Thun - Merligen
MODERATE (1.8/10)Merligen → Thun
Use this route
The walk, as far as the open data goes
Getting there
- Start: Thun Bahnhof bus stop, 22 m away
- Start: Thun, Bahnhof railway station, 26 m away
- Start: Thun railway station, 55 m away
- Finish: Merligen, Beatus bus stop, 25 m away
- Finish: parking car park, 38 m away
- Finish: Merligen (See) bus stop, 56 m away
Somewhere to stop
- Hotel Aare Thun hotel
- Clocktower Station pub
- Parkhotel Gunten hotel
- Hotel Restaurant Schönbühl hotel
Mapped within 200 m of the line. Whether they are open is not something we have read.
Height and time
- High point 676 m
- Low point 553 m
- Climb 366 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
- Swiss signpost time 3 h 45 the official method, on our line
Computed on 2026-09-20 from OpenStreetMap, the terrain model and the federal route layer — not read from the operator's own page, and not checked on the ground. Hikes we have reviewed say who published each fact and when.
Explore the route
Read the topography, inspect the climb, or preview the route over real terrain.
Route briefing
What comes next
Climbs, descents and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
Merligen
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
13.1 km remaining
+366 m remaining
Route note
0 m
Merligen
Village
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
13.1 km remaining
+366 m remaining
Climb
480 m
68 m climb
1.3 km at 5.1% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 8 min in
12.6 km remaining
+335 m remaining
Descent
1.8 km
83 m descent
0.8 km at 10.1% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 31 min in
11.3 km remaining
+267 m remaining
Climb
2.6 km
65 m climb
0.6 km at 10.2% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 45 min in
10.5 km remaining
+258 m remaining
Route note
3.3 km
Sigriswil
Village
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11
About 56 min in
9.8 km remaining
+184 m remaining
Finish
13.1 km
Thun
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 3h 44m in
0 m remaining
Trail route lab
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Thun - Merligen is a 13.1 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Merligen to Thun. The route covers 366m of ascent and 432m of descent, with elevations ranging from 554m to 660m. Allow approximately 3h 43m for the full route.
With 90% of the route below 15% gradient, strong trail runners can maintain a good rhythm for much of the distance. Some pitches hit 48% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.
Budget roughly 1,792 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.2 L of water.
Low-altitude route (max 661m). Hikeable most of the year.
Segment Breakdown
Auto-analyzed from the elevation profile. Each segment shows the dominant character for planning your effort.
| Segment | Dist | ↑ / ↓ | Time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Merligen → km 4.3 (576m) 562–654m | 4.3 km | +177m / -163m | 1h 22m | 🏃 Highly Runnable |
km 4.3 (576m) → km 8.6 (586m) 563–628m | 4.3 km | +135m / -125m | 1h 16m | 🏃 Highly Runnable |
km 8.6 (586m) → Thun 554–588m | 4.5 km | +42m / -67m | 1h 05m | 🏃 Highly Runnable |
| Total | 13.1 km | +366m / -432m | 3h 43m |
Pace & Fuel Calculator
Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.
Terrain Analysis
Surface & Technicality
Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.
Tree cover and UV
🌲 Largely under trees. Good canopy at lower elevations, so the open sections are the ones to plan for.
Canopy is inferred from elevation against a 2000 m Alpine treeline and from gradient below it, not from observed tree data — treat it as an estimate. It is a different question from the terrain shade above, which is about whether a mountain is between you and the sun at a given time.
Current Conditions
Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on Thun - Merligen is usually best from March to November.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for on the trail (615 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this trail, around 553–676 m. Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed |
| Day / night | 7°/-1° | 7°/-1° | 11°/1° | 14°/4° | 18°/9° | 22°/12° | 24°/13° | 24°/14° | 19°/10° | 15°/7° | 10°/3° | 7°/0° |
| Rain, mm | 86 | 82 | 78 | 80 | 115 | 126 | 124 | 121 | 88 | 97 | 96 | 103 |
| Snow at high point | Possible | Possible | Frost | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Possible |
| Daylight | 8 h 56 | 10 h 17 | 11 h 49 | 13 h 32 | 14 h 59 | 15 h 50 | 15 h 31 | 14 h 16 | 12 h 38 | 10 h 59 | 9 h 26 | 8 h 35 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. These values describe the whole trail's lowest and highest points. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.
Current snow conditions
Insufficient evidence
Enable “Current snow map” in the route map’s Map layers to see the surrounding snow evidence. Current conditions do not describe a future departure date.
Planning ahead?
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Safety & Bailouts
We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.
Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.
Suggested Gear List
Auto-generated based on 13.1 km, 366m ascent, max altitude 660.6m, ~4h duration.
- 👟 Trail running shoes / hiking bootsRequired for any trail
- 📱 Phone (charged) + offline mapNavigation & emergency contact
- 💧 2L hydration packWater source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
- 🍫 Trail mix, bars & sandwichEst. 1792 kcal burn
- 🧴 SunscreenBasic sun protection
- 🩹 Mini first aid kitBlister plasters, tape, antiseptic
- 🧊 Microspikes / light cramponsSnow risk in Jan, Feb, Dec
- 🦵 GaitersKeep snow out of boots
Logistics
This route runs from Merligen to Thun (13.1 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.
Nearby Points of Interest
📍 Nearby Places
- Bödeli km 0.2 · 326m off trail
- Weidli km 0.2 · 368m off trail
- Hüslimaad km 0.6 · 458m off trail
- Munggetli km 0.3 · 481m off trail
- I de Weidene km 0.2 · 581m off trail
Route Details
- Network
- Local Trail Network
- Sport
- hiking
- Start
- Merligen
- End
- Thun
- Start Coordinates
- 46.69652, 7.73786
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
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Route resources
Specialist links and source details for this route. Everyday actions are kept in the route rail above.