Spiez is surrounded by vineyards on Lake Thun and offers mountain panoramas. Winegrowing, culture around the castle and museum, and activities in the bay provide different ways to shape your stay. You can plan your visit around a walk through the vineyards, historical exhibitions and architecture, or an activity on the water.
Winegrowing, vineyards and a diversity of varieties
The Spiez vineyards lie at 600 metres above sea level and are among the highest vineyards north of the Alps. The Spiez Vineyard Trail is a walk through the vineyards that takes about one to two hours. Twelve information boards cover the winemaking year and nature; at six interactive stations, you can test your senses. The walk thus combines exercise with information about nature and winegrowing.
At the Sortengarten Bucht, you can discover the characteristics and qualities of 60 selected grape varieties. Spiez wine is vinified using modern methods in the old walls of Spiez Castle. Together, the vineyards, variety garden and winemaking showcase different aspects of local winegrowing: the landscape, the diversity of varieties and processing.
Castle and museum: local history
Spiez Castle is a cultural asset of national importance. The interactive exhibition is devoted to the history of the area. From the castle tower, panoramic views extend across Lake Thun, the Alpine chain and Spiez Bay. The 1,000-year-old castle church stands right next to the castle and is characterised by its early Romanesque architecture. At various stations in the castle, children can act out the life of a knight. The exhibition, tower and children’s stations each focus on different aspects: local history, the landscape and the life of a knight.
The Spiez Local Heritage and Vine Museum is housed in a Simmental house built in 1728. Its permanent exhibition shows life in a farming household; the museum opened to the public in 1986. Unlike the castle, whose interactive exhibition focuses on the history of the area, this museum centres on farming life.
Walks and timing
The free Smart Guide Spiez takes visitors to seven sights; the accompanying village walk takes about one hour. The Vineyard Trail takes about one to two hours. The village walk is therefore the shorter of the two options, while the vineyard trail takes longer. This comparison helps you choose a walk that fits your schedule.
Seasonal rentals in Spiez Bay
Rental services in Spiez Bay are seasonal. At the information point in the bay, you can rent canoes and stand-up paddleboards. At Bootsvermietung & Fototour Spiez, electric motorboats and pedal boats are available for hire in the bay; no licence is required to operate the electric motorboats. If you plan to use one of these services, check the operating dates before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Hondrich, Weissenburg, Oberwil Im Simmental, Oey, Horboden, Därstetten, Niederstocken, Wimmis
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