Thun.

Thun sits where the Aare river leaves Lake Thun, in the Bernese Oberland. Thun Castle, built by the Zähringen dukes in the twelfth century, stands on a hill above the old town and holds a museum covering the region's history. Below it, the old town is arranged on two levels: shops line the upper floor along Hauptgasse, while the rooftops of the lower arcades form a kind of open terrace used as a walkway. The Aare flows clear and fast through the town, a popular spot for swimmers in summer, who let the current carry them down from the lake outlet.

Lake Thun opens south of the town, framed by the peaks of the Bernese Alps, including the pyramid-shaped Niesen. Lake boats connect Thun with lakeside villages such as Spiez and Oberhofen, each built around its own castle. Vineyards grow on slopes above the shore, unusual for a Swiss alpine lake. Hiking trails in the surrounding hills look back over the water and the mountains, linking the town to the open countryside around it.