Is there anything to do in Interlaken besides see Jungfraujoch?

Question

My family is taking a trip to Germany and Italy but we are also planning to visit Interlaken. We originally wanted to take the gear train to Jungfraujoch, but upon finding the prices of the train tickets we realized we could never afford it with four of us.

I'd still like to visit Interlaken though because it seems to have charm. Are there any other fun and interesting things we could do there?

Answer 1

Here are a few other things you can do in Interlaken

1. Visit Schilthorn - Piz Gloria ~  The most spectacular 360° panorama in the Alps! Dine-and-wine in the world's first revolving restaurant at an altitude of nearly 3000 metres. Impressive views embrace some 200 snow-capped peaks, ranging from the Bernese Alps to Mont Blanc in France and Germany's Black Forest.

2. Niederhorn - You can get there by railway, by boat, by bus, by funicular and by aerial cableway. The Niederhorn above Beatenberg is one of the most popular vantage points in the Bernese Oberland. Fine panoramic views extend from the Lakes of Thun and Brienz to the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau.

3. Enjoy swimming in the Lake of Thun - crystal-clear waters ...a bit cold, I must admit but it's worth the experience

4. You must by all means taste the local raclette and fondue on a night out. I mean ..either or ...don't order both of them on the same night. I recommend a great Swiss wine - Chasselas or Fendant as it is called in the canton of Valais. Pls remember that you can only drink white dry wine, or tea or kirsch with your fondue or raclette.

5. You can also go hiking, cycling and ...shopping , of course !

6. Museums to visit :

-Mystery Park. The Mystery Park is a museum like theme park about mysteries of the world, e.g. Nazca or Stonehenge. - tel. [phone]

- Freilichtmuseum Ballenberg. In this open air museum you can see historical houses and gardens. There are about 100 houses from all over Switzerland. The houses have been broken down and rebuild at Ballenberg.  - tel. [phone]

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Answer 2

First of all: Interlaken as such is nothing more than a real tourist trap, the town is even not nice, it's crowded with trillions of j**s, Chinese, Russians, Yanks and South Americans. But dont' miss the fantastic view onto the Jungraujoch from the centre - the meadow there is protected, nobody is allowed to build (no joke!).

The charming thing is that Interlaken lays in the heart of where Swiss tourism has been invented. Here are some ideas that you and your parents can think about:

Three passes roundtrip: For this full day trip, take the train to Meiringen, then with the postal coach over Grimsel, Furka and Susten. You'll see mountains, alpine dams and reservoirs. It's simply breathtaking, a real highlight, unforgettable - and something not everybody does; still, you have to book in advance.

Schilthorn (Piz Gloria): Much better view onto the alps then from Jungfraujoch. From Interlaken by train and cable car via Mürren (http://www.muerren.ch/start-e.htm). See pictures here: http://www.schilthorn.ch/index.php?set[p... Even a James Bond movie has been taken up there!

Train trip via Wengen (http://www.wengen.com/) to Kleine Scheidegg beneath the famous Eiger North face and below Jungfraujoch. Walk down (easy!) to Grindelwald, the "Glacier village", take the train back to Interlaken, round trip ticket available in Interlaken.

If you're medium to good hikers (not mountain climbers), I definitely recommend the trail from Schynige Platte (http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/DesktopDef... via Männlichen (http://www.maennlichen.ch/) to Grosse Scheidegg - about six hours through plain mountainous nature.

If that isn't enough, inquire at Interlaken tourism, they have tons of other suggestions - such as wild water rafting, or, or, or... Here is your contact: http://www.interlaken.ch/index.php?id=56...

Anyway, remember that nothing is really cheap in Switzerland. But you get what you pay for. Have fun in the land of the Helvets!

Edit: Mistery park has been closed by November 19, 2006!

Answer 3

We spent a couple of days in Interlaken two years back. We did spend one day going to Jungfrau, which was nice, but the second day I went with my parents to the Trummelbach Falls, which were really beautiful. My brother, on the other hand, went to this place called Mystery Park, which is based on the book Chariots of the Gods, so if you've read that you may want to visit this place.

You can also go on these ferry/boat rides which run from Interlaken to Thun, which take about 30-60 minutes.

The main attraction of Interlaken, Thun, Grindelwald, and Wilderswil (the last two being nearby hamlets we happened to visit as well) are that they're small and charming towns, so just walking around id a joy in itself. We didn't explore the town of Interlaken itself all that much, which I regret, but we did walk down the main road between the two stations, and it was lovely!

Also, most hotels or inns there and even in the nearby hamlets (we stayed in Wilderswil) give this pass to guests which allows free use of trains and buses within the Interlaken area, so that makes things a bit more convenient. So you may want to find that out before you book your hotel.

Hope you have a great trip! :)