By rail
Interlaken Ost, ~2 h from Zurich
Europe · Switzerland
Interlaken, Switzerland
Between two lakes below the Jungfrau
Getting there
By air
Zurich (ZRH), ~2 h by train
Best time to visit
June to September — summer
Don't miss
The Jungfraujoch
Harder Kulm
Lake Brienz
Lake Thun
Things to do
The Jungfraujoch
Paragliding
Boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Bob Tan · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
Iseltwald's lakeside village
Questions travellers ask
How long does it take to reach Interlaken from Zurich?
About 2 hours by train from Zurich (ZRH), arriving at Interlaken Ost.
What can I do in Interlaken?
Visit the Jungfraujoch and Harder Kulm, try paragliding, and take a boat trip on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz.
Is summer the time to go to Interlaken?
Yes — June to September. Bring layers.
Is there a lakeside village worth a detour from Interlaken?
Yes — Iseltwald's lakeside village. Round off the day with cheese fondue.
About Interlaken
- Lakeside
- Mountains
Where it is
Interlaken is a resort town in the Bernese Oberland, in the canton of Bern in central Switzerland, built on the Bödeli plain along the Aare river between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau rising to the south.
History
The town grew around an Augustinian monastery, first recorded in 1133. From about 1800 it became an international resort, helped by the Unspunnen festivals of Swiss culture in 1805 and 1808, and grand hotels rose along the Höheweg; in 1912 a railway reached the Jungfraujoch, the highest point in Europe that can be reached by train.
People
Locals speak Bernese German, a Swiss German dialect. Oberland traditions include yodelling, the alphorn and the Unspunnen festival, where Swiss wrestlers compete and strongmen throw a heavy boulder, and the nearby village of Brienz is known for woodcarving.
Known for
- Trips to the Jungfraujoch
- The Harder Kulm viewpoint
- Paragliding, skydiving and canyoning
- Boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
- Views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau
Did you know?
Interlaken takes its name from the Latin inter lacus, between the lakes, after its position between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.