Interlaken & Jungfrau Region

Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe), Grindelwald and the waterfall town of Lauterbrunnen: the prime core region for Alpine hiking and scenic railways.

Interlaken lies in the Bernese Oberland in the Swiss canton of Bern, sandwiched between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (“Interlaken” means “between the lakes”), and is the gateway town to the Jungfrau region. With Interlaken at the center, the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Grindelwald Valley to the south form a U shape on either side of the three great peaks, the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger, and cogwheel trains, cable cars and hiking trails link viewpoints such as Kleine Scheidegg, Schilthorn, First and Männlichen into a three-dimensional “mountain playground.” In terms of climate, June–September is the prime season for hiking, paragliding and lake cruises, with mountain temperatures of 10–20°C, while the Jungfraujoch station at 3,454 m is only around 0°C even in midsummer, so bring warm clothing; December–March is ski season, with Grindelwald-Wengen and Mürren-Schilthorn the main ski areas; in April–May and October–November some cable cars close for maintenance, so check the official website before you go. Getting there: it takes about 2 hours by train from Zurich Airport and about 50 minutes from Bern to Interlaken Ost station, which is also the starting point for the Jungfrau Railway, Lake Brienz boats and the Harder Kulm funicular. For getting around the region, the Jungfrau Travel Pass (3–8 days) is recommended, or use the Swiss Travel Pass for discounts; in peak season, seats on the Jungfrau Railway should be reserved in advance. The core areas can be divided into three: first, the Jungfraujoch – Kleine Scheidegg – Grindelwald line (the summit, the First Cliff Walk, the Eiger North Face); second, the Lauterbrunnen – Mürren – Schilthorn line (waterfall valley, cliffside village, the 007 revolving restaurant); third, the two-lake area (Iseltwald, Lake Brienz boats, the Harder Kulm viewpoint, Thun Castle on Lake Thun). Plan on 3–4 days, and staying in Interlaken or in Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen makes early starts easier. Mountain weather changes quickly, so check the live webcams on the official site before heading up; high altitude may cause mild altitude sickness, so go slowly and drink plenty of water; wear non-slip shoes for hiking, as some trails still have snow before mid-June.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries