Day Trip to Canton Valais with a Stop in Thun on the way back Home

Sunday September 28, 2025 -- Every year we have visitors from the States who we take on day trips to various interesting parts of Switzerland which regular tourists don't usually get to see. 

On this particular day, we chose to go to the warmer climate of Canton Valais, as there had been quite a large amount of snow in the mountains just days before. As we were using relatively cheap day passes, we wanted to make the most of the tickets and perhaps crammed too much into one day!

1) Traveling first via Spiez in the Bernese Oberland through the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, we aimed for the train station in Raron, and then used two cable-cars into the hills on the south of the Rhône Valley in Canton Valais, walking an hour between the villages of Eischoll and Unterbäch via a 260-meter long suspension bridge (Milibachbrücke).

2) Upon descent from Unterbäch, we returned to Visp and took a bus to Ausserberg on the north side of the valley, where we inspected this typical Valais mountain village before starting on a exciting two-hour walk along two historical irrigation channels within the Baltschieder Valley (of which there are several such stunning constructions, some 600 years old). The end of this 8-km walk was in the town of Eggerberg, from where we rode the South Ramp railway line back into Canton Bern via the upper Lötschberg tunnel. 

3) Before heading home, we checked out the charming town of Thun (which was the highlight of the day), after sharing take-out pizza. We headed back home by 7:30 p.m. (getting home at 9:45).

PART I: Raron to Eischoll and Unterbäch via Milibach Suspension Bridge.

Leaving home at just after 8 a.m., we headed south via Bern, Spiez and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel to Canton Valais. Here in the Bernese Oberland along Lake Thun, the weather is lovely and we can see the peaks of Mts. Schreckhorn, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. 

From Visp, the train heads west for only four minutes, and we got to Raron at 11:18. A 5-minute walk to the cable car stations (both at the same place), and then a 5-minute ride and we were in Eischoll at just after 11:30. This is the little Eischoll cable-car. 

View down into the Rhône Valley, looking east. We are about 600 meters above the valley bottom.  

We wanted to be back at the valley bottom for the 12:39 train back to Visp, and had less than an hour to get to Unterbäch Cable-Car station for the 12:25 run. As it's now 11:38, we don't have a lot of extra time! (45 minutes to walk a 40-minute trail!). The main attraction on this walk is the suspension bridge "Hängebrücke", the Milibach bridge. 

The trail from Eischoll cable-car station to the one in Unterbäch maps at 36 minutes

A pleasant and short, 15-minute walk to the suspension bridge. 

The Milibach suspension bridge, built in 2022, is 260 meters long, and hangs 65 meters above the ravine. As this is a fairly recent build, this is also the first time we crossed this bridge. 

Enjoying our walk across the Milibach suspension bridge. 

View north from the center of the suspension bridge. The view is into the Bietsch Valley (Bietschtal). The dominant peak is Mt. Bietschhorn, and it is just on the other side of this peak that a piece of the mountain broke off earlier this year, causing a large glacier to crash into the Lötschen Valley and bury the entire town of Blatten. 

That beautiful bridge is a railway bridge along the Valais Sunshine Trail. The trail passes right over the bridge, next to the tracks. We have walked this twice, most recently in October 2022. 

We are always happy to find fountains where we can fill our water bottles!

Houses we passed on the road up to the Unterbäch cable-car station. 

Up ahead is the parish church of Unterbäch. It is next to the cable-car station, and we just had enough time to look inside. The church was originally built in 1558, but enlarged in 1678 and again in 1775. 

The altars were added during the Baroque era

Details of the lovely Baroque interior. Major renovations took place in 2011, and the features now shine!

What a pretty organ with painted wings. This beautiful piece was built in about the year 1700 by an unknown organ builder.  

We got to the Unterbäch cable-car station at just before departure time of 12:25! This was a larger cabin than the one to/from Eischoll. 

The cable-car passes over the houses in Unterbäch, and then dips steeply toward the valley bottom. In the background is Mt. Bietschhorn. 

From the cabin looking westward, we can see the village of Eischoll where we started on our hike. The suspension bridge is at about the left-most arrow. (Side note: Back in April 2021 we had also walked from Eischoll to Unterbäch, but first hiking further up the hillside. Those photos are HERE). 

Across the valley on the north side of the railway line is the town of Raron, with the little "church on the hill". We visited the church in May of 2019 when we started there on a walk along the "Valais Sunshine Trail"

Back in Visp we had to wait about 20 minutes for the bus to Ausserberg. As it was now 12:45, we took advantage of the break to have our picnic lunch. 

PART II: Ausserberg and two Irrigation Channels in the Baltschieder Valley (see separate link HERE).

PART III: A Quick Evening Stroll in the Town of Thun

(This was Carrie's favourite part of the day! She wants to come again. We had already done an extensive walking tour of this beautiful city in 2018 when we spent a night in a hotel here after visiting Mt.Schilthorn. Those photos are HERE and HERE, at the bottom of each album). 

We discovered that the town holds a water show in the summer at 7:30 p.m., but we could not stay as it would have been too late getting home. Next time!

Leaving Eggerberg south of the Lötschberg tunnel at 16:43, we got back to Lake Thun by 6 p.m., after having traveled the "Panorama Route" this time, via the upper Lötschberg tunnel and Kandersteg. The peaks in the background, once again from left to right, are: Schreckorn, Eiger, Mönch, and (a bit of ) Jungfrau. 

Heading into the charming town of Thun after ordering pizza to take out (which we ate on a bench on the other side of this lovely wooden covered bridge). It was fun to watch surfers on the Aare River here!

On the other side of the Aare River, the Thun Castle and City Church (Reformed) tower over the old town. 

Close-up look of the Thun Castle. 

Crossing the bridge over the Aare River Canal, we can see the mountains of the Bernese Oberland

Zoomed view to the Blüemlisalp Massif in the Bernese Oberland. (View to the southeast). 

Slightly to the south we also see the peak of Mt.Niesen. 

We sauntered down the main street looking at all the shops, which were on two levels, an upper walkway along shops, and additional shops below! (And apartments above the shops). 

We then reached the main square of the old town, with the lovely town hall and fountain. 

View of the Thun Castle from the town square. 

This is what the pedestrian streets look like, with an upper walkway and shops below!

Crossing a different bridge now on our way back to the train station for the 7:30 p.m. train home. 

The buildings along the canal reflect in the gorgeous turquoise water. There was a water show to start by 7:30, but we had to head out, as it was still a trip of over two hours to get back home. 

This map shows the location of the city of Thun as well as the area near Visp where we did the first two excursions of the day.