Heiligenschwendi Christmas trail 2026/27: nearly 150 lanterns above Lake Thun — and the figures are lit from midday
✓ Checked at the source · as of 12 October 2026
High above Lake Thun a 2.55-kilometre loop passes six stations of the Christmas story. Nearly 150 lanterns burn from 5 pm, while the stations themselves are lit from 11 am. Start and finish are at the Hotel Alpenblick bus stop, three quarters of an hour in between.
📅 Lit days 2026/27 — date and status
39 days in a row, 6 weekends included.
Weihnachtsweg Heiligenschwendi
✓Sunday, 29 November 2026 – Wednesday, 6 January 2027 · 39 days
- Organiser
- Heiligenschwendi Tourismus
Source: interlaken.swiss · checked on 12 October 2026
🕐 Lighting times and closed days
Usually open until 22:30 – longer than 6 of the 9 events with a published closing time.
From the first Sunday of Advent (29 November 2026) to 6 January 2027 · lanterns daily from 5 pm to about 10.30 pm, the stations are lit from 11 am
🗓️ Is it lit today?
39 days with something on, 11 of them on a Saturday or Sunday – enter your day and the check tells you what is open.
📅 Visit-day check
Pick the day you are free — the answer comes from the verified ConvivaPlus dataset, not from a run you have to work out in your head.
| Session | Run | Opening hours | Date set? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weihnachtsweg Heiligenschwendi | Sun 29 Nov – Wed 6 Jan39 days | From the first Sunday of Advent (29 November 2026) to 6 January 2027 · lanterns daily from 5 pm to about 10.30 pm, the stations are lit from 11 am | confirmed |
Calculated from the ConvivaPlus dataset — every row with its own source above.
📍 Start & getting there — where it begins
- Meeting point
- Bushaltestelle Hotel Alpenblick, Heiligenschwendi (Bus 31/32 ab Thun)
🔦 Good to know from the organiser
- Start and finish at the Hotel Alpenblick bus stop; 64 metres of climb. Parking is limited — take bus 31 or 32 from Thun.
✨ What to expect
Six scenes tell the classic Christmas story, and the trail is short enough for children: 2.55 kilometres, 64 metres up and down, about three quarters of an hour. It lies between 1,108 and 1,172 metres above sea level, overlooking Lake Thun.
What sets it apart is the daytime: the stations are lit from 11 am. If you do not want to wait for dark with small children, you can see the figures in the afternoon; if you want the lanterns, come from 5 pm.
When do you walk the Christmas trail?
One click – anonymous, no sign-up required.
🎯 Tips for the evening
A short, easy-to-reach loop. What to know beforehand.
- 1Come by busFrom Thun, buses 31 and 32 go to the Hotel Alpenblick stop, start and finish of the trail. Parking is limited.
- 2Choose day or eveningStations lit from 11 am, lanterns from 5 pm. With small children the afternoon works too.
- 3A date for late deciders: 8 of the 16 events with a fixed date have already started before.
- 4Until EpiphanyThe trail stays open until 6 January 2027, Christmas Eve included.
📊 Lit days compared with the neighbours
On 39 days Aeschi bei Spiez is on as well – two places in one outing.
Each bar is one light, dark this one, pale the nearest ones.
- HeiligenschwendiWeihnachtsweg Heiligenschwendi
🗺️ Nearby — more lights
Across the lake, the Wiehnachtswäg Aeschi tells the same story, also in six pictures and from the same Sunday. All Bern lights, from Bundesplatz to the Blausee, are on the canton page.
All 23 verified lights in Switzerland in the overview.
More light trails and shows in the canton of Bern
All of the canton of Bern→❓ FAQ — in short
Answers from the verified dataset — no date is carried over from the previous year.
People also ask
Related questions from our magazine
Yes, the Wiehnachtswäg in Aeschi, with six pictures.
All verified Bern lights on the canton page.
The Chemin des Lanternes in Crans-Montana, into March.
The ConvivaPlus verdict
39 days of opening – the typical event this season lasts 36 days. The period spans 6 weekends – miss one and there is still another.
Freshness note: Dates and route read at the source on 12 October 2026 (Interlaken Tourismus for Heiligenschwendi Tourismus).
Check the latest: ConvivaPlus light trails dataset 2026/27 – Heiligenschwendi →
- ◆Still open on Christmas Eve.
🗓️ At the same time in the canton of Bern
- 🏊 Winter swimming in the canton of Bernfrom Sat 24 Oct
- 🏮 Turnip lanterns in the canton of BernSun 1 Nov · Fri 6 Nov · Fri 13 Nov
- 🕯️ Candle dipping in the canton of BernWed 11 Nov – Sun 6 Dec
- ✨ Christmas markets in the canton of BernThu 19 Nov – Sun 27 Dec
- 🛍️ Sunday shopping in the canton of BernSun 29 Nov · Sun 6 Dec · Sun 13 Dec · Sun 20 Dec
- 🚂 Festive rides in the canton of BernSun 6 Dec – Sun 20 Dec
- 🎅 St Nicholas in the canton of BernSun 6 Dec
How we check
Every date comes from the organiser's, the municipality's or the canton's own site — never from an aggregator, never copied over from last year. Next to each source is the date we last read it.
Something missing or changed? A note below is enough; we check it at the source.
ConvivaPlus Editor · Family & Day Trips
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✨ Light trails · 12 October 2026