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Interlaken
Interlaken is a town in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and a gateway to Grindelwald, Wengen and the Jungfrau region.
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Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay with a level walk to the beach in Interlaken
- Places to stay in Interlaken that work without a car
- Quiet places to stay in Interlaken: few bars nearby
- Lively places to stay in Interlaken: bars and clubs close by
- Within 30 minutes by car of Wengen
- Within 30 minutes by car of Lauterbrunnen Valley and its waterfalls
- Within 30 minutes by car of Mürren
- Within 30 minutes by car of Lake Brienz and Brienz
- Within 30 minutes by car of Grindelwald
Best things to do in Interlaken
The one thing not to miss
See the Jungfraujoch, the 3,463 m saddle between the Jungfrau and the Mönch. Reach it by the Jungfrau Railway, Europe's highest railway.
Jungfraujoch and the Jungfrau Railway1. Jungfraujoch and the Jungfrau Railway
A glacier saddle at 3,463 m between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, on the upper snows of the Aletsch Glacier. The Jungfrau Railway runs 9 km from Kleine Scheidegg, mostly inside a tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch.
Check the operator's timetable and weather before you go; this is a high-altitude site.
13,410 readers a month
2. The Eiger
A 3,967 m peak overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, described as one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. Its north face rises more than 3,000 m above the two valleys.
12,534 readers a month
Sources
3. Lauterbrunnen Valley and its waterfalls
A valley village whose municipality also includes Wengen and Mürren. Staubbach Falls drops 297 m just to the west, and Trümmelbach Falls are ten waterfalls inside a mountain, reached by tunnels, galleries and stairways.
Check the Trümmelbach Falls' opening season with the operator before you go.
8,174 readers a month
4. Grindelwald
A village and municipality in the Bernese Oberland, below the Eiger, and a base for the Jungfrau Region.
7,882 readers a month
5. Mürren
A Walser mountain village at 1,638 m that cannot be reached by public road. It has a view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and about 430 year-round residents.
2,547 readers a month
Sources
6. Wengen
A mountain village at 1,274 m in the Jungfrau Region, with about 1,150 year-round residents. It hosts the Lauberhorn ski races each January.
2,382 readers a month
Sources
7. Lake Brienz and Brienz
A lake about 14 km long, 564 m above sea level and up to 260 m deep, fed by the Aare and the Giessbach. The village of Brienz sits on its northern shore at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn.
2,242 readers a month
8. Aletsch Glacier
The largest glacier in the Alps, about 23 km long and covering roughly 81.7 km2. It is retreating, and lies in the area UNESCO lists as the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.
Check access and conditions with the operators before you plan the day.
2,129 readers a month
9. Schilthorn
A 2,970 m summit above Mürren, reached by a cable car that holds the record as the steepest in the world. It overlooks the Lauterbrunnen valley.
Check the cable car's operation and the weather before you go.
1,889 readers a month
10. Kleine Scheidegg
A mountain pass at 2,061 m, below and between the Eiger and the Lauberhorn. It is where the Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch begins.
1,520 readers a month
Just missed the list: Lake Thun (11th by readers; the largest lake wholly in one Swiss canton); Harderkulm (12th by readers; funicular viewpoint above Interlaken)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Jungfraujoch and the Jungfrau Railway leads with about 13,410 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
Research required. Area notes for this destination are not written yet. The top 10 above is sourced; the rest of this page is an outline.
Affiliate disclosure: Booking links on this site are partner links. Once our partnership is active we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. How this works.