Interlaken Guide

Mountain Paradise in the Adventure Capital of Europe

Mountains, Glaciers, Lakes & Rivers

The name "Interlaken", as you may have guessed, means between lakes, the Brienzersee and the Thunersee. 'See' means lake in german and Brienz and Thun are the big towns on either lake, hence where the names come from. The lakes provide many opportunities in summer for swimming, sailing, wake boarding, fishing and paddling. There is also a third smaller lake called the Bergseeli (little mountain lake), which is warmer for swimming in summer and also provides a great spot for natural ice skating in winter.

The Lütschine is the river that feeds water from the snowmelt and glacier melt into the Brienzersee. This river is popular during summer for rafting and kayaking. The river is a confluence of the Black Lütschine and the White Lütschine that come from Gindelwald valley and Lauterbrunnen valley respectively. The river varies in flow during the year, peak flow resulting from snow melt and summer temperatues and low flow during winter season.

The Swiss alps surrounding Interlaken are a rugged landscape of glaciers, canyons, rugged mountain peaks, waterfalls and mountain lakes. They form part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch world heritage site, of which 35000 ha is covered by glaciers. This is a wonderland for adventure activities in summer or winter, with skiing/snowboarding; ice and rock climbing; paragliding and hang-gliding; rafting; canyoning; ice skating and the list goes on. Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau are among the most well known peaks in the area, all around 4000m ASL. The Eiger is a famous destination for mountaineers and the Jungfrau mountain for day trippers. Jungfraujoch is Europe’s highest train station and can be accessed via the Jungfraubahn, a scenic railway that takes you inside the Eiger mountain and then to the observation area situated at 3454 meters. The forested areas of the mountains are made up of largely Beech, Scots pines, Elms, Birch and Ash trees. The forests and alpine areas provide habitat for a large range of animals including ibex, chamois, red deer, roe deer, mountain hare, marmots and foxes. To experience this area, Balmer’s can help you organise your adventure, from providing free hiking trail maps to booking your train to the top of Europe, or even jumping out of a plane.

Town

Interlaken town sits on a flat area between the lakes of Brienz and Thun. It is comprised of three different villages, Interlaken, Matten and Unterseen. Although the name Interlaken can be traced back to as early as 1183, it has only been official since 1891 when the local council changed it from Aarmühle. From around 1750 Unterseen took a leading role in flourishing tourism, but Interlaken didnt begin to take part till mid 19th century. Today Interlaken is a flourishing area of tourism that provides something for everyone. Wandering around Matten can be a very educational experience with the well preserved heritage of the area. The Stadthausplatz Unterseen still has the same structure of a town square of the 15th century. For a quiet day in town, check out the Höhematte, The Japanese Gardens, The Kursaal, the former Augustine Monastery, Ibex compound at the Harder Kulm, the bridges and weirs on the Aare river, or simply rent a bike and explore.

Surrounding Area

The area around Interlaken offers unlimited opportunities for day trips. The cities of Bern, Zurich, Lucern and Thun are all within easy distance for day trips to explore the cities of Switzerland. If you are after more mountains there are almost unlimited peaks to explore either by hiking, mountain biking or mountain trains. The Lauterbrunnental is only a short train ride away and offers stunning views in the steep cliff sided valley and the popular attraction of Trummelbachfalls, a waterfall inside the mountain.

To plan your adventure get the right advice at Balmer's reception.

Must See and Do