Spiez occupies a promontory on the south shore of Lake Thun, and it has the kind of position that makes you think the founders knew exactly what they were doing. A castle stands on a spur above the water, with a Romanesque church beside it, vineyards on the slope behind, and a bay below with sailing boats, a harbour and a lakeside promenade. Beyond the lake, the pyramid of the Niesen rises to the south, and the great white mass of the Bernese Alps fills the horizon to the east.
The castle, Schloss Spiez, dates from the early Middle Ages and was altered many times by noble families, and it is now a museum open to the public. Its tower, its courtyard and its rooms with painted ceilings give a sense of how a Bernese lord lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The church, with its early medieval crypt, is older still, and the walk from the harbour up to the castle is only a few minutes. The vineyards on the slope are small but real, producing a light white wine that is rarely exported.
Spiez is also a railway town. It is the junction where the line from Bern splits, with one branch heading up the Simme valley and the other climbing to the Lötschberg tunnel and the Valais, and trains stop here at all hours. The town is lively, with a sizeable population of nearly thirteen thousand, shops, schools and a few industries, including a Swiss federal laboratory that specialises in protection against nuclear, biological and chemical hazards, which seems an odd neighbour for such a pretty setting.
The riding around Lake Thun is an excellent mix. The road along the south shore passes through villages and under cliffs, with gentle bends and views of the water, and the road to Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen continues along the lake. In summer, traffic is heavy, and parking near the lake is limited, so the early morning is best. The ride from here to the Lauterbrunnen valley is a classic, with the road climbing into the heart of the Bernese Oberland, and the Jungfrau massif looming ahead.
Spiez is a proper town with fuel stations, supermarkets, bakeries and a good choice of restaurants, many with terraces overlooking the lake. Eat fresh lake fish if you like, or a local cheese, and take a short walk along the lakeside to enjoy the light. It is a convenient stop for a break, with no compromise on scenery.