Gorgeous Muerren
Interlaken is a majestic little place. Nested right at the heart of the Swiss mountains, staying here for days is just so easy. With its mountains views, hiking options, adventure acitvities and plenty of gorgeous picnic spots, one doesn’t need to go far to feel totally relaxed. But if you make your way through the windy roads to get to Interlaken, you just cannot stop there. Why you ask? Well, because Interlaken is just the perfect base for exploring other picturesque places in the Swiss Jungfrau and Bernese Oberland regions. You might be surpised to know that even though Interaken has a population of only about 5,000 people, it’s the largest town in the Jungfrau area. So you can imagine how tiny and peaceful the other places are. Here are the 4 most wonderful day trips from Interlaken.
Spiez
Just outside the Jungfrau area, in the Bernese Oberland region is the magnificent town of Spiez. Located right on the coast of the enormous lake Thun, this place is impossible to miss on your way to Interlaken. Funny enough, I only got here by chance. The direct train from Bern to Interlaken wasn’t running when I was there so I had to change at Spiez. As I walked out of the station I could only see a main road. I instantly thought there wasn’t anything exciting about this place. Until I crossed the main road and saw these views.
I just couldn’t believe my eyes! How beautiful is this <3
This absolutely left me speechless. I couldn’t resist so I headed down to the harbour. Once you get to the lake, you’ll see a beautiful view of mount Niesen which according to a lovely local lady that I met, is the best mountain in Switzerland. Take it with a pinch of salt or not but if you have the time, go up to the 2,362 metre of Niesen mountain and find out for yourself.
This is a pretty incredible view over Niesen right?!
Spiez is the perfect place to just have a drink, relax by the lake and just admire the views. But make sure to walk around the town first. Its views are so incredible and so many that they change the second you shift your angle. The only thing that really sets Spiez apart from the other places I visited in Switzerland, was that it was actually lively. Kids were running around in their sports gear, rushing to get to classes. Couples were strolling along the marina, others were filling up the cafes and restaurants. More than anything else, this town just felt buzzing and happy!
I must admit, I kinda wished I could live here.
Grindelwald
As I was heading to Grindelwald I really didn’t know what to expect. I had seen photos of the place but they somehow didn’t quite give me a real feel for the village. So when I got there, I was surprised! You must have seen photos from Switzerland with tall snow-capped mountains, green fields from top to bottom and cute wooden challets nested in the middle of the valley, with no roads or crowds around. This is exactly what Grindelwald looks and feels like!
These challets were literally in the middle of nowhere.
When I got to the station, I headed down towards the meadows. I wanted to get to the heart of Grindelwald and see the views from the bottom of the valley. It was a pretty hot April day and unlike Spiez, Grindelwald was quite. So quite that once I headed down the valley I only saw a couple of people and these little guys who were grazing in the middle of their gated home. I felt like whatever wild thing I wanted to do, no one would have seen 😀 .
Aren’t they lucky grazing around with this view as the backdrop!
Being able to enjoy this place just on my own was so magical. It felt like the perfect place to run away from everything and everyone. All that I could hear was the buzzing of the flies and the water hitting against the river banks. If you’re lucky to visit after the second half of May however (or in the winter), you can get your fair share of adrenaline as you slide down Europe’s longest 15km toboggan ride, from Faulhorn via Bussalp to Grindelwald. What’s known as the Big Pintenfritz.
This photo totally looks unreal but it 100% is! Even in reality though, it still looks pretty unreal.
Lauterbrunnen
Ah, Lauterbrunnen! Without a single drop of doubt, this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in my life. What really makes Lauterbrunnen so out-of-this-planet is the perfect combination of green fields, majestic waterfalls, adorable wooden houses, mind blowing number of tulips and tall rocky cliffs soaring above the valley.
The tulips were literally everywhere.
It’s not until I walked around this the entire village though, that I really appreciated how wonderful it truly is. There’s really only one main street in Lauterbrunnen and if you stroll along it and continue on your journey, that is simply not enough. You need to get lost in between the gorgeous houses and take as many of its narrow up-the-hill alleyways as you can, to really discover what it’s truly like to be in Lauterbrunnen.
That’s how you find views like this!
The rustling of the river Luetschine passing through the meadows and the crispy sound of the Staubback fall create a soothing, almost hypnotizing atmosphere, that leaves you transported in your search for the other 71 streams descending from the mountains. Every path you take, you smell the tulips and the grass freshly moistened by the drops of water flying across the village on a breezy day. The reality is that until you visit Lauterbrunnen, it’s hard to even imagine what’s like to be at the bottom of a valley of roaring falls and endless meadows. This for sure was one of my most favourite day trips from Interlaken!
Can you see the waterfall in the background! It’s just so spectacular.
Mürren
The one place that truly caught me by surprise was Mürren. Just like Spiez, I had hardly heard of Mürren until I had to go passed it on my way to Schilthorn. At 1,638 metres above sea level, I really didn’t expect to find that in the middle of the mountains, away from any public road, there is a village. Not only that, but the last inhabited village home to 450 people lucky enough to call Mürren their home.
I can totally wake up to these views every morning!
When I got off the train in Mürren, I took a few steps and paused for a few moments. It sounds crazy and a bit way over the top enthusiastic but I was excited! I really couldn’t believe that people are living here and a place like this actually existed. It was such a wonderful sunny day and at this altitude, it just felt so nice to just stand here and look at the horizon.
Now you know what I mean!
All that I could see were the white mountain tops of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau and dark green forest of pine trees just beneath the village. For the first time I really felt what it was like to be in the Swiss Alps and the feeling was just wonderful. The fresh air, the smiley skiers rushing for the cable car to get to Schilthorn and slide down, the charming cafes and independent shops waiting for their first customers. It was such a special place that I truly hope I’ll go back to!
How unreal do the mountains in the horizon look! Unbelievable!
+ One more: Wengen
Wengen is a fine mixture of Grindelwald’s rocky snow-capped mountains and fancy timber challets and Lauterbrunnen’s green fields and waterfalls falling down the vertical rocky cliffs. At an altitude of 1,274m and just 400 metre above Lauterbrunnen, you can reach Wengen after a short 15 min train ride. If you’re in search for eye-popping walking trails, you’ll fall in love with the Eiger trail. Although Interlaken is the unofficial adventure capital of the region, Wengen also offers plenty of opportunities to bring some heart pounding activities into your itinerary such as paragliding, river rafting or canyoning. So if you’re got the time and the budget, you might find yourself spending quite a bit of time in this Alpine village.
I hope I’ve given you inspiration not just for one but five day trips from Interlaken. This Alpine region has a lot of beauty for you to go passed it without properly exploring it. So get out there and enjoy it!
