Interlaken

Switzerland’s Interlaken is a quintessential resort town, views and all

Interlaken, the tourist capital of Bernese Oberland, is 34 miles from Bern and 81 miles from Zurich. Cableways and cog railways designed for steeply inclined mountains connect it with most of the region's villages and dazzling sights, including the Jungfrau’s snowy heights. Excursion possibilities from Interlaken are both numerous and dazzling. This "town between the lakes" (Thun and Brienz) has been a vacation resort for more than 300 years. Though it originated as a summer resort, it has become a year-round destination attracting winter sports enthusiasts during the ski season.

An Augustinian monastery was founded in Interlaken in 1130 but was later closed during the Reformation; the ruins can still be seen in a park in the center of town. Tourism to the area begun in 1690. However, the city’s travel industry as we know it today dawned at the beginning of the 19th century, when artists and writers, many of them British, were drawn here for the scenery. As Switzerland’s railroad services improved, a steady stream of visitors followed, including notables like Mark Twain, Goethe, Wagner, Mendelssohn, and European royalties.

© 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.