Thun and the Bernese Oberland by train between bridges and hanging villages

Crossing the Alps is always an emotion, and the Green Alpine Train connection between Piedmont (Domodossola) and Bern, the capital of Switzerland, offers one of the most scenic railway routes in Europe. Valleys, forests, flower-filled meadows and small towns follow one another along a route that alternates between bridges and tunnels, with the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as a backdrop on the horizon. There are several stops on this journey that deserve a stop, even an extended one. Thun, for example, is a small town on the lake of the same name and is considered the gateway to the Bernese Oberland. The old town centre retains a medieval layout with its raised alleyways, historic buildings and the castle with the tower erected between 1180 and 1190 that dominates the town from above. All around, however, it is the water that defines the landscape and navigation on the lake by boat allows one to admire the area (and the fairytale castles on the shores) from a privileged vantage point. In fine weather, moreover, between Thun and Spiez there is a Mediterranean atmosphere along the sunniest slopes, where gardens and vineyards alternate. There is also no shortage of cycling and hiking trails, with a dense network of paths offering a wide variety of walking between flat stretches and high-altitude routes. The Panorama Rundweg Thunersee, for example, makes it possible to circumnavigate the lake in several stages, for a total of 56 km of walking, while those seeking an even more panoramic view can take the cable car up the Niesen, the Niederhorn or the Stockhorn. Particular experiences include a visit to the San Beato caves on the Niederhorn side, a karst system of caves, underground streams and limestone formations, and the Sigriswil Panorama Bridge, a 340-metre-high suspension bridge linking Sigriswil and Aeschlen at 182 metres above the Gummischlucht gorge.

www.bls.ch/treninoverde