Boat Trip on Lake Thun

The weather forecast said, "100 percent chance of rain all day!" It is cold and damp!

We are having dinner tonight with our friend Käthi, so we decided to stay close to home. It was a continuous downpour so we decided on a boat ride on Lake Thun.

These huts along the channel always remind me of one of Jacqui Lawson's greeting cards.

Many young children taking a ride on the boat. The little boy passed the time by working on puzzles and having grandmother read some books. Oma is always prepared.

We added the Suchard chocolate mix to the hot milk. I miss the whipped cream we had with a Cailler hot chocolate.

First stop is Neuhaus. No outside dining today while you enjoy watching all the water activities.

Next stop - St. Beatus-Hölen. I assume they want to visit the caves. They don't realize how long it takes walking to get there. And.... it is still raining but not quite as hard.

A wonderful place on the water. You need that piled up wood to heat the outdoor hot tub.

Passing St. Beatus-Hölen

If those people who got off the boat wanted to go to the caves, they had to climb up the hill and walk along the roadway.

The St. Beatus Caves are one of the 10 largest caves in Switzerland and, along with the Hölloch in the Muota Valley, one of the few open to the public.

The boat continued to stay on the same side of the lake.

The chestnuts are almost ready to be picked.

The boat now crossed the lake to Faulensee.

Staying on this side of the lake, the next stop will be Spiez.

Spiez is the next stop.

The little one got off the boat and spotted the wheel.

Many people got off the boat in Spiez. Hope they realize the bus service stopped down to the lake last week. And..... the train station is at the top of the hill. We made that mistake when my mom came with us one year.

Now, it's back across the lake.

I didn't take pictures at the next stop.

Oberhofen now comes into view. Castle Oberhofen, dating from the Middle Ages, constantly changed throughout the ages. The castle houses a division of the Historic Museum of Bern, and has a formal lakeside garden in the English style with many rare specimen trees.

The castle passed into private hands after 1803 and had several owners in the following years. In 1849-52 the Pourtàles family renovated and expanded the castle to its present appearance. In 1940, the American William Maul Measy established the Oberhofen Castle foundation to administer and maintain the castle. In 1952, it became a part of the Historical Museum of Bern.

Schadau Castle and its surroundings have a history that dates back to 1348, when the Schadau House was first mentioned in writing. The 3.6 hectare Schadau Park has been open to the public since 1860 and is modeled on an English garden.

Here at the lake near the Aare, you can enjoy the most beautiful panorama of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. There are some ancient trees in the park.

The castle has belonged to the city of Thun since 1925. Until the move to Hünegg Castle in Hilterfingen at the end of 2017, it housed the Swiss Gastronomy Museum. Between 1972 and 1992, the castle facades were extensively renovated by the city's own stone carving team.

In June 2019, Schadau Castle opened its doors as a hotel after a year and a half of renovation. The castle currently offers nine individual rooms, a restaurant, and a wine and port bar.

A garden railway has been running in the park since 2009.

Thun Castle was built around 1200 by the Dukes of Zährigen.

"The massive roof (1430–36) comes from the Bernese period. Due to the lack of residences in the castle, in 1429, an administrative and residential wing was added to the west of the keep, built in late Gothic style, and known as the "new castle". The castle was the seat of the local court and since at least the 17th century there was a prison under the roof of the donjon (the great tower or innermost keep of a castle). In 1886, a new prison was built on the castle grounds. Two years later, in 1888, the museum opened in the castle. For a time, the jailer was also the ticket seller and guard for the museum.

In 2006, the castle was bought by the city of Thun from the canton of Bern. Until the end of 2009, the Bernese Oberland regional court was based in the castle.

Instead of taking the train or going back by boat again to Interlaken, we decided to take the bus. Even though it was raining, the views along the lake are stunning.

Love the winding curves.

This evening we went to Käthi's for dinner. The cheese pie was delicious. It had the fluffiness of a souffle. It was very different and so tasty. The carrot cake was so moist. The glaze on top was very tasty, too. It wasn't the usual cream cheese frosting.

Käthi's daughter just recently gave birth to another boy. So happy for Grossi (Swiss for grandmother).