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Thun’s old-town streets and Brienz’s woodcarving shops give these lakes different days ashore. Either can make a lovely place to stay. The useful comparison is between addresses: a railway-station walk in one town, a bus connection in another, and somewhere you will enjoy spending an evening when you have finished sightseeing.
Lake Thun lies west of Interlaken; Lake Brienz stretches east. You can visit both without changing accommodation.
Lake Thun: more than one kind of stay
Thun offers a town stay with an old centre, restaurants and everyday shops. Spiez combines a lakeside setting with rail connections in several directions. Smaller places such as Faulensee suit a quieter stay, although food and transport choices depend on the exact address.
This variety is Lake Thun’s appeal for a longer visit. You can have a town afternoon and a quiet lakeside evening in the same week. The compromise is distance if most of your plans are around Brienz or the eastern side of the region. A lake view also does not guarantee a flat walk, a private beach or a nearby railway station.
Lake Brienz: choose the village, too
On Lake Brienz, start by comparing Brienz itself with Iseltwald. Brienz gives you the lakefront, woodcarving heritage and a railway station. Iseltwald is a smaller village reached by bus or seasonal boat, so check your dates and evening return. It is an appealing choice if a short wander by the bay sounds better than a wide choice of shops.
The dramatic water and wooded slopes are a strong reason to stay here. Busy summer days can change the atmosphere of small waterfront spots, however. Check the accommodation’s surroundings instead of assuming the whole shore will be empty and quiet.
Let the address settle it
Boats are a lovely part of either lake, but check seasonal sailings and a return by land. Neither lake guarantees warm swimming water or sunshine. Compare the actual property, transport and parking costs; there is no reliable rule that one lake is always cheaper.
The homes on this site are around Lake Thun. If waking beside Lake Brienz is your priority, choose a stay there. Seeing a lake on a day trip and living beside it for a week are different pleasures.