Thun

Thun sits at the point where the Aare leaves its lake, with the Stockhorn and Niesen framing the view south and the Bernese Alps behind them. It is the practical gateway to the Oberland, which makes it the best base in German-speaking Switzerland for combining a lake session with mountain work on the same day.

The lake is deep, cold and reliably windy in the afternoon — excellent for sailing and paddleboarding, and the reason most water sessions here are scheduled for the morning.