by Zoe