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| Tourism |
Interlaken
Interlaken is one of Switzerland's most popular holiday resorts in the canton of Bern, situated 67 Kilometres south east of Bern. Interlaken lies between two lakes Thun and Brienz and at the foot of the valley leading to the mountains of Jungfrau, Eiger and others - some of the highest mountains in the Alps. Throughout the year, there are hundreds of kilometres of well-marked trails open and there are many opportunities for leisurely strolls, serious hiking (including on the Aletsch glacier at 3000 metres), mountain biking and mountain climbing (up to and including the famous North Face of the Eiger!). For more details, see the Interlaken tourist web site (http://www.interlakentourism.ch/ - available in English, French or German).
For those who prefer water, there are regular sailings on both lakes plus a range of rafting and canoeing offers. For lovers of trains and railways, there is the line from Interlaken through the Eiger mountain up to the Jungfraujoch station at 3450 metres altitude plus several other scenic routes. There are a number of cable car lines including the Schilthorn run up to the famous revolving restaurant at 2970 metres. And if you want to come down from the mountains quietly, there is a paragliding club.
For a more peaceful excursion, there are the traffic-free mountain villages of Murren and Wengen, both reached by mountain railway, cable car or road. There is the Alpine garden at Schynige Platte at 2068 metres. At Ballenberg at the far end of the lake of Brienz there is an fascinating open air museum of Swiss village life over the past century. For those who need a shopping fix and for whom Interlaken is not enough, Bern is only an hour by train and as well as its shops it has some fine museums and other tourist attractions.
Recently-opened is the new
Mystery Park where there are
themed pavillions
and interactive exhibits of some of the mysteries of early civilisation inspired
by the author Erich von Daeniken.
All of these and more (caves, waterfalls, bus rides, panoramic views and all the usual indoor and outdoor sports) are easily accessible from Interlaken and since September is still high season, all the attractions should still be open. They can be done individually or in groups, with and without the use of a rental car. Nearer the event we will arrange some organised excursions based on the level of interest of those who register and their partners.
There is a full range of restaurants available in the town, including about 20 within 5 -10 minutes walk from the conference centre (which is in the middle of town). These range from a McDonalds fast food to the gourmet restaurants of the Victoria Jungfrau hotel. We have not sampled them all but we have compiled a review of some; validated input is welcome for others.
Some photos from the region of Interlaken (note that most of them are slightly larger than 1MB)
The first series are in the area of Jungfraujoch, reachable by mountain cog railway from Interlaken
From left to right, a view of the Mönch, the Jungfraujoch plateau and the Jungfrau Taken from Kleine Scheidegg which itself is at 2061 metres altitude.
From left to right, a view of the Jungfrau and the Silberhorn taken from Kleine Scheidegg
A view of the Mönch from Kleine Scheidegg. In front is the mountain railway which goes from Kleine Scheidegg through the north face of the Eiger and the Mönch up to Jungfraujoch.
Kleine Scheidegg looking down from the North Face of the Eiger. (You don't need to be a climber, the train stops in the tunnel!)
Kleine Scheidegg from the North Face of the Eiger
The train from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch in the tunnel inside the Eiger
Eismeer - icefields to the south of the Eiger
Eismeer - icefields to the south of the Eiger
The top of the Aletch Glacier taken from Jungfraujoch (3454 metres)
The top of the Aletch Glacier from Jungfraujoch
The Jungfrau seen from Jungfraujoch. The Jungfrau is 4165 metres high.
The Jungfrau from Jungfraujoch
The Jungfrau (left) and the Silberhorn (right)
The village of Wengen and the Lauterbrunnen valley taken from the Lauberhorn
The next series are in the Schilthorn region, reachable from Interlaken by post bus or car and then a cable car ride up
From left to right, the Eiger, the Eiger Glacier and the Mönch, taken from the Schilthorn (Piz Gloria)
The revolving restaurant at the Schilthorn. This is where the ski chase in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service started from. It is at 2970 metres.
The view from the Schilthorn, from left to right, of the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau
Murren from the Schilthorn cable car. Murren is at 1650 metres.
Murren valley from the Schilthorn cable car. In the background are the Eiger and the Mönch
Murren valley from the Schilthorn cable car. In the background are the Eiger and the Mönch
Then some photos from Interlaken itself.
View from the gardens in front of Interlaken Casino and Kursaal, looking towards the mountains
Casino and Kursaal The Conference Centre is behind this building with the entrance on the right of this photo. This view is from the main road of Interlaken.
Casino and Kursaal with Harder Kulm in the background
Victoria Jungfrau Hotel Interlaken's best 5 star hotel, in front of the Kursaal
View from in front of the Kursaal Through the gap is the Jungfrau
And finally a view of Interlaken from Schynige Platte at 2068 metres.
Interlaken and the Thunersee (lake of Thun)