Interlaken
is situated in the Bernese Oberland on an alluvial plain between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
Three huge mountains look down on the town of Interlaken: the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. As a holiday resort, it is a great starting point for countless activities.
Description
Even as far back as the early 19th century, Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland was famous for its impressive mountain landscape. Many well known figures travelled there, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Its success as a centre for tourism was given a further boost with the construction of the Bernese Oberland Railways in 1890 and the Jungfrau Railway in 1912.
As a popular holiday resort and location for congresses, Interlaken is of international importance and is also the perfect starting point for countless excursions. More than 45 mountain railways, cable cars, chair lifts and ski lifts transport holidaymakers and visitors up the mountains to enjoy 200 kilometres of ski pistes and a dense network of hiking trails. They can also take a boat trip on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, including a trip on a historical paddle steamer.
Summer
Trains depart from Interlaken Ost station to travel up to the Jungfrau region heading towards Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, with connecting routes to Mürren and up to the Schilthorn, as well as to the Jungfraujoch via Kleine Scheidegg. There are boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, including trips on a historical paddle steamer, which are available on both lakes. Interlaken is situated on the "Golden Pass" train route, which offers great panoramic views and runs from Montreux along the edge of Lake Geneva, past the elite holiday resort of Gstaad to Interlaken, and onwards to Lucerne via the Brünig pass.
Only ten kilometres away from Interlaken is Beatenberg-Niederhorn, an Eldorado for paragliders situated on a sunny south-facing slope. And for walkers, the area offers a huge network of hiking trails. Up on the Niederhorn, at an altitude of 1,950 m, you can see mountain goats, chamois and marmots.
Winter
In the winter, guests benefit from the central location of Interlaken which allows them to choose between the various ski areas in the Jungfrau Top Ski Region (Mürren/Schilthorn, Kleine Scheidegg/Männlichen and First) and the family-friendly ski areas Beatenberg and Axalp-Brienz. More than 45 mountain railways, cable cars, chair lifts and ski lifts transport sports enthusiasts up the mountains to enjoy 200 kilometres of ski pistes.
Cross-country skiers and sledging enthusiasts will also find plenty of opportunities in the immediate surrounding area. There are also more than 220 km of winter hiking trails in Interlaken, Beatenberg, Axalp-Brienz, Habkern, Wilderswil and the Jungfrau region. A convenient ski bus transports guests from the Interlaken holiday region to the Mürren/Schilthorn, Kleine Scheidegg/Männlichen and First ski resorts.
Wellness
In your element: magical and powerful places between the mountains and the valley. Untouched nature, water that is clear as glass and snow-topped summits do wonders for our sense of well-being. And romantic hide-aways give us the opportunity to really unwind and relax.
There are hotels that immediately cast a spell on you. In the area around Interlaken, you will find a number of unique hideaways where you can take a relaxing break from your everyday life. A luxurious boathouse which is now a spa, with a view across the snow-topped mountains, and the Hotpots on the pier are just two of the unique wellness jewels to be found in this area. And the power of water is ever-present: the deep blue of Lake Thun, the magical turquoise of Lake Brienz, and the thrilling Giesbach Waterfalls are all just as stunning in winter as they are in summer. Brienz also offers visitors a very special culinary treat: you can enjoy cheese fondue served out in the open air.
Conferences and congresses
In the heart of Switzerland, in a beautiful location surrounded by mountains and lakes, Interlaken and Thun/Lake Thun have a long tradition when it comes to hosting congresses, and can provide everything you could possibly need in this respect:
top class conference facilities such as the Congress Centre Kursaal Interlaken with its historical conference rooms and state-of-the-art auditorium, countless hotels, and incomparable venues with facilities for conferences and banquets, as well as Interlaken's proximity to a wide range of different destinations for excursions, some of them famous the world over.