Thun's position on the main Bern–Interlaken rail line makes it an ideal base. Interlaken is 30 minutes by train, giving access to the Jungfrau railway and the mountain villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Bern, the Swiss capital, is 20 minutes north and easily done in a day.
Spiez, on the south shore of Lake Thun, is worth a short visit for its own castle and the beautiful bay below it — reachable in 15 minutes by train or 45 minutes by paddle steamer. The lake cruise from Thun to Interlaken via Spiez (about 2.5 hours) is one of the most scenic boat journeys in Switzerland.
