St. Beatus Caves

The St. Beatus Caves are a show cave on the northern shore of Lake Thun at Sundlauenen, a few kilometres from Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Visitors follow about one kilometre of lit walkway through chambers of stalactites and stalagmites, past underground waterfalls and a stream, at a constant 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. The caves are named for the hermit Beatus, who according to legend drove a dragon out of them, and a cave museum at the site, included in the ticket, covers the geology, the cave system and the legend. Outside the cave, a lakeside park has picnic areas, a playground and a view over Lake Thun, and a restaurant with a terrace is open in season. The walkway has handrails but includes steps and damp, slippery stretches, and the ceiling is low in places. Most visitors spend one and a half to two hours including the museum and the park. Adult entry is CHF 20, children aged 6 to 16 pay CHF 12, a family ticket is CHF 52, and dogs pay CHF 10. In summer the caves open roughly 9:00AM to 6:00PM, with later hours on some Friday and Saturday evenings, and winter hours are shorter, so confirming by phone at +41 33 841 16 43 is sensible. Visitors can arrive by BLS boat from Interlaken West to the Beatushöhlen landing, or by the bus towards Beatenberg from Interlaken Bahnhof, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The cool interior makes this a good option on hot summer afternoons and on rainy days, and these are also the busiest times, so arriving at opening or late in the day brings smaller groups. Warm clothing and non-slip shoes are advised even in July.