Thun
 

I have friends coming to Nyon for a second visit. Last time they came we took them to Gruyere, Annecy, Berne and Yvoire.
We have some days out arranged but I would like to take them on a rail day trip. I thought about Lucerne but don't want to subject them to a long train journey if there are more interesting places we could visit.

If you're asking about Thun - it's a cute small town with covered (I think double level shopping streets, a charming castle (that seems to be incredibly vertical) and a lake you can take a steamer trip on. We spent a rainy day there when we were staying in Interlaken waiting for the skies to clear so we could ascend the Jungfraujoch.

While Thun Castle is fine, I enjoyed photographing Oberhofen Castle much more.

I didn't find Thun itself worth a full day. I believe the double level shopping street that nytraveler refers to is only one street. There are some flower-bedecked covered bridges over the river and some riverside restaurants which are nice.

Between Thun and Interlaken, you can also visit St. Beatus caves... can't comment on it as I didn't stop there.

I personally much prefer Brienz for its traditional wooden chalets climbing steeply uphill from the lakeshore (boat ride anyone?), white-capped mountains ringing the area--much more picturesque, with the Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg just a ten minute ride uphill...beautiful history in a pretty wooded setting.

Or much closer to home, what about Bern or Murten with cruises on Murtensee? www.murtentourismus.ch/en

I agree with Mokka about Brienz.

While you're there, how about a visit to the Reichenbach Falls - scene of the fateful battle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty?

((I))

You could do Thun AND Spiez.

You could take a boat ride on Lake Thun to Interlaken West and back.

I have never been to Reichenbach Falls, but I have stopped off at "House of Dark Shadows" Hotel Geissbach on Lake Brienz. The hotel has a lovely terrasse restaurant and the Geissbach Falls are directly behind the hotel.

There are some very nice cafes along the river in Thun. There is a posh hotel there--I think it is called Beau Rivage--that has a beautiful terrasse overlooking the river and the picturesque covered bridge.

Tschuss,
Pepper