Interlaken sits, as its name suggests, between two lakes (Thun and Brienz, both an improbable turquoise fed by glacial meltwater) and functions as the base for exploring the Jungfrau region's high alpine terrain, from gentle lake cruises to some of Europe's most extreme adventure sports.
The Jungfraujoch
The Jungfraujoch, "Top of Europe," is reached by a cog railway climbing to 3,454 metres through tunnels blasted into the mountain itself, the highest railway station in Europe, with an ice palace, observation deck, and views across the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps.
It's an expensive half-day trip, but book the first train up if possible, cloud cover typically builds through the day, and morning offers the best chance of clear Alpine panoramas.
Adventure Sports and the Lakes
Interlaken built its modern reputation on adventure tourism, paragliding over the valley, canyoning through gorges, and skydiving with the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau as backdrop are all bookable through operators in town, most with same-day availability.
For something calmer, a boat cruise on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, past cliffside castles and villages reachable only by water, shows the region at a gentler pace, Brienz's water is a more intense turquoise, worth the extra half hour.
Recommended Stay · Interlaken · Höheweg
Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel
A grand 19th-century resort hotel facing the Jungfrau massif directly down the Höheweg promenade, the region's most storied address, with a spa built for recovering from a day on the mountain.
