A visit to one of the many museums around Lake Thun allows you a look at the impressive witnesses from the past.
One pass for culture – take advantage of the Lake Thun Museum Pass!
Art Museum Thun - Contemporary Art – a Journey into New Worlds
There are five to six large temporary exhibitions annually. They cover current emotive topics and are designed to be thought provoking. Contemporary art is presented with a connection to art from the past. Young and old, adults and children, skilled artists and those new to art, all come to the Art Museum. There are special events here on a regular basis including guided tours, discussions of works, debates and lectures which complement the programme of exhibitions.
Wocher Panorama Thun - A journey in Time with a Panoramic View
The first and the oldest Swiss circular painting still preserved in the world (painted by Marquard Wocher between 1808 and 1814) provides an intimate look at the living rooms, classrooms, and alleyways of the early 19th century.
www.thun-panorama.com
Swiss Gastronomy Museum Thun – Remembering Gastronomy
The Swiss Gastronomy Museum presents the history of gastronomy, the hotel industry as well as the culture of eating and drinking. The museum has been housed in Schadau Castle in the wonderful Schadau Park in Thun since 1988. www.gastronomiemuseum-thun.ch
Historical Museum Thun Castle with Great Hall from the Times of the Zähringer
In five large rooms in the tower the Historical Museum presents a wealth of cultural and historic exnibits. The highlights are the Great Hall, archaeology, Heimberg ceramics and Thun Majolica ceramics, toys and a military collection from the 19th century. www.schlossthun.ch
Local Heritage and Wine Making Museum Spiez - All about Local Heritage and Wine Making
A Simme Valley house from 1728 with granary and old wine cellar houses a representation of a local farmer’s household, a fully equipped copper workshop, wine making room with grape press and an exhibition of the work in the vineyard and the cellar. www.museum-spiez.ch
Art Collection - Hans and Marlis Suter on the Wichterheer Estate in Oberhofen
The focus of the extensive collection of 20th century art is on portraits, drawings, graphic arts and sculptures by artists from the canton of Bern and in particular from the region of Thun and Lake Thun. There are two temporary exhibitions each year. In addition there are two rooms containing an exhibition of Else Ruckli-Stoeklin's tasteful and beautifully colour coordinated embroideries and tapestries from the Ruckli Foundation of Bern. www.sammlung-suter.ch
Museum for Timerkeepers and Mechanical Musical Instruments - Whistling Organs and Ticking Clocks
On the Wichterheer Estate in Oberhofen is an exhibition of valuable items from private collections as well as from the Museum. Every year there is a special temporary exhibition. Every visitor is guided around the musuem.
Swiss Steam Machine Museum Vaporama Thun – Witnesses of an Era of Technical History
This collection of steam machinery is the largest in Switzerland and includes 50 steam machines of all sizes and styles of construction. A large proportion of the machines were built between 1860 and 1960 in Switzerland by Sulzer, Escher Wyss or Edward King.
The machines provided the power for various industries, building machinery and steam ships, they produced electricity and cooled food stores. In addition boilers, generators, pumps and an array of steam driven power tools add to the collection and document over 100 years of technical history. www.vaporama.ch
Swiss Army Museum - An Historic Document of the Army
On the military base in Thun there are various collections of historical army equipment. You can see uniforms, headwear, artillery guns, tanks, tank and anti aircraft defences and lots more.
The collections may be visited by arrangement in guided groups of 5-6 people. www.armeemuseum.ch
Toy Museum Thun – Toys from times gone by
A lovingly created museum in the Biedermeierhaus “Zum Engel“ behind castle hill, it contains an extensive collection of toys from 1850-1960: dolls, dolls’ houses, small shops, construction kits, teddy bears, model cars and railways, tin soldiers and lots more.
National Milk Industry Museum Kiesen – How Milk is Made into Cheese
Here you will learn many interesting facts about the history of cheese dairies: an old cheese making kitchen shows the production conditions from 150 years ago. In addition there are videos and cassette commentary in German / French / English / Italian, a computer cheese course, and temporary exhibitions about milk production. www.museumkiesen.ch
Exhibition of Tin Figures - History in Miniature
One of the largest collections of tin figures in Europe provides a cross-section of world history in 150 scenes starting with the dinosaur and Stone Age farmers to current topics. The museum can be opened for groups outside of the opening hours on request.
Tourism Museum Unterseen Look Back at Tourism
The Museum of Tourism presents the history of travel and tourism in the Jungfrau region. In an entertaining way, the visitor can discover the long and varied development of tourism in the area over the last 220 years
Art Collection Steffisburg Villa Schüpbach – Art in an old villa
The Cultural Commission of Steffisburg organises two exhibitions per year in the Villa Schüpbach, Scheidgasse 11 in Steffisburg. www.kunstsammlung-steffisburg.ch
Museum Agensteinhaus Erlenbach - The Art of the Carpenter
This museum of the Niedersimmen Valley landscape is housed in an original farmhouse from 1766 and presents exhibitions relevant to the valley. Open May to October: Guided tours and hire by arrangement. www.erlenbach-be.ch
Abegg Foundation Riggisberg – Precious Textiles
The Abegg Foundation houses one of the most valuable textile collections in the world. Here, close to Bern and Thun, fabrics and crafts from Europe, the Mediterranean, and the area of the silk routes from ancient times to 1800, are preserved.
Exhibition Merligen – then and now
This exhibition about the history of the village of Merligen may be visited during the opening hours of the tourist office in the Spielerhaus.