Thun, Switzerland

Thun, pronounced as “toon” as in “cartoon”, is probably one of the most liveable places in Switzerland. Thun is also the name of tuna in German, though if you ask if tuna comes for this lake the locals will roll their eyes at you. Trust me, I tried.

Located right on the outlet where the River Aare flows into Thunersee, the quiet town has a stunning view of the formidable Bernese mountains. On a good day, you can see as far as the mountains that surround Lake Luzern and imagine that tourists are looking at you with the telescopes on the touristic peaks.

You could go to Schadaupark and sit there for hours staring at the glistening mountains and admiring the elegant movements of swans on a perfectly still and clear lake. To go back to town, the buses usually come once every ten minutes and are almost always on time even in moderate traffic. The higher prices in grocery stores are made up for drastically lower gas prices and great offers on public transport and museums.

There is a sizeable number of stores and a respectable level of diversity in its cuisine for a town of its size. You can eat cheap middle-eastern food, moderately-priced Canadian ribs, or splurge on an organic Italian meal boasting ingredients from the area.

If your belly is all filled up and you’d like to take a walk in the old town, it will eventually lead you to the ancient city wall where even some of the buildings from when the wall was built are still intact. Do an about turn and head up the stairs by the wall to hike up to the castle for a great view of the town. If you want to visit the castle, you’ll have to come on Sunday. When you’re done, take bus 1 down to Spiez.

There’s nothing to hate about Thun.