Explore Interlaken

First impressions of Interlaken

Interlaken is the classic gateway to the highest part of the Swiss Alps — a small resort town wedged on a flat green plain between two impossibly blue glacial lakes (Lake Thun to the west, Lake Brienz to the east) with the dramatic 4,158m massif of the Jungfrau (the Maiden), the Mönch (the Monk), and the Eiger (the Ogre) rising spectacularly to the south. The town itself is small and pleasant rather than spectacular; the magic is what surrounds it. The headline experience is the Jungfraujoch (the 'Top of Europe', 3,454m) — the spectacular train ride from Interlaken Ost station via Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg, climbing through a tunnel hewn directly into the Eiger mountain (an engineering marvel completed in 1912) to the highest railway station in Europe, with the Aletsch Glacier (the longest in the Alps) stretching south below. The ride takes 2 hours each way, and on a clear day the views are simply staggering. Beyond, the lower Schynige Platte and the Harder Kulm panoramic mountain are easier (and cheaper) alternatives. Don't miss the dramatic St Beatus Caves above Lake Thun, the spectacular Lauterbrunnen valley with its 72 waterfalls 20 minutes south, the brilliant adventure-sports scene (paragliding off Beatenberg is unforgettable), and a sunset boat trip on Lake Brienz.