Panorama Rundweg Thunersee
Overview
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Distance 17 km
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Duration 4 h 45 min
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Ascent 460 m
Intro
From Sigriswil the trail leads to the lakeside at Merlingen and the pilgrims' path to Interlaken, past the St. Beatus-Höhlen (caves) below the Niederhorn. In addition to the lakeside walk through the nature reserve (mouth of River Aare /Lake Thun) Unterseen and Interlaken are also inviting.
Detour / Closure
There are detours or closures along this route, for more information see https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-26/stage-2
Description
Sigriswil enjoys something of a suntrap location high above Lake Thun and affords magnificent views of the tops of the Bernese Alps. Farming traditions are still cultivated and kept alive in this agricultural region, such as the Chästeilet festival in the Justital valley, which has been going strong for 250 years now. This involves wheels of cheese being taken out of the cellars, stacked in piles and divided up amongst the crowd, with yodellers and accordionists providing musical accompaniment.
Beginning at the centre of the village, the hike takes you along a tarmac road above Lake Thun towards Bärenegg. Once you reach the Stampach stream, you switch to a gravel track and are soon in Merligen, from which point the circular panoramic trail around Lake Thun shares the path with the Via Jacobi, part of the Way of St. James. Passing through the Salzach forest and the Nastel nature reserve, you arrive at the spectacular Balmholz quarry. One of the minerals quarried here is Kieselkalk, a hard, pressure-resistant stone that is required to construct railway tracks.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll spot the raging waterfall in front of the St. Beatus Caves as it tumbles out of the cave. A total of 14 kilometres of the cave system have already been explored, around one kilometre of which is open to the public. Inside, you can discover stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over millions of years. The trail then descends through the picturesque park in front of the cave to the jetty not far from Sundlauenen and on to the tip of the lake at Lombach. The Weissenau nature reserve on Lake Thun can also be found here, whose fens, river meadows and lake shore provide a habitat for many different species of flora and fauna. As you continue your hike, you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the nature reserve and watch birds, deer and other animals. You cross the canalised section of the Aare River and, shortly afterwards, the Interlaken Ship Canal, before ending the second stage at Interlaken West railway station.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Sigriswil
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Interlaken
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
600 m
|
| Ascent |
460 m
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| Descent |
700 m
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| Distance |
17 km
|
| Duration |
4 h 45 min
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| Duration back |
5 h
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| Technical requirements |
Easy
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| Season |
March - October
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| Theme |
Along Water
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/r... |
Quick Facts
Route number
