Gunten on Lake Thun: Hiking and Water Sports

Gunten combines the history of a spa town with hiking trails through Gummischlucht Gorge and activities on Lake Thun. The village centre and the architectural history of its hotels also shape the town. If you’re looking for a hotel in Gunten, the range of excursions can help you decide: options range from a short hike to longer routes and activities on the water.

Village Centre and Hotel History

Gunten is a village that grew out of Sigriswil’s boat station and has the character of a spa town. In the village centre, the main street has retained its original narrow dimensions. It runs from the acute-angled junction with Seestrasse, past the village square, to the bridge over the stream and has no footpath. The Oberländerhaus was built in 1527. Hotel Oberland is a three-storey, timber-shingled half-timbered building dating from the late 19th century. Its architectural features include a solid ground floor, a row of supported balconies and elaborate fretwork ornamentation.

Parkhotel Gunten is also part of the village’s history. Adolf Lanzrein, a grain mill owner from Thun, had it built on the Guntenmatte in 1910. After it opened in 1915, his wife took over its management. From 1958, the building served as a Christian retreat and holiday destination for groups and individual guests. Parkhotel and other large hotels in Gunten are architecturally and historically significant as largely intact witnesses to the heyday of tourism, and form part of the loose chain of grand hotels along the lake.

Hiking Options for Different Time Budgets

One excursion route leads from Gunten through Gummischlucht Gorge and via Aeschlen and the suspension bridge to Sigriswil. It starts at the Gunten, Dorf bus stop, served by bus routes 21 and 25; the starting point is 568 metres above sea level. Check route details locally before setting out. The short hike through Gummischlucht Gorge takes about 45 minutes. If you’re planning a longer hike, you can take the Panorama Trail from Thun via Hünibach, Aeschlen and Sigriswil to Gunten; the stated duration is 4 hours and 15 minutes. The Gummischlucht Gorge themed trail can also be walked in the opposite direction.

Along the themed trail, observation points provide information about local birds, Nagelfluh conglomerate geology, gorge forest and botanical highlights. Gummischlucht Gorge is home to around 20 bird species, including great tits and ravens. You can also focus your hike on the nature topics that interest you most.

Swimming and Activities on Lake Thun

From Gunten lido, you can go straight for a swim in Lake Thun; it is just a few minutes’ walk from the boat landing. Hirschen lido in Gunten has a small beach and a separate non-swimmer area. Badhuus Gunten is right on the picturesque shore of deep-blue Lake Thun and has a sunbathing lawn for relaxing and unwinding. Windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding lessons are offered there.

At Wakehouse Gunten, you can try wakeboarding, water skiing and wakesurfing; stand-up paddleboards are also available to rent. You can reach Wakehouse by bus to the du Lac stop or by boat to Gunten. Gunten is an ideal starting point for a boat trip on Lake Thun. Info-Center Gunten provides information about excursions and hiking maps, as well as tickets for buses, boats and trains.

Excursions in the Surrounding Area

Near Gunten is the 340-metre-long Sigriswil Panorama Bridge. From the suspension bridge, you can look down into the 182-metre-deep Gummischlucht Gorge. It can be crossed in any weather with a pushchair or wheelchair; check accessibility before your trip. Blueme observation tower can be reached on foot or by mountain bike and offers a 360-degree panorama. There is a barbecue area right beside the tower.

Near Gunten, you can fish or pan for gold at the idyllic pond at Grabenmühle Sigriswil. Deer, alpacas, mouflons and other animals live in Grabenmühle’s nature park. In Schwanden ob Sigriswil, the planetarium at the SIRIUS Astronomy Centre offers an impressive view of the starry sky in any weather. The observatory there has a powerful telescope for observing celestial bodies on clear nights.

Discover more destinations: Merligen.

Go to the main travel overview: Sigriswil.