The St Beatus Caves run into the cliff above the northern shore of Lake Thun. Of the fourteen kilometres explored so far, one kilometre is lit, made safe and open to visitors, past underground waterfalls and stalactite chambers. The temperature inside holds at 8 to 10 °C all year, which is the single most useful fact about the place: this is where you go when the weather has ruined everything else.
Quick Facts
What it costs and how long it takes
- Adults CHF 20, children aged 6 to 16 CHF 12, family ticket CHF 52, dogs CHF 10. The cave museum is included. Checked with the operator on 28 July 2026.
- Two hours in total is a realistic budget: 20 minutes by bus, a ten-minute climb from the road to the entrance, and about an hour inside.
- Open all year — rare here, where most attractions close for the winter.
When it is the right choice
Worth being direct about this, because it is what the operator's own page cannot say. On a clear day in the Bernese Oberland, a cave is not the best use of your time — Harder Kulm or the Schynige Platte will give you more, and both are weather-dependent in a way this is not.
But the region's weather turns often, and when it does the options narrow fast: mountain railways become pointless because the view is the product. That is when these caves come into their own. Same experience in rain, and at eight degrees inside, also a genuine escape on a hot afternoon.
Insider Tip
Check the summit webcams at the valley stations before you commit to a mountain railway. If the cloud base is below the top station you are paying for fog — and the bus to the caves leaves from the same square. Treating this place as your fallback rather than your plan is how to get the most out of it.
Getting there
- From Interlaken Ost — 20 minutes on bus line 21, no change.
- From Interlaken West — 14 minutes on the same line, which is the quicker option if you are staying in the town centre.
- By boat across Lake Thun to the Beatushöhlen–Sundlauenen landing, the slower and more scenic route.
From the bus stop on the lakeside road it is a climb of about ten minutes up to the cave entrance. That stretch is on foot regardless of how you arrive, and it is steep enough to be worth knowing about in advance.
The dragon, and what is actually true
The caves are named after Beatus, an early missionary who — according to the legend — drove a dragon out of the cave and then lived in it as a hermit. The dragon is medieval storytelling. What is real is the consequence: a chapel by the entrance, and centuries of pilgrimage to the site, which is why a cave in a cliff above a lake carries a saint's name at all.
Before you go
- Bring a jacket. Eight to ten degrees is a fifteen-degree drop from a July lakeside.
- Shoes with grip. The walkway is wet in places.
- The climb from the road takes ten minutes and is not step-free.
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Back to overview: All things to do in Interlaken
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the St Beatus Caves worth it?
They are, with one condition: go when the weather is against you. The cave is a kilometre of lit walkway past underground waterfalls and formations, and it is the same experience in driving rain as in sunshine. On a clear day in this region, a mountain railway will give you more. On a wet one, this is among the best things you can do.
How long does it take to visit St Beatus Caves?
Allow about two hours in total: 20 minutes on the bus from Interlaken Ost, a ten-minute climb from the road up to the entrance, and roughly an hour inside for the one-kilometre circuit and the cave museum, which is included in the ticket.
How much do the St Beatus Caves cost?
Adults CHF 20, children aged 6 to 16 CHF 12, a family ticket CHF 52 and dogs CHF 10. The cave museum is included. Checked with the operator on 28 July 2026.
Is St Beatus cave open to the public?
Yes, and unusually for a cave in this region, all year round. One kilometre of the fourteen kilometres explored so far is made safe and lit for visitors; the rest is not open.
How cold is it inside?
Between 8 and 10 °C, constant, whatever the season. In July that is a drop of fifteen degrees or more from the lakeside, so bring a jacket even if you set out in shorts. It is also why the caves are a genuine refuge on a hot day, not only a wet one.
What is the story behind the St Beatus Caves?
The caves take their name from Beatus, an early missionary said to have driven a dragon from the cave and then lived in it as a hermit. The legend is medieval and the dragon is not the historical part — but it explains the name, the chapel by the entrance and the pilgrimage that ran here for centuries.