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Interlaken is picture postcard perfect, with its crystal lakes, snowcapped mountains and verdant valleys. The land ‘between the lakes’ Thun and Brienz, Interlaken is one of Switzerland’s oldest and most famous resorts. The Swiss landscape is at its spectacular best. The town is the perfect base for exploring the countryside, particularly the Bernese Highlands.

Even just one day is enough to drink in the splendors of Interlaken. You can combine your visit with an excursion to the magnificent Jungfrau, or any of the nearby mountain resorts.

Did you know that Interlaken has a population of about 5700 people, of which 24% are foreign nationals!

For free travel for all tourist within Interlaken - on check in at your hotel, just ask for your Interlaken 'Guest Card' - this allows you to travel on the local buses completely free of charge.

Interlaken derives its name from the Latin phrase, Inter Lacus, meaning ‘between the lakes’. The town is situated between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

Historically Speaking

The name Interlaken – ‘between the lakes’ - probably originated from the Celtic ‘Inderlappon’. The Celts were the first to found a settlement between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Over the years, the Celts were displaced by the Romans and later the Alemanni. By the 12th century, a monastery of Augustinian canons had been set up on the site. The monastery gained in power and wealth for two centuries. By the 1500s the monastery declined and was dissolved during the upheavals caused by the reformation. Interlaken now developed as a holiday town and health resort, a trend popularized by the nobility of Europe, who flocked to Interlaken in droves. By the mid-19th century, Interlaken was one of Switzerland’s most popular resorts, and continues to be one even today.