Interlaken has a secret and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Lurking in the background of those picture postcard views of snowy alpine peaks and nestled in the flowery meadows amidst docile cows and the chimes of their bells, is hidden another side to this Swiss town and the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland to which it belongs. This secret is the reason I have fallen in love with this picturesque part of the Alps. The secret is ADRENALINE! …Or more specifically, the myriad ways in which you can find it here.
For me, adrenaline is synonymous with fun and I have found Interlaken to be unique in its ability to provide an unending supply of this. Whatever your bucket-list holds, you are sure to tick at least some of those items off on a visit here and probably discover a few more you didn’t know needed to be in there.
Don’t get me wrong, it is all well and good to take in the breathtaking views of the mountainous countryside and crystal clear lakes the region has to offer, but why not enjoy the view while having some extra breath taken away while falling from an aeroplane at 120mph or see one of those lakes rushing towards you while bungee jumping from a cable car suspended 134m above it?
Interlaken is the adventure capital of the world. Ok, so that may just be my opinion and I should probably keep the secret to myself, but I defy any adrenaline junkie to ever get bored here. Just as the novelty of sunny days spent cliff diving and mountain biking on the trails is wearing out, winter comes along and a whole new playground reveals itself. The cycle of fun is perpetual.
If I haven’t already whetted your appetite, and we’ll get to the cheese and chocolate later, here’s a couple of ways the thrill seeker could spend a day in and around Interlaken.
So you’ve woken up bright and early at Balmer’s Hostel, one of Europe’s Famous Hostels. Your GoPro is charged and you’ve eaten your fill of the free breakfast. It’s time to take care of some bucket-list business. The minibus is waiting outside and then you’re off, driving up serpentine roads precariously winding up one of the mountains overlooking the town.
After an unassuming five minute walk you find yourself dressed in something resembling a marine mammal and it’s not long before you are plunging into some fresh, and by fresh I mean freezing, river rapids; jumping, diving, sliding, repelling and getting ‘washing-machined’ down the local canyon. This is an extreme sport called canyoning and now you are feeling a bit more awake!
Ok, showered and awake you find yourself on a second minibus driving up the opposite side of the valley. This time no unusual outfit but some unusual contraptions wrapped and strapped up on the bus roof. On a gentle grass slope, the professionals busy themselves assembling what looks like a poorly made tent.
This will be your transport back down the mountain. Hang gliding is not something many would consider among the array of options here but it is super fun, fast and offers a unique view of town as you swoop low over the rooftops and land in the town park at a startlingly pace.
So what’s next… of course you could do all the usual boring stuff like skydiving, snowboarding, bungee, whitewater rafting, canoeing and jet boating…but let’s try a lesser known pursuit.
We head out on a small train to the valley of Lauterbrunnen. Once the inspiration for Tolkien’s Rivendell in his book Lord of the Rings, now, in BASE jumping circles, is referred to forebodingly as Death Valley. Don’t worry, we’ll save BASE jumping for another time but do look out for someone dressed as a squirrel flying overhead.
Pausing to stand awestruck by one of the 72 waterfalls in the valley, we head up via cable car to the village of Mürren perilously perched on the cliff edge of the at times one kilometer deep chasm. Time to get geared up again. This time with a helmet, gloves and climbing harness. You’re about to get up close and personal with the aforementioned cliffs.
Via Ferrata lays somewhere between climbing and hiking. In the local language Klettersteig. I like to think of it as extreme hiking. There are several routes locally, but for me the Mürren to Gimmelwald route has something for everyone. Everyone who likes to be clinging to the very edge of a cliff for their dear life that is.
Attached by two slings and carabiners to a wire rope, you make your way through waterfalls and over flimsy bridges that would be better suited to an Indiana Jones movie. The views are epic and if you dare take your camera out you can get a pretty good selfie with nothing below you but certain death. Don’t worry though, it’s safe and you can go without a guide which makes it feel all the more adventurous.
You could definitely squeeze some more adrenaline into the day but I think I’ll just cycle to the lake, go stand-up paddleboarding and cook some sausages and drink a beer or two while watching the sun set. I have a big day tomorrow wake surfing, mountain carting and paragliding after all.
Yes, there are some downsides to life in Switzerland: some strange laws like it being illegal to mow a lawn on a Sunday, which in my opinion is the best time to mow a lawn, or it being illegal to own only one guinea pig. But many of these seemingly stringent laws do lead to it being a super clean and safe country. And good luck getting to grips with the local dialects let alone any of the four official national languages, although it’s fun to try.
It’s not the cheapest country in the world but there are plenty of ways to inexpensively get your adrenaline fix and if you’re only going to jump out of a helicopter once in your life you might as well have a good view. And if all of this adrenaline stuff sounds a bit too far from your comfort zone or just too much like hard work, the Swiss enjoy indulging themselves too. Find some authentic cheese fondue or some Swiss chocolate fondue at the Balmers Hostel’s Wintergarten, chill in the outdoor Jacuzzi and maybe head down to the in house club for a quick beer…or two.
