Spectacular Spiez: A Visit to a Scenic Swiss Town

March 25, 2024September 20, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This destination guide covers my visit to Spiez, one of the most beautiful towns in Switzerland thanks to its impressive castle and scenic location on the shores of Lake Thun.

A visit to Spiez

Before embarking on my train trip along Switzerland’s scenic Golden Pass rail route, I went looking for a town where I could best break up the journey.

Although the regional tourist hub of Interlaken seemed like the obvious choice, I found myself drawn to Spiez after seeing some beautiful pictures, as this Swiss town seemed to offer a much more scenic location.

After my trip on the Belle Époque train from Montreux to Zweisimmen and a connecting train from Zweisimmen to Spiez, I finally found myself in town, eager to explore what it had to offer.

goldenpass railway Belle Époque train montreux zweisimmen golden pass — *A first class carriage of the Belle Époque train between Montreux and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

mob golden pass belle epoque train carriage switzerland — *On board the GoldenPass Belle Époque train between Montreux and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

switzerland mountains zweisimmen spiez railway train — *Scenery along the railway line between Zweisimmen and Spiez. ©Paliparan*

spiez station bls trains — *Disembarking my train at the station of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

Walk into town

Already from the moment you exit the railway station and emerge from the underground station passage, you are treated to some gorgeous views over Spiez and Lake Thun.

The railway station is located high above the town on top of a hill.

If you walk across the access road to the railway station and head towards the balustrade along the pavement, you can enjoy sweeping views over Spiez, its castle, and the gorgeous scenery of the lake and surrounding mountains.

From this point, it’s a short 5-minute walk downhill towards the centre of town.

*Exiting the railway station passage towards the town centre. ©Paliparan*

spiez view scenic town switzerland — *View over Spiez from the forecourt of the railway station. ©Paliparan*

spiez switzerland scenic town centre — *Heading downhill towards the town centre. ©Paliparan*

roundabout switzerland — *Roundabout in the centre of town. ©Paliparan*

spiez swiss houses — *Traditional Swiss houses in Spiez. ©Paliparan*

Exploring the marina

Once I found myself down the hill in the town centre, the cloud cover over Lake Thun seemed to have disappeared almost immediately.

It was a great relief to witness the sun breaking through after all the rain in Montreux and the cloudy weather during the train journey over to Spiez.

Before making my way to Spiez Castle, the town’s main landmark, I opted for a stroll along the marina first so I could enjoy the sunshine.

The Spiez marina is a great place to visit if the weather is nice, as it offers some fantastic views over Lake Thun and the yachts anchored in front of the quaint houses.

At this yacht harbour you will also find a couple of appealing cafés and restaurants.

Additionally, you’ll find an open-air swimming pool (with an entrance fee of 7 CHF for adults and 3.30 CHF for children up to the age of 16) and a miniature golf course at the Spiez marina.

spiez scenic town switzerland — *The sun finally came through as I was walking towards the marina. ©Paliparan*

spiez marina lake thun scenic town switzerland — *The marina of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

*Beautiful view over the marina and the surrounding mountains. ©Paliparan*

spiez yacht harbour scenic town switzerland — *The scenic yacht harbour of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

spiez marina yachts lake thun switzerland — *View from the marina in the direction of Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

spiez visit scenic town switzerland — *I certainly loved the views from the marina in Spiez and the wonderful blue colours of Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

Lake view

From the marina, I walked east along the lakeshore towards the ferry terminal, from where you can catch a boat to other towns on Lake Thun such as Gunten, or simply enjoy a leisurely cruise around the lake.

Visit the BLS Ferry website for detailed information about regular scheduled departures and lake cruises.

Since I didn’t have time for a lake cruise, I just wandered towards the north of the ferry terminal, where I stumbled upon a small park and a wooden jetty.

There, I simply sat down and absorbed the beautiful views for a while.

spiez switzerland — *Houses around the Spiez marina. ©Paliparan*

spiez — *Enjoying the sunshine on my walk through town. ©Paliparan*

lake thun view — *View over Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

spiez lake thun switzerland scenic town — *The views over the lake were absolutely stunning. ©Paliparan*

spiez lake thun switzerland — *Wooden jetty and old house on a rock. ©Paliparan*

koen spiez switzerland — *Yours truly enjoying his time in Spiez. ©Paliparan*

Spiez Castle Church

Next up on my tour of Spiez was a visit of Spiez Castle.

From the jetty, I proceeded up Schloßstraße (Castle Street) towards the iconic Spiez landmark.

As you walk up this street, you’ll come across a charming wooden villa named Le Roselier, which also features a beautiful rose garden.

Built in the 18th century, this building used to be a traveller’s inn.

Across the street, you will find the Spiez Castle Church, which was built around the early 11th century in early Romanesque style.

As the church is built on a promontory high above the lake, you can enjoy some fantastic views over the surrounding area.

Make sure to admire the gorgeous Romanesque frescoes inside the church, as they rank among the best-preserved examples in Switzerland.

spiez view — *Walking up towards the castle. ©Paliparan*

Le Roselier spiez house — *Le Roselier, a wooden villa on Castle Street. ©Paliparan*

castle street spiez switzerland scenic town — *Charming houses on Castle Street. ©Paliparan*

castle church spiez switzerland — *The Castle Church of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

spiez castle church scenic town switzerland — *Spiez Castle Church is built on a cliff high above the lake. ©Paliparan*

church lake view — *From the church premises you have some lovely views over the lake and mountains. ©Paliparan*

view lake thun spiez — *View from the church over the lake. ©Paliparan*

church marina view scenic town switzerland — *View from the church entrance towards the marina. ©Paliparan*

church interior frescoes spiez — *The church interior, with some of the old frescoes still being visible. ©Paliparan*

Exploring Spiez Castle

Spiez Castle is located just a couple of metres away from the castle church.

Essentially, the castle consists out of a massive stone keep and some adjoining buildings.

The stone keep of Spiez Castle, with its base featuring walls as thick as three meters, was constructed in the mid-13th century and can be seen from almost everywhere in town.

Most of the adjoining buildings were built in a later period of time, such as the gatehouse, which was only constructed in the late 15th century.

The newer parts of the castle, including the gardens, were built in Baroque style.

Throughout its long history, Spiez Castle was the residence of several noble families, the first among them being the Barons of Strättligen, who ruled over Spiez during the 12th, 13th, and early 14th centuries.

Facing significant debts, the Strättligen family was forced to sell Spiez Castle and their entire barony in 1338 to the Lords of Bubenberg, one of the most influential families in the nearby city of Bern.

In the early 16th century, the castle became into the possession of the Von Erlach family, who also hailed from Bern.

The castle changed hands numerous times during the early modern period, until its final inhabitant, Wilhelm Schiess, was also compelled to sell it as he could no longer manage the expensive upkeep of the large property.

In 1927, the castle was sold to the newly established Spiez Castle Foundation, which was backed by a big number of smaller and larger Swiss donors and the local municipality.

Under the terms of this sale, it was established that the public would always have free access to visit the gardens of Spiez Castle.

Only if you want to visit Spiez Castle from inside, where you’ll find the castle museum and an art exhibition, you have to pay an entrance fee.

Adults pay 12 CHF (€12.30) for a ticket to visit Spiez Castle, while cheaper tickets are available for children and special rates are offered for families.

spiez castle gatehouse — *The impressive gatehouse of Spiez Castle. ©Paliparan*

castle gate — *Entering the castle. ©Paliparan*

spiez castle inner courtyard — *The inner courtyard of Spiez Castle. ©Paliparan*

knight statue courtyard — *Statue of a knight in the courtyard. ©Paliparan*

spiez castle gardens scenic town switzerland — *The beautiful gardens of Spiez Castle. ©Paliparan*

spiez castle gardens park — *All of the outdoor areas of Spiez Castle, including the gardens, can be visited for free. ©Paliparan*

lake thun view scenic switzerland — *View from the castle gardens over Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

Vineyards

What makes Spiez one of the most scenic towns in Switzerland isn’t just sights like Spiez Castle, but also its immediate surroundings.

Take for example the lands directly behind Spiez Castle.

Within a five-minute walk from Spiez Castle, you’ll find yourself surrounded by some highly picturesque vineyards overlooking Lake Thun.

If you have the time, do walk all the way to Katzenstein (literally: Cat’s Stone), a stunning viewpoint high on the hill overlooking Spiez Castle, the vineyards, and the lake.

vineyards spiez castle — *Directly behind Spiez Castle you can find some vineyards. ©Paliparan*

spiez lake thun vineyards scenic switzerland — *The scenic vineyards of Spiez overlook Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

Walenrain

From Spiez Castle, you’ll also find a walking path that runs downhill through the vineyards towards a place known as Walenrain.

Walenrain is essentially a public bathing spot on Lake Thun, and its shady meadows also provide an excellent spot to relax on a summer day.

walking path lake — *Walking from the castle towards the lake. ©Paliparan*

walenrein spiez — *Walenrain, a public bathing spot on Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

spiez lake thun view scenic town switzerland — *If you sit down on the meadow or on one of the benches you’ll find at Walenrain, you can enjoy some fantastic views over Spiez and Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

lake thun swimming walenrain spiez — *Walenrain is also an excellent spot for those who want to take a dip in Lake Thun. ©Paliparan*

spiez castle church view scenic town switzerland — *View over Spiez and the Castle Church. ©Paliparan*

walenrain lakeshore — *The lakeshore at Walenrain. ©Paliparan*

walenrain spiez scenic town switzerland — *From Walenrain you have some fine views over the lake and surrounding mountains. ©Paliparan*

Shopping

Although I was tremendously enjoying the scenic surroundings, I unfortunately needed to head back to the town centre of Spiez to pick up some supplies before continuing my train trip across Switzerland.

Switzerland is not exactly a budget-friendly country, with especially prices for food and eating out in restaurants being high.

I therefore headed to the Coop supermarket in town to buy some snacks and drinks for the train ride ahead.

At Swiss supermarkets, you often encounter a decent assortment of pastries, snacks, meal salads, and other takeaway food, making it a great option for budget travellers or those who want to enjoy a picnic at the lake.

shops spiez — *Shops in the town centre of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

coop spiez — *The Coop supermarket in Spiez. ©Paliparan*

Back to the station

After a short uphill walk I found myself back at the railway station of Spiez.

Before entering the station, I headed back towards the viewpoint to enjoy the lovely view over Spiez and Lake Thun for one last time, given that the clouds that were still there in the morning had completely disappeared and the view looked even better now the sun was out.

The view surely ranks among the most scenic in all of Switzerland, so even if you only have a few minutes to spare to change trains at the railway station of Spiez, it’s worth stepping out of the station for a moment to absorb the magnificent view over the town.

spiez viewpoint — *The viewpoint outside the railway station. ©Paliparan*

spiez visit switzerland scenic town castle lake thun — *View over the town of Spiez and Lake Thun from the viewpoint. ©Paliparan*

spiez train railway station — *Spiez train station. ©Paliparan*

spiez railway station train — *Checking the departure platform for the next train on my Swiss rail adventure. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

With its wonderful location on the shores of Lake Thun, Spiez surely ranks high on the list of the most scenic towns in Switzerland.

Spiez Castle and its early Romanesque church are the main sights in town, and strolling around the beautiful castle grounds is certainly a pleasure.

However, it’s arguably the highly picturesque lakeside setting that is the main draw of Spiez.

From both the marina in the town centre and the vineyards on the surrounding hills, you’re treated to absolutely magnificent views over Spiez, Lake Thun, and the Alps.

Whether you visit Spiez for just a few hours, a full day, or make it your base to explore the surrounding area, I can highly recommend adding this scenic Swiss town to your travel itinerary.