Aare Böötle | River Floating in Switzerland | Aare from Thun to Bern

Böötle, or floating down a river on a rubber boat, often with a nice cold beer in hand, is one of the best summer experiences in Switzerland. Hoards of Swiss people will flock to the beautiful Swiss rivers during the summer, just enjoying a great day on the river.

The route from Thun to Bern, with its 27km and about 2-3 hours duration is considered the original Böötle route.

The major difficulty of the route is the Uttigenwelle, also known as Uttigen Schwelle. A train bridge causes significant rapids on the otherwise relatively calm route.

To stay save, stay about 5 meters from the right side and try to not get sucked into the backdraft of the wave.

For the rest of the route, the you mostly have to stay clear of bridge pillars, as the strong flow could drag you underwater, if you get close to one of these pillards.

Before you go, you should be aware of the legal requirements.

Bring a floating device for each of the passengers. A life-west needs to be in the boat, but if you are not a great river swimmer, you should also wear it.
Mark your boat, to avoid costly police searches if you should loose it.
Stay clear of the shore, to avoid branches and currents at the shore.
When exiting, make sure to plan your exit early and don't underestimate the rapid flow of the river.

Safety information: https://bern.com/en/news/stories-and-...

Aare flow rates: https://www.hydrodaten.admin.ch/en/se...

SLRG information: https://www.bern.ch/themen/sicherheit...

Enter the river here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/U319M47xrACSV...
Exit the river here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bf1u61ede4pEL...

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