Bernese Oberland

8 Getting There & Around
The Bernese Oberland is easily accessible by
road and train from major Swiss airports,
including Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zürich, as well
as from Lucerne.
Note that a Swiss or Eurail Pass alone will take
you only so far into the Jungfrau Region. See
p122 for more information.
INTERLAKEN
POP 5400 / ELEV 570M
Once Interlaken made the Victorians swoon
with mountain vistas from the chandelierlit
confi nes of grand hotels; today it makes
daredevils scream with adrenalin-loaded
adventures. Straddling the glittering Lakes
Thun and Brienz and dazzled by the pearly
whites of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the
scenery here is mind-blowing. Particularly,
some say, if you’re abseiling waterfalls,
thrashing white water or gliding soundlessly
above 4000m peaks.
Though the streets are fi lled with enough
yodelling kitsch to make Heidi cringe, Interlaken
still makes a terrifi c base for exploring
the Bernese Oberland. Its adventure capital
status has spawned a breed of funky bars,
party-mad hostels and restaurants serving
fl avours more imaginative than fondue.
1 Sights
Cross the turquoise Aare River for a mooch
around Interlaken’s compact and quiet old
quarter, Unterseen.
Tourist Museum MUSEUM
(Obere Gasse 26; adult/child Sfr5/2; h2-5pm Tue-
Sun May-Oct) This low-key museum sits on a
cobbled, fountain-dotted square in Unterseen.
The permanent exhibition presents a
romp through tourism in the region with
costumes, carriages and other curios.
Heimwehfluh MOUNTAIN
(www.heimwehfl uh.ch, in German; funicular adult/
child return Sfr14/7, toboggan Sfr6; h10am-5pm
mid-Apr–late Oct) When the sun’s out, take
the nostalgic funicular up to family-friendly
Heimwehfl uh for long views across Interlaken.
Kids love the bob run down the hill –
lay off the brakes to pick up speed.
Harder Kulm MOUNTAIN
(www.harderkulm.ch, in German; adult/child return
Sfr27/13.50; h8.10am-6.25pm late Apr-Oct) For
far-reaching vistas to the 4000m giants,
ride the funicular to 1322m Harder Kulm.
Many hiking paths begin here if you want
to stretch your legs. The wildlife park near
the valley station is home to furry Alpine
critters, including marmots and ibex.
2 Activities
Tempted to hurl yourself off a bridge, down
a cliff or along a raging river? You’re in
the right place. Switzerland is the world’s
second-biggest adventure-sports centre and
Interlaken is its busiest hub.
Almost every heart-stopping pursuit you
can think of is off ered here. You can whitewater
raft on the Lütschine, Simme and
Saane Rivers, go canyoning in the Saxetet,
Grimsel or Chli Schliere gorges, and canyon
jump at the Gletscherschlucht near Grindelwald.
If that doesn’t grab you, there’s paragliding,
glacier bungee jumping, skydiving,
ice climbing, hydrospeeding and, phew,
much more.
Sample prices are around Sfr110 for rafting
or canyoning, Sfr120 for hydrospeeding,
Sfr130 for bungee or canyon jumping, Sfr160
for tandem paragliding, Sfr180 for ice climbing,
Sfr225 for hang-gliding, and Sfr430 for
skydiving. A half-day mountain-bike tour
will set you back around Sfr25.
Most excursions are without incident, but
there’s always a small risk and it’s wise to
ask about safety records and procedures.
The major operators able to arrange most
sports from May to September include the
following. Advance bookings are essential.
Alpinraft ADVENTURE SPORTS
(%033 823 41 00; www.alpinraft.com; Hauptstrasse
7; h8am-6.30pm)
Outdoor Interlaken ADVENTURE SPORTS
(%033 826 77 19; www.outdoor-interlaken.ch;
Hauptstrasse 15; h8am-6pm)
Swissraft ADVENTURE SPORTS
(%081 911 52 50; www.swissraft.ch; Obere
Jungfraustrasse 72)
Scenic Air SCENIC FLIGHTS
(%033 821 00 11; www.scenicair.ch, www.skydive
switzerland.com) Arranges scenic fl ights,
skydiving and other activities.
Hang Gliding Interlaken SCENIC FLIGHTS
(%079 770 0704; www.hangglidinginterlaken.com)
Organises hang-gliding above Interlaken.
The meeting point is Hotel Splendid.
Bohag SCENIC FLIGHTS
(%033 822 90 00; www.bohag.ch, in German;
Gsteigwiler) Scenic fl ight specialist.
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INTERLAKEN BERNESE OBERLAND SIGHTS SIGHTS INTERLAKEN