Interlaken sits on a narrow strip of land between Lake Thun to the west and Lake Brienz to the east, with the Bernese Alps rising steeply to the south. The name means exactly what it says: between the lakes. The town itself is a resort rather than a historic centre — it was purpose-built for Alpine tourism in the 19th century and has been doing that job ever since. The Hohematte, the long central meadow that has been legally protected from development since 1875, keeps the view of the Jungfrau open from the middle of town. On a clear day the north face of the Eiger is visible from the main street.
Interlaken’s value is almost entirely in what surrounds it. Lauterbrunnen is 20 minutes south by train — a flat-bottomed valley enclosed by 300-metre vertical rock walls with 72 waterfalls running off the cliffs, including Staubbachfall which drops 297 metres in free fall. From Lauterbrunnen, cable cars and trains ascend in every direction: to Grindelwald at the base of the Eiger’s north face, to Mürren on the cliff above the valley, and ultimately to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres — the ‘Top of Europe’, accessible by rack railway and the highest train station on the continent. Iseltwald, on the southern shore of Lake Brienz 15 minutes east, is the lakeside village made internationally known by the Korean drama Crash Landing on You.
The town’s main street (Höheweg) runs between the two train stations and is lined with hotels, watch shops and outdoor equipment retailers. Halal restaurants are available in Interlaken, more so than in the surrounding mountain villages, and the town’s international tourism base means the options are reasonable. The best time to visit is May to October for clear mountain views and accessible hiking and excursion conditions; the Jungfraujoch is open year-round but the approach conditions and weather are most reliable in summer.
Best time to visit
May to October
