Thun, Switzerland

Thun, Switzerland
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thun_Stadtkirche_Schlossberg.jpg
Author: WillYs Fotowerkstatt


Thun is a historic market town in Bern canton, Switzerland. It covers 21.6 sq km (8.3 sq mi) and has a population of 42,000 (2011 estimate). The city is located 560 m (1,837 ft) above sea level. It is on the River Aare where it exits Lake Thun (Thunersee), about 30 km from Bern.

Although the area around Thun has been inhabited since the Neolithic age, the city itself began as a Celtic settlement. It was originally known as Dunum, which means "fortified city". In 58 BC it was conquered by the Romans.

The modern city of Thun traces its history to 1190, when Duke Bertold V of Zähringen built a hill-top castle overlooking the River Aare in the area. A village was soon established around the castle, on the right bank of the river.

The main street in the Old Town of Thun is Obere Hauptgasse. It follows the River Aare. A walkway links the buildings by their roof, with steps leading down to the shops below.

View of Thun with the River Aare
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NachThun.JPG
Author: Yesuitus2001

Visiting Thun

Thun is within the metropolitan area of Bern, so you can take the S-Bahn S1 line from Bern to Thun. The journey takes half an hour.

Sights & Attractions in Thun

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

About this website

Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.