Spiez travel guide

Why visit Spiez

Some places are famous for doing many things; Spiez is famous for doing one thing exceptionally well. The Bay of Spiez — a sheltered inlet of Lake Thun where the turquoise water narrows between two wooded peninsulas, with a medieval castle at the water’s edge, vineyards climbing the slopes above, and the Bernese Alps as a backdrop — is one of the most photographed landscapes in Switzerland, and it earns every photograph taken of it.

Spiez is a small town of around 12,000 people on the southern shore of Lake Thun. It is connected by fast trains to both Thun (15 minutes north) and Interlaken (20 minutes south), which makes it simultaneously accessible as a day trip and peaceful enough to feel like a genuine escape when the larger resort towns are busy. Many visitors come for the view from the castle, stay for a swim in the lake, and leave having eaten lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants — and later describe the stop as one of the best of their trip.

The town is also one of the few places in the Bernese Oberland with a genuine wine tradition. The vineyards on the slopes above the bay produce Pinot Noir and Riesling-Sylvaner under the Spiez appellation, and the local wine co-operative has an excellent cellar door where tastings are available.

Getting to Spiez

By train

Spiez is on the main Bern–Interlaken–Spiez–Brig line, one of the busiest and most scenic rail routes in the Bernese Oberland. From Thun, trains take 15 minutes. From Interlaken West, the journey is around 20 minutes. From Bern, allow approximately 35 minutes. The Swiss Travel Pass covers all these routes.

By boat

Lake boats connect Spiez with Thun and Interlaken during the spring to autumn season. The boat journey from Thun to Spiez takes around 1 hour and offers a completely different perspective on the bay — approaching from the water, the castle, vineyards, and mountain backdrop compose into a scene of extraordinary completeness. Swiss Travel Pass holders travel free on all BLS lake services.

By car

Spiez is accessible from the A6/A8 motorway interchange, approximately 20 minutes from Bern and 15 minutes from Interlaken by car. Parking is available in the town centre and near the lake.

Top things to do in Spiez

Schloss Spiez

The castle at Spiez is the defining feature of the town and one of the most beautifully situated medieval buildings in Switzerland. Its origins go back to the ninth century, though the current structure dates mainly from the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The towers and main keep stand directly at the water’s edge, surrounded by old walls and terraces that descend to the lake in a series of steps.

Inside, the castle is a cantonal museum covering the history of the Spiez region and its ruling families — the von Strättlingen family in the early medieval period, later the von Bubenberg and von Erlach dynasties. The knight’s hall, the chapel (one of the oldest Romanesque churches in the region), and the furnished rooms give a clear picture of medieval castle life in the Bernese Oberland.

The greatest attraction, however, is the view from the castle walls. Looking out from the keep over the bay — the water turquoise and flat, the vineyards climbing the slopes to the left, the Alps in the background — is one of those moments that makes people set down their phones and simply look. Allow at least half a day for the castle and its grounds.

The Bay of Spiez viewpoint

The most famous viewpoint of the bay is from the road above the castle, looking down over the entire composition: castle, vineyard, lake, and mountains in a single frame. The viewpoint is signposted and easily reached on foot from the railway station in about 20 minutes. It is busiest at midday; early morning and late afternoon light are better for photography and for avoiding the crowds.

A quieter and often more rewarding perspective is from a boat on the water, looking back toward the shore. Renting a rowing boat or pedalo from the lakeside allows you to compose the view from water level.

Wine tasting at the Weinmanufaktur Rahm

Spiez is one of the few wine-producing areas in the Bernese Oberland, and the local wine produced from the steep, south-facing slopes above the bay is genuinely distinctive. The Weinmanufaktur Rahm cellar and several other local producers offer tastings and cellar tours during the summer season. The Spiez Riesling-Sylvaner is particularly well-regarded, and the Pinot Noir produced from the warmer sections of the slope is worth trying alongside local cheese.

The annual Spiez Vinification festival, held in September, celebrates the local harvest with tastings, folk music, and guided vineyard walks.

Swimming and water sports

The Spiez lido (public swimming area) is one of the most pleasant on Lake Thun. The water is clean, cold in June and swimmable by July, and the setting — with the castle visible along the shore and the mountains behind — makes it an unusually atmospheric place to swim. The lido has changing facilities, a small café, and a floating platform anchored in the bay.

Sailing and windsurfing are popular on Lake Thun, and there are operators in Spiez offering rental and instruction. The bay itself is relatively sheltered, making it suitable for beginners, while the open lake to the north offers more wind for experienced sailors.

Walk the vineyard paths

A network of walking paths winds through the vineyards above Spiez, offering elevated views over the bay and the lake. The paths are open year-round and particularly pleasant in late September and October when the vines are turning gold. The circuit from Spiez railway station through the vineyards and back via the lakeshore takes around two hours and gains roughly 150 metres — a pleasant morning or afternoon walk with no technical difficulty.

The paths are signposted in yellow from the town centre. An excellent extension follows the lake shore east toward Faulensee and Krattigen, passing through apple orchards and small farms before returning to Spiez by train.

Take a lake boat excursion

Lake Thun’s boat services connect Spiez to Thun in the north and to smaller lakeside settlements in both directions. A Lake Thun boat day pass allows unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel along the lake, making a half-day circuit — taking the boat from Spiez to Thun, spending an hour in the old town, and returning by train — an excellent use of a morning. The boat in the direction of Interlaken passes several small landing stages including Faulensee, Gwatt, and Beatenbucht, where a cable car rises to Beatenberg and the Niederhorn viewpoint.

Where to stay in Spiez

Spiez has a limited but adequate range of accommodation. The Hotel Belvedere above the town offers rooms with lake views. The Hotel Eden am See has a lakeside position with direct access to the water. Several guesthouses and apartments are available in the town centre.

Most visitors to Spiez use it as a day trip from Thun or Interlaken, which is entirely sensible given the short train connections. Those who do stay overnight, however, find the town noticeably quieter in the evenings and mornings — the day-trippers depart on the last afternoon trains, and the bay in the golden evening light is almost completely peaceful.

Where to eat and drink

The waterfront restaurants near the castle offer reliable Swiss food and lake fish. Restaurant Schloss Spiez, in the castle outbuildings, serves seasonal Swiss cuisine with castle views — book ahead in summer. The Strandbar at the lido is good for light lunches and afternoon drinks on warm days.

For a more local experience, the Gasthäuser in the residential streets above the town serve straightforward Swiss cooking at reasonable prices.

Day trips from Spiez

Thun

Thun, 15 minutes north by train, combines well with a Spiez visit. The morning can be spent in Thun’s old town and castle, the afternoon at Spiez for the bay view and a swim.

Interlaken

Interlaken, 20 minutes south, offers adventure activities, mountain railway access, and the gateway to the Jungfrau region. A morning in Spiez followed by an afternoon excursion to Jungfraujoch is a reasonable day’s programme.

Kandersteg

The mountain village of Kandersteg, reached from Spiez by a scenic valley train that passes through the Kander gorge, is one of the finest hiking centres in the Bernese Oberland. The Oeschinensee — an alpine lake sitting in a cirque below the Blüemlisalp — is one of the most beautiful short walks in the region and reachable by gondola and foot from Kandersteg.

Practical tips for visiting Spiez

Spiez is genuinely easy to visit. Trains are frequent, the town is compact, and everything worth seeing is within 20 minutes’ walk of the railway station.

The best time to visit for the bay view is on a clear day with calm water — wind disturbs the lake’s reflective surface. May, June, and early July are often good for this, before the main summer crowds arrive. September can also be excellent, with harvest activity in the vineyards adding colour and the crowds of August having departed.

The Swiss Travel Pass covers trains and lake boats, making it easy to combine Spiez with Thun, Interlaken, and Brienz in a single day’s touring without worrying about ticket costs.

For budget travellers planning a 7-day Switzerland itinerary, Spiez is one of those stops that costs almost nothing — a train ticket, a castle entrance fee, and lunch at the lakeside — but rewards you with a view that ranks among the best the country offers.