INTERLAKEN

Top things to do in Interlaken 

PART 2

8. Summer Activities

Come to Interlaken from June to September and there’s a dizzying amount of things to do outside.Top of your list should be to rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard for Lake Thun or Brienz, and there are lots of companies to consult for this.On land you might be ready for something more exciting than a simple hike.The terrain around the lakes couldn’t be better suited to canyoning: You’ll don safety gear and a neoprene suit and rappel down waterfalls and gorges.The sharp drops that encircle Interlaken’s lakes are a launch pad for paragliders, whose colourful chutes are a common sight in summer.This isn’t an activity for the faint of heart but is worth every penny if you can muster the courage for a tandem flight.

9. Höheweg

This street and promenade is like the backbone of Interlaken, diagonal and parallel to the Aare as it flows from Lake Brienz to Lake Thun.Walking in the direction of Unterseen, the left side of Höheweg has been kept free of construction.There’s a line of flower gardens and parks like Höhematte which leaves clear views to the Bernese Alps.And on the right side is a string of high-class hotels interspersed with boutiques, bars and cafes, as well as Interlaken’s casino.

10. Ice Magic

In winter it’s normal for towns to set up temporary ice rinks, but Interlaken goes way beyond that.On Höheweg from the middle of December to the end of February, Ice Magic is a small world of ice.There are five rinks at Ice Magic, all interconnected by 450 metres of ice ramps.In the evenings you can hire a lane at the Bavarian curling rink.Unlike the Olympic sport this game is easy to pick up and more like bowling on ice.After a fun couple of hours zipping around the ice you can warm up with hot chocolate or mulled wine, or share fondue at the chalet-style eatery.

11. Weissenau Nature Reserve

Away from the tourist trail and souvenir shops you find a moment of peace and solitude on the east shore of Lake Thun, just outside Unterseen.The Weissenau Nature Reserve is a wetland site blessed with sumptuous views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.Not many people make it to this corner of the lake, so when it’s warm can trail over the wooden walkway and admire the lake, birdlife and wildflowers in your own time.The reserve also holds the ruins of Weissanau Castle, a Swiss national heritage site, dating back to the 1200s and which you can scale to survey the tree canopy and Lake Thun.

12. Justistal Alpine Dairy

Get up bright and early and take the twisting mountain road to Beatenberg for a tour of an authentic Alpine dairy.Tours are only given first thing in the morning, starting at 07:15. You’ll strike out on an invigorating walk in the pasture to view the herd with a guide, before meeting the “dairyman”. He’ll show you behind the scenes of a real Emmental dairy, and the cheese made here will be waiting for you on the table for a communal breakfast at the end of the tour.

13. Winter Sport

Now, Interlaken isn’t a ski resort per se, but its amenities, location and transport connections make it a good place to plant yourself for day or two of skiing or snowboarding in winter.The Jungfrau Ski Region is on the radar and incorporates Grindelwald First, Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen and Mürren-Schilthorn.Even closer is Beatenberg-Niederhorn to the north of Interlaken, which has slopes that will suit families and newcomers to skiing.Here on the north side of Lake Thun and at Spiez to the south there are also cross-country trails, many overlooking the lake.If you’re willing to go the extra mile there’s an awesome 15-kilometre toboggan run from the Faulhorn peak down to Grindelwald.

14. Spiez

On Lake Thun’s south shore, Spiez is a picturesque town wrapped in vineyards and reached by car, train or boat in a matter of minutes from Interlaken West.The town is crested by the powerful square keep of its castle, which was first built in the 13th century and gained its current appearance in the 1600s.This is well worth a visit, along with the 1,000-year-old Romanesque church, and has information in three languages about the succession of noble families that owned the castle under the Kingdom of Burgundy and Habsburg Empire.There’s also a museum about Spiez’s winemaking history, and trails begin right in the town and wind off into the Niederhorn Range.

15. Panoramabrücke Sigriswil

This new panoramic footbridge on the above Lake Thun is part of a plan to make the lakeshore even more accessible for pedestrians.Three of seven bridges have been constructed so far, and Panoramabrücke Sigriswil is the most impressive to date.It soars 180 metres over the Gummi Gorge and is 330 metres in length.You’ll never tire of the view of the Bernese Alps looming over the deep blue of Lake Thun, no matter how many times you admire it, and this bridge is the one of the best spots to do exactly that.The bridge is on a path that will carry you down to the charming town of Oberhofen, which has a beach and a castle on the water.