Tschingel Ob Gunten: Hiking and Traditions

Tschingel Ob Gunten is a small village on the terrace above Lake Thun. When planning your trip, the main highlights are the hike through the Gummischlucht, routes through several villages and the living tradition of Zweitjänner. If you are looking for a hotel, you can plan your stay around whether you are most interested in a short gorge hike, a tour through several villages or a cultural event.

Hiking through the Gummischlucht

The short hike through the Gummischlucht takes about 45 minutes and covers around 120 metres of elevation gain. These two key figures make it easy to fit the tour into your day. Along the way, there are observation points for birds, Nagelfluh conglomerate, gorge forest and botanical features. Points 2 and 5 are particularly suitable for birdwatching; the Gummischlucht is home to around 20 bird species.

The landscape also tells of different natural processes. The large stones in the stream bed include erratic boulders transported here by a glacier during one of the last ice ages and left behind when it retreated. Tschingelfluh is a Nagelfluh conglomerate wall below the hamlet of Tschingel that slopes down towards the Guntenbach. The forest in the gorge provides a place to relax and protects hikers from falling rocks and landslides.

Routes and getting there

The hike “On the sunny terrace above Lake Thun” begins in Tschingel, one of the small villages basking in the sun on the terrace above the lake. Check current trail conditions before setting out. The four-village circular route runs from Sigriswil via the Guntenschlucht, Aeschlen, Tschingel, Margel, Schwanden Säge, Schlieregg, Zälg, Wiler and Endorf, and back to Sigriswil. Another hike leads from Schwanden down to Bösezelg and Tschingel.

You can reach Tschingel ob Gunten, Dorf, from Thun by bus, changing in Oberhofen or Sigriswil. To get to the route through the Gummischlucht by public transport, travel via Thun or Interlaken to Sigriswil Dorf. As bus connections may change, it is advisable to check the current timetable before travelling.

Views and hiking area

The Blueme observation tower stands on a hilltop that can be seen from far away. From there, the panorama stretches from the Jura Mountains in the north to the Bernese Alps. According to a local historical interpretation, a high watch post, also known as a Chutzen, once stood on this hilltop. Two barbecue areas and benches with seating for around 30 people invite you to take a break outdoors; the availability of these facilities may vary temporarily.

The hiking area around Sigriswil offers another option for planning your trip, with 114 kilometres of hiking trails and 40 kilometres of mountain hiking trails. The views extend across Lake Thun to the alpine world of the Bernese Oberland. You can therefore choose between the specific route through the Gummischlucht, the circular route through several villages and the viewpoints in the hiking area, depending on what you would like to focus on.

The Zweitjänner tradition

The centuries-old Zweitjänner tradition is observed in the municipality of Sigriswil, including in Tschingel ob Gunten. On January 2, costumed New Year’s visitors in Tschingel go from house to house. The fixed date and local connection give the tradition a special place in travel planning. The name Tschingel is derived from the Latin “Cingulum”, meaning “belt”.

Discover more destinations: Oberhofen Am Thunersee, Aeschlen Ob Gunten, Thun, Blumenstein, Uebeschi, Heimberg, Schwanden Ob Sigriswil, Goldiwil (Thun).

Back to the main travel overview: Thun.