Discover Blumenstein: Church, Building Heritage and Hiking

If you want to combine local history with hiking on a trip, Blumenstein offers both a remarkable church complex and several mapped routes. When planning, you can focus on architecture, a hiking route or—if the timing is right—a concert.

Church and Historic Building Heritage

Blumenstein Church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and was founded around 1285 by Johann von Weissenburg. Well-preserved stained-glass windows from the golden age of Königsfelden stained glass, together with the church, form a well-known sight. The church complex includes the associated parish buildings and stands at the upper end of the Fallbach’s imposing, evenly rising alluvial fan. Situated at the foot of the Stockhorn range, it is designated a site of national importance.

The Stockental House Trail is another cultural highlight in Blumenstein; it was created by the Bernese Heritage Society and the Bernese Hiking Trails association. The area’s architectural history can be seen in a range of examples: Rüdeli includes a richly decorated farmhouse dating from 1655, which was extensively restored between 1986 and 1991. Allmiteggen is a 17th-century farmhouse and represents an old house type from the northern Alpine foothills. The settlement of Eschli, in turn, contains a unique collection of farmhouses of this old type, with shallow-pitched gable roofs. The story thus ranges from an individually restored house to a regional house type and an entire settlement.

Hikes with Different Route Profiles

Blumenstein has well-developed and well-maintained hiking trails. A hike from Thun to Blumenstein passes through Uetendorf, Thierachern and Uebeschi, and ends at Blumenstein municipal hall. The Stockental Route is a 41-kilometre circular tour with 600 metres of ascent and descent and a moderate difficulty level; the recommended season is March to October. It follows the left side of the valley, with views of the Gürbetal and the Bernese Alps, to Blumenstein, briefly follows the Stockental House Trail, then branches off at the upper edge of the village towards Blumenstein Church.

Another option is Stage 11/33 of the ViaJacobi, from Spiez to Wattenwil. It runs from Uebeschi through Blumenstein, then follows the Fallbach and later the Gürbe to Wattenwil. The routes differ in format: the Stockental Route is a circular tour, the hike from Thun ends at the municipal hall, and the ViaJacobi is part of a stage between Spiez and Wattenwil. Before setting off, check seasonal trail conditions, particularly for the Stockental Route, whose stated season runs from March to October.

Seasonal Concerts and Getting There

The programme of seasonal concerts at Blumenstein Church includes spring, summer, autumn and winter concerts in 2026 and 2027. For these concerts, the STI concert bus on Line 3 runs from Thun railway station to the church and back after the concert.

Discover more destinations: Unterlangenegg, Amsoldingen, Uetendorf, Aeschlen Ob Gunten, Hilterfingen, Wachseldorn, Thun, Heimberg.

Return to the main travel overview: Thun.