Interlaken, Switzerland

Interlaken, Switzerland is a picture perfect destination at any time of the year.

After spending a delightful time exploring Lucerne, it was time to discover our next destination: Interlaken, Switzerland. Edward F. Nesta and I took a 1-hour and 50-minute train from Lucerne to Interlaken in October 2006, using our Swiss Pass on the Swiss Travel System, and although Interlaken is often thought of as a ski resort area, there is much to see and do in the area at any time of the year.

We stayed at the world-renowned 140-year old VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa where we experienced its legendary service. The hotel has three excellent restaurants, La Terrasse (16 GaultMillau points), Jungfrau-Brasserie (15 GaultMillau points), and La Pastateca, and we experienced each of them. I even convinced Executive Chef Manfred Roth to share a few of his recipes.

The 5,500 square-meter VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Spa added in December 2003, features ESPA treatments and a Clarins Beauty Center that was a welcome respite after a "rough day" of adventure seeking. Of course, I frequently will use any number of reasons to "justify" why I need to be pampered, and pampered I was at the spa!

The VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa is conveniently located in the center of Interlaken, providing us with the opportunity to venture out and explore.  

Read articles on the VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs Recipes, and Spas sections. 

VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa
Höheweg 41
CH-3800 Interlaken
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 (0) 33 828 28 28
Fax:                 +41 (0) 33 828 28 80
Email:             Interlaken@Victoria-Jungfrau.ch
www.Victoria-Jungfrau.ch   

We took a tour of Interlaken and saw the "Little Man of Mt. Harder" behind the VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa, and in front of the hotel, cows amiably grazed in the bucolic park across the street. In the summer, farmers bring their cows up in the Alps where they can graze on a variety of 120 different herbs, compared to 12 herbs that grow in the valley, and in the autumn, they bring the cows back down. As a result, Alpekäse, alpine cheese, as well as alpine butter and cream, are highly desirable for its diverse taste.

Gradually Interlaken merged into the charming old town of Unterseen, with a church dating to 1470 in the main square. While in Unterseen, we visited the Touristik-Museum der Jungfrau-Region, which tells the history of the town through clothing, carriages, alpine sports equipment and more. The museum is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm from May until mid-October. Admission is charged; there is no charge with the Swiss Pass.  

Touristik-Museum der Jungfrau-Region
Stadthausplatz
Obere Gasse 26
Unterseen-Interlaken
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 (0) 33 822 98 39
Email:             c.wyss@wf-geometer.ch   
www.Unterseen.ch/Museum      

When in Interlaken, it is imperative to take a trip to see the mountains. Our first mountain experience was to Niederhorn. On a beautiful sunny day we walked a short distance from the hotel to the Interlaken West train station and caught the number 115 Postbus (using our Swiss Pass) to the nearby town of Beatenberg.  

At Beatenberg, we rode the Niederhornbahn gondola to reach Niederhorn (1,950 meters/6,392 feet). Arriving at the summit, we met our guide Julia Vogt and went hiking where we had spectacular views of the famous Alpine trio Eiger, (3,970 meters/13,026 feet), Mönch (4,107meters/13,475 feet) and Jungfrau (4158 meters/13,642 feet).  

We could have ridden Trotti-bikes (like a bike without a seat) down the mountain, but we decided that perhaps that was one adventure where we would just say no. Instead, we took the gondola and the cable car to Beatenburg.  

As luck would have it, as we arrived in Beatenburg, the farmers were bringing their cows down from their "summer vacation" in the alps, and it was definitely a sight to behold, with the cows decorated with flower garlands, and wearing enormous bells around their necks. Although many people have run with the bulls in Pamplona, how many people can say that they ran with the cows in Beatenberg? I could not resist "running" along side the cows as they made their way through the town. 

After "running" with the cows, we took the number 21 Postbus back from Beatenberg back to Interlaken West. Check the Niederhorn website for times and prices.  

Thunersee-Beatenberg-Nierderhorn Bahnen
CH-3803 Beatenberg
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 (0) 33 841 08 41
Fax:                 +41 (0) 33 841 14 72
Email:             info@Niederhorn.ch  
www.Niederhorn.ch  

The following day we visited the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe. For me, Jungfraujoch defines Interlaken, as the mountain stands proud at 3,345 meters (11,333 feet above sea level). An unequivocal landmark, it must be experienced to truly appreciate its majestic beauty. 

We hiked Jungfraujoch, played in the eternal snow, and left with incredible lasting memories. Check their website for times and other information to help plan your trip. Read about our experience Hiking Jungfraujoch in the Adventures section.  

Jungfraubahnen
Harderstrasse 14
CH-3800 Interlaken
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 33 828 72 33
Fax:                 +41 38 828 72 60
Email:             info@Jungfrau.ch  
www.Jungfraubahn.ch   

Once again using our Swiss Pass, we took the 11:08 am train from Interlaken OST to Brienz, where we caught the number 109 bus to Ballenberg West arriving shortly before 12:00 pm where we met  Andrea Brunner of the Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum for Rural Culture.

The 660,00 square meter park features 100 rural houses from all over Switzerland, and 250 farm animals, to create a look into rural life. The museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the distinct differences of Switzerland through language, customs, and architecture, as well as through craft courses. There are several restaurants in the park offering cuisine from many of the Swiss regions, including Bernese, Ticino, and the Alps. The museum is open from April until October. Admission is charged. Check their website for actual dates and hours, as well as for special events.  

Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum for Rural Culture
CH-3855 Brienz
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 33 828 72 33
Fax:                 +41 38 828 72 60
Email:             info@Ballengberg.ch  
www.Ballenberg.ch   

Since first visiting Interlaken many years ago when we first saw paragliding, the moment that we had been waiting for had finally arrived, somehow I feel that I should add a drum roll here, … paragliding with Twin Paragliding.  

We love new adventures, and paragliding was definitely an adventure that we wanted to add to our long list. After researching the company, Twin Paragliding, we were ready to "Discover why birds sing" according to the their slogan. We had an incredible experience and found that this sport can be highly addictive! We cannot wait to return to Interlaken and go back up again! Read about our experience in the article: Paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland.    

Twin Paragliding
Pilotenvermittlung
C/O Peter T. Bühler
Postfach 26
CH-3800 Matten-Interlaken
Switzerland
Telephone:      +41 79 622 51 00
Fax:                 +41 33 822 28 88
www.TwinParagliding.com   

Interlaken had indeed confirmed that there is much more to this resort city than just skiing, although we do look forward to experiencing skiing on a future trip.

It was now time to say goodbye to Interlaken and take the train using our Swiss Pass on the Swiss Travel System to our next destination: Bern, the capital of Switzerland.    

Switzerland is a country with many languages: Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Swiss German is a spoken language, and High German is the spoken and written language for sixty eight percent of the Swiss population. The rest of the Swiss population speaks French (18%), Italian (12%), or Romansch (approximately 40,000) depending on their geographic location.  

While many Swiss speak English, it is always helpful to have some basic language knowledge when traveling.  

German Vocabulary

Guide to pronunciation

ß = strong S sound (like a hiss)
j = sounds like y
ie = sounds like ea
ü = sounds like ou
w = sounds like v

Basic Vocabulary

Health

Food

Beverages

Read other articles on Switzerland in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Spas, Liquor Cabinet, Wine Cellar, and Adventures sections.  

For information on Switzerland, please visit: www.MySwitzerland.com. For information on Lucerne: www.Luzern.org. For information on Interlaken: www.InterlakenTourism.ch.  For information on Bern: www.BernInfo.com. For information on Zurich: www.Zuerich.com. For information on Swiss International Air Lines: www.swiss.com. For information on the Swiss Pass: www.SwissTravelSystem.ch.

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