A Swiss Story - Exploring Spiez

Spiez is located on the banks of Lake Thun

The town of Spiez is lesser known among tourists. I visited Spiez for the first time on my third trip, completely unaware of its existence before. To many of those who access the Swiss Railway near Interlaken, Spiez is a major stop and a busy interchange. Many travel to the southern towns of Visp and Zermatt through Spiez, using its station, but never leaving it to visit the town that lies beyond. The reason I find Spiez worthy of an entirely separate article is its peacefulness, its wonderful riverfront and of course, because it forms the perfect image of a typical Swiss town. Tourism may be one of the most popular reasons to visit Switzerland, but here in Spiez, one can explore how rural Swiss life actually is, away from the large cities, like Basel or Bern - tucked away in the quiet countryside.

Spiez seen from Lake Thun

Getting to Spiez is no difficult task. The town is served by one station - Spiez Bahnhof, located on the highest level of the settlement. Spiez is not built on flat land like Interlaken, but is on the lower slopes of the Niesen and Stockhorn. Like the majority of Swiss towns, this one too, is suitably toured on foot. The best way to arrive into Spiez is by train and the most convenient way to leave is by ferry. In the process of walking from the train station to the ferry harbour, we were able to see the town properly and cover everything that it had to offer. Tourists visit this town rarely, so it is more or less peaceful. By day, the station remains busy, as travellers transit through it, mostly to get to Interlaken or to the south. The town, however, remains sleepy and quiet all day. Switzerland may be a summer destination because of its climate, but visiting in winter is not something to avoid - the little towns that look fresh and bright under the sun would then look dreamy and beautiful in the winter snow. 

Leaving the large station complex, we arrived on a road which sloped downwards into the city. On the other side, one could travel up the Niesen peak. However, we weren't attempting this on the day we visited, sticking just to the town for the time we had.

Spiez Castle is a Swiss heritage of national importance

If one looks for tourist destinations in Spiez, the most common would be the Spiez Castle. This 933 CE built building was constructed by King Rudolph II of Burgrundy and has seen several changes, both in terms of residents and architectural additions to its existing look since that time. The castle stands just before the lake, looking over it and forming a beautiful landmark on this town.

There is, however, scope to do more in and from the city. When I was there, I noticed a water games park and of course, there was access to the summit of the Niesen from this little town. One could take the railway from Spiez Bahnhof to Diemtigtal Nature Park, further uphill. Niesen is served by a funicular railway, reaching right up to the viewing platform. 

The town of Spiez had a number of eateries, which to my delight, served the best chocolate based beverages I had ever tasted. The chocolate in this lesser known town was cheaper and far better than any I had bought on my trip.

The little town's harbour was filled with small boats

We left Spiez through the Spiez Schiffstation, which is basically the ferry harbour. The ferry took us to the several small towns that dotted the shores of Lake Thun like Merligen, Faulensee and Leissegen as well as the base stations for trips up to peaks like the Beatenbucht. After an hour long ride, it finally arrived at the Interlaken West harbour, located immediately next to the station. Our hotel was a minute's walk away.

If you are going to look for cities cluttered with places of interest, Spiez isn't the best place to get off the train. It is a calm little town as I have said before - allowing a relief from the large crowds of tourists in Interlaken, while being relaxed and traditionally Swiss. This is a perfect place to spend the evenings in solitude, a town that allows silence, one that it won't sacrifice even if its station uphill is crowded and bustling.