Two lakes, and a town that belongs to neither
Interlaken means “between the lakes”, and the name is literal rather than romantic. The town sits on a flat strip of land between Lake Thun to the west and Lake Brienz to the east, connected by the Aare river, which runs an odd, milky turquoise colour through the middle of town from glacial sediment. Neither lake is technically in Interlaken — you walk or take a short bus to reach either shore. This surprises people who arrive expecting a lakeside resort. What Interlaken actually gives you is flat, walkable ground at 568 metres, two train stations, and unobstructed sightlines to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau on a clear day. It is a hub, not a viewpoint, and it works best when you treat it that way from the start.
The town itself is small — permanent population under 6,000 — and it has been a resort since British and German travellers started arriving in the early 1800s for exactly the same reason people come now: it puts you close to serious mountains without requiring you to sleep on one. That history explains the grand 19th-century hotels along the Höhematte, several of which are still operating and still expensive.
The Höhematte: Interlaken’s green heart, and its runway
The Höhematte is the large open meadow in the centre of town, flanked by the Victoria-Jungfrau and other grand hotels on one side. It has been kept deliberately undeveloped since the 19th century — there was a local push to build on it, and it was refused, which is the reason Interlaken still has a genuine green centre instead of another hotel block. Locals use it for football and picnics; visitors use it to watch paragliders land, which happens constantly on a clear day, sometimes every few minutes from midmorning to early evening.
The paragliders launch from Beatenberg or the Schynige Platte side and glide down over the town, landing on the Höhematte in a cluster of orange and blue canopies. It is free entertainment and, for a lot of visitors, the moment Interlaken sells itself as an adventure-sports base rather than a lake town. If you want to do it rather than watch it, a tandem flight from a launch point above town is booked in advance and weather-dependent; expect the operator to reshuffle your slot if the wind is wrong, which happens often enough that building a buffer day into your plans is worth doing.
Harder Kulm: the view without leaving town
Harder Kulm is the viewpoint directly above Interlaken’s north side, reached by a funicular that runs from a station a short walk from Interlaken Ost. The ride takes about 10 minutes and climbs to 1,322 metres. At the top there is a viewing platform shaped like a two-pronged fork that juts out over the slope, giving a clean view down onto both lakes at once and across to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau — this is the postcard shot of the whole region, and it is the one alpine view in this guide that does not require a day trip.
A return ticket runs in the region of CHF 38, discounted with the Swiss Travel Pass; there is also a restaurant at the top that is fine for a coffee but overpriced for a full meal. Go in late afternoon if you can — the light comes from behind you rather than into your lens, and the crowds thin after the tour buses leave.
Ost or West: which station to use
Interlaken has two train stations roughly two kilometres apart, and getting this wrong wastes 20–30 minutes more than once per trip. Interlaken West is the western station, closer to the town centre, the Höhematte and most mid-range hotels; it connects to Bern, Basel, Zürich and Lucerne via the Brünig line. Interlaken Ost is the eastern station, at the edge of Lake Brienz, and it is the one that matters for the mountains: trains to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and onward to Jungfraujoch all start from Ost, as do the boats onto Lake Brienz. If your hotel is near West and your excursion leaves from Ost, budget 20 minutes to cross town on foot or take the local train that shuttles between the two stations every 20–30 minutes.
The practical rule: arriving from Lucerne, Bern or Zürich, you will likely land at West first, since trains from those directions typically call at West before continuing to Ost. Anything heading up into the Jungfrau region — Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, the Schilthorn cable car base — leaves from Ost. Check the platform on the SBB app before you walk anywhere; guessing costs you a train.
Interlaken as base camp, not the destination
This is the point most itineraries get backwards: Interlaken’s own sightseeing is an afternoon, but its position makes it the natural base for four or five days of excursions without changing hotels. From Ost, Jungfraujoch — the highest railway station in Europe, at 3,454 metres — is reachable via Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald in roughly two and a half hours each way; it is a long, expensive day (return tickets run CHF 200+ without a rail discount) and weather can close the view entirely, so check the webcam before committing.
a guided day trip up to Jungfraujoch takes the routing and timing decisions off your plate, which matters on a trip where a missed connection can cost you an hour on the mountain.
Grindelwald and Wengen are both closer, under an hour by train, and each works as a half-day on its own — Grindelwald for the First cliff walk and the view of the north face of the Eiger, Wengen for a quieter, car-free village with the Männlichen cable car. Lauterbrunnen, the valley of 72 waterfalls beneath sheer limestone walls, is 20 minutes from Ost by train and is where the Schilthorn cable car begins its climb to the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant, familiar to anyone who has seen the 1969 Bond film shot there. None of this requires switching hotels: it is all a day trip from Interlaken, which is the entire logic of staying here.
The lakes themselves are worth separate half-days rather than being treated as scenery you pass through. Lake Brienz has the more striking colour, closer to turquoise than Lake Thun’s deeper blue, and its shoreline village of Brunnen is a longer trip toward the Lake Lucerne side, while Iseltwald and the Giessbach Falls funicular sit directly on Brienz’s south shore, a short boat ride from Ost.
a boat trip to Giessbach Falls with the walk on to Iseltwald covers both in a half-day without a car.
Lake Thun, on the west side, has Thun’s old town at one end and St. Beatus Caves partway along the shore — a system of show caves with a waterfall at the entrance, reachable by boat from Interlaken West.
Adventure sports: the other reason people come
Interlaken markets itself hard on adventure sports, and the volume of operators in town — skydiving, canyoning, paragliding, bungee, via ferrata — is not exaggerated. This is genuinely one of the highest concentrations of commercial adventure-sport operators in the Alps, a legacy of the valley’s steep terrain right next to flat landing ground.
a skydive over the Bernese Alps is the highest-profile of these and the most expensive, typically CHF 450 and up depending on altitude and add-ons like video footage; book a specific slot rather than turning up, since weather cancellations mean walk-ins get pushed to the back of a long queue. Canyoning and river rafting on the Lütschine and other valley rivers run cheaper, often CHF 100–150, and operate through the warmer months only. If your budget or nerve does not stretch to any of this, the paragliding you watch for free from the Höhematte is, for most visitors, the more memorable experience anyway.
Getting there and around
| From | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lucerne | 1h 50min | Via the Brünig line, one change at Meiringen on some services |
| Bern | ~50 min | Direct, frequent |
| Zürich | ~2h | One change, via Bern or Lucerne |
| Zürich Airport | ~2h 15min | Direct or one change |
| Basel | ~1h 45min | One change |
| Grindelwald | ~35–45 min | From Interlaken Ost |
| Lauterbrunnen | ~20 min | From Interlaken Ost |
Within town, the two stations and most hotels are walkable — Interlaken is flat and compact, and nothing in the centre is more than a 25-minute walk. A local bus connects West, the centre and Ost for those staying further out or carrying luggage. Bikes and e-bikes are widely rentable and a genuinely good way to cover the flat ground along the Aare and out to Bönigen on Lake Brienz.
a guided e-bike route past Interlaken’s lakes and viewpoints is a low-effort way to see the flat surrounding ground in a few hours without renting a car.
Where to stay and what it costs
| Type | Price per night (CHF) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 35–55 | Several well-run hostels near West, common in the backpacker circuit |
| Budget hotel/B&B | 120–180 | Basic double, often outside the immediate centre |
| Mid-range hotel | 200–320 | Central, near Höhematte or West station |
| Grand historic hotel | 400+ | Victoria-Jungfrau and similar, lake or mountain view rooms cost more |
Interlaken’s accommodation skews toward backpackers and adventure travellers at the low end and grand 19th-century hotels at the top, with a thinner middle than you might expect for a town this size. Book ahead in July and August — this is peak season for both hiking and paragliding, and the hostels fill early.
Eating and daily costs
Interlaken is not a food destination the way Lucerne or Zürich can be, and the restaurants directly on the Höhematte and around the main street charge a clear tourist premium — expect CHF 28–38 for a main course at a central spot. Walking two or three streets back, or eating near the stations, brings prices down closer to CHF 20–25. A coffee runs CHF 4.50–5.50, a beer CHF 6–8. Supermarkets (Migros and Coop, both near West) are the honest budget option for breakfast and picnic supplies before a day trip — worth doing at least once given how expensive a packed lunch bought at a mountain restaurant will be.
A realistic daily budget for one person, excluding excursions and cable cars, sits around CHF 120–180: accommodation, three meals, and local transport. Add the Jungfraujoch trip, a cable car, or a skydive and a single day can run several hundred francs more — this is the most expensive region covered in this guide, and it is worth budgeting for that honestly rather than being surprised at the till.
When to visit
Summer (June–September) is when Interlaken performs at full capacity: paragliders in the air over the Höhematte most days, hiking trails clear, boats running full schedules on both lakes, and every cable car in the region open. It is also when hotel prices peak and the town centre is busiest with day-trippers arriving from Lucerne and Bern.
Winter (December–March) shifts the activity uphill to skiing and snowshoeing around Grindelwald and Mürren, and the Höhematte goes quiet — no paragliding traffic, fewer boats on the lakes, a slower and cheaper town. Spring and autumn are the trade-off months: cheaper beds, thinner crowds, but a real risk that a cable car or lift you were counting on is closed for scheduled maintenance. Check operating dates for specific attractions before building a spring or autumn itinerary around them.
Questions about visiting Interlaken
Do I need to stay in both Interlaken and Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen?
No, and for most itineraries you should not. Interlaken’s two stations put Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen within 20–45 minutes by train, which is close enough to treat as day trips rather than separate bases. Staying in the valleys themselves suits people prioritising early starts on specific hikes or wanting to wake up under the Eiger rather than in a lowland town — but it means repacking and changing hotels for a saving in travel time that a day trip mostly erases anyway.
Which station should I use to get to Jungfraujoch?
Interlaken Ost. Trains to Jungfraujoch run via either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, and both routes start from Ost, not West. If you are staying near West, allow 15–20 minutes to reach Ost before your connection.
Is Interlaken itself worth a full day?
Roughly half a day covers it properly: the Höhematte, a walk along the Aare, and Harder Kulm if the weather is clear. Most visitors are better served putting a second half-day toward Lake Brienz or Lake Thun rather than lingering longer in the town centre itself.
How much does the Jungfraujoch trip actually cost?
A standard return ticket from Interlaken runs CHF 200 or more at full price, though the Swiss Travel Pass and regional passes bring meaningful discounts, and booking online ahead of time typically undercuts walk-up prices. It is the single most expensive excursion covered in this guide, and weather closes the summit view often enough that checking the live webcam before travelling is worth the two minutes it takes.
Is paragliding in Interlaken safe, and do I need experience?
Tandem flights require no experience — you fly strapped to a certified pilot who handles the launch and landing. Operators cancel or delay flights for wind and visibility rather than fly regardless, which is why buffer time matters more here than at almost any other booked activity in this guide.
What’s the honest difference between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz?
Lake Brienz has the more striking turquoise-glacial colour and the Giessbach Falls funicular on its south shore; Lake Thun is a deeper blue with Thun’s old town at its far end and St. Beatus Caves along the way. Neither is skippable if you have two full days, but with one afternoon, Brienz’s colour and the short boat-and-hike combination to Iseltwald make it the stronger single outing.
Can I do Interlaken as a day trip from Lucerne instead of staying overnight?
It is possible — the train is under two hours each way — but it compresses badly. Interlaken’s value is as a base for excursions further into the mountains, and a single day from Lucerne only leaves time for the town centre and Harder Kulm, not Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald or the lakes properly. If the mountains are the goal, staying at least one night pays for itself in reduced travel time the next morning.
