Interlaken Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Interlaken, Berne, Switzerland)

The tourist attractions of Interlaken are seasonal to say the least, with recreational activities and extreme adventure sports all being led by the weather. During the summer, tourists holidaying in Interlaken are able to enjoy many recreational attractions around the town and surrounding mountain resorts all over the Swiss Alps, ranging from hiking to mountain biking.

However, it is during the winter months that Interlaken and the whole of the Jungfrau region really comes into its own, being transformed into a major winter resort, with endless skiing resorts all around. The heavy snowfalls create nothing short of a white winter wonderland, just waiting to be explore by ski, snowboard or sledge.

Funicular Railway / Cog-Wheel Railway

Both the funicular and cog-wheel railways offers a very pleasant way to sightsee, with some wonderful views as you travel. The funicular railway is very steep and heads up the Harder Kulm Mountain, where birds-eye views of the Jungfrau region and a mountain restaurant and the main attractions. The Schynige Platte Railway (Schynige Platte Bahn) links the neighbouring town of Wilderwil with the beautiful Alpine garden atop the Schynige Platte plateau. This short cog-wheel railway is epecially scenic and the Alpine gardens themselves are home to both than 500 different kinds of flora.
Open hours: daily, May to October (Funicular Railway), late May to late November (Cog-Wheel Railway), seasonal varitions
Admission: charge

Summer Sports

The choice of summer sports and recreational attractions around Interlaken is what attracts such a large number of backpackers between June and September. If you are a lovely of the great outdoors and adventure sports, then you may find that your itinerary quickly becomes cram-packed. Choices include:

• Summer walking trails - along the pathways around the shorelines of both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun
• Hiking trails - around the Schynige Platte and Harder mountain, close to Interlaken
• Swimming - possible in both the neighbouring lakes and at the Burgseeli Nature Reserve, with the waters being at their warmest in July and August
• Adventure sports - including everything from white-water rafting and hang-gliding, to rock climbing, kayaking and even bungee jumping
• Sailing - tourists tend to find that Lake Thun is the place or sailing, with sailing boats available in nearby Neuhaus
• Cycling - with some superb mountain bike trails surrounding the entire Lake Brienz, a route lasting around four hours. Many tourists also choose to cycle to the attractions Lauterbrunnen, which are around two hours from Interlaken
• Skydiving and scenic flights - for those looking for the ulmiate adrenaline rush, skydiving about the Swiss Alps is hard to top

Open hours: hours vary
Admission: charge

Winter Sports

Surrounded by so many exceptional mountain resorts, as soon as the snow begins to fall, the winter resorts surrounding Interlaken draw literally thousands each year, who come here to ski, snowboard and more. Even if winter sport attractions aren't necessarily your thing, the snow-covered winter scenery is simply awesome. Popular winter sports around Interlaken include:

• Cross-country skiing - in the winter months, superb cross-country ski runs crop up everywhere, with some notable runs around Aeschiried, Beatenberg, Habkern and Lombach, amongst many other skiing locations
• Skiing / snowboarding - the ski resorts around the town are connected by the regular Skibus, which is completely free of charge for tourists holiding a Jungfrau winter region pass. The main ski resorts are Grindelwald First, Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen and Mürren-Schilthorn, while families with children should consider the winter resorts of either Beatenberg-Niederhorn or Habkern
• Sledging - there are a number of excellent sledging runs around Interlaken. Catch the gondola to the winter resort of Grindelwald and then hike uphill to the Faulhorn peak. From here, the sledge run stretches for an awesome 15 km / 9 miles
• Ice-skating - a popular ice-skating rink is located nearby, in the neighbouring suburb of Matten