By Saul Schwartz

In May 2024, in our first trip to Switzerland, my wife Fern and I traveled from east to west. We toured Zurich, then Bern, then Zermatt, and finally Geneva. In our return trip of May 2025, our second stop was centered in Interlaken in the canton of Bern.

After three days in Lucerne, we took the two-hour train to Interlaken Ost (East). Normally there is one per hours on this route, with no switches needed. This route is part of the panoramic train routes of Switzerland, going by colorful lakes and snow-capped mountains. There are two train stations in Interlaken, with our hotel right across from Interlaken Ost (East).

Based on our prior experience last year, this time we traveled with the Swiss Travel Pass, first class. As a result, we did not have to purchase train tickets for each trip segment. We printed out our pass to show to the ticket inspectors upon request.

Lodging – The Swiss Hotel Apartments are very conveniently located right across from the Interlaken Ost train station. The four-year old apartment-style hotel provided a complementary card for local transportation (which we did not use), as the town of Interlaken is very walkable. We really liked the large fitness center, which included a nice variety of cardio equipment and weights. The room size was very large, and the furnishings were upscale, but the prices were high (as typical for Switzerland). The helpful staff provided us with a nice tray of fruit, chocolates, and water, upon our arrival. We had a nice little balcony, as well.

Day 1

To take advantage of the lovely sunny weather, we walked over to the Harder Kulm funicular. The base station was a short walk of about five minutes from the hotel. We purchased our tickets at the base station, getting them for half price with the Swiss Travel Pass. The 115-year funicular transported us to Harder Kulm in about eight minutes. The funicular goes up and down to the 1322-meter summit every half-hour.

At the top, we had panoramic views of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, along with the Swiss Alps. Here we were able to see the snow-capped tops of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. The most breathtaking views were from a platform that juts out. We took several short walks to different viewpoints.

We had a lovely dinner sitting outside at the Panorama Restaurant at the summit. We shared a plate with hummus, pita bread, and a salad. The restaurant also had indoor seating, within the building which looks like a small castle. From the restaurant we were also able to watch paragliders in the distance. Prices were moderate (for Switzerland standards). We then headed back down to our hotel.

Day 2

In advance, we had booked a 90-minute walking guide through the Get Your Guide site. The private walking tour was very informative. We covered Interlaken from the east side to the west side of the town. Our guide met us at our hotel.

Our tour began with the Alpine Wildlife Park, next to Harder Kulm. The small zoo had several interesting animals, including the ibex and the marmots. It is a steep, but short climb from Harder Kulm to the park. There is no fee to view the animals.

Next, we walked down the paved trail which parallels the colorful Aare River through Interlaken. We stopped several times at squares in the old town of Interlaken and the bordering municipality of Unterseen. We finished at Hohematte Park, the large central park in the middle of the town, where we watched paraglider after paraglider come in for their landings. Interlaken is one of Europe’s top paragliding destinations, as the participants can view both lakes and the Swiss Alps during their exciting experiences.

After lunch, Fern and I stopped at Laderach Chocolatier and the Funky Chocolate Club to check out their selection of chocolates and desserts. Laderach was recommended by our tour guide due to their focus on locally made chocolates.

For a mid-afternoon break, we had coffee/tea at a cute café with outdoor seating overlooking the Aare River. Café Aarburg had both indoor and outdoor seating. We also stopped at the grand Victoria-Jungfrau hotel in the center of town to briefly view its lavish interiors.

We purchased food from the large Coop supermarket for meals on this day, as we were getting tired of restaurant meals throughout the first week of our trip.

Day 3

From the boat dock near the Interlaken Ost train station, we took a one-hour cruise on Lake Brienz. Our destination was the Giessbach Falls and Hotel.

Upon arrival in Giessbach, we took the historical funicular ride up to the falls and hotel. The four-minutes ride is timed to go up and down when the boats arrive and depart. At the top of the funicular, we first enjoyed the majestic natural splendor of the falls. The falls plunge down a series of 14 steps down into Lake Brienz. Next, we walked on the circular trail that starts at the hotel and goes up to the thundering falls. Sections of the trail go through a forest, cross the falls on bridges, and then go behind the falls. With the rain in May, the falls, set on the woodland hill, were spectacular and powerful.

Later we had tea and coffee at the charming Giessbach Grand Hotel. The hotel is celebrating its 150-year anniversary this year. It is full of artwork. Our favorite was the large mural of an alpine picnic in the game room. The windows by the elegant lobby bar allow a full view of the roaring falls.

We stayed for an early dinner at the hotel restaurant. Fern and I enjoyed the pasta dish and salads. Again, this restaurant had wonderful views of the falls. Prices were moderate (by Swiss standards) and the service was prompt.

Tips and observations – Three days in Interlaken allowed us to enjoy the town, the lakes, and the mountains. As typical in central Switzerland in the spring, the weather was variable during our stay, with periods of sun, rain, and clouds. The rain did not stop us from enjoying our activities.

It was a big plus to have laundry facilities (washer and dryer) in our hotel room as we approached the half-day point in our trip.

We started our planning by looking over Foder’s Switzerland, which was helpful but outdated. The Holidays to Switzerland podcast provided more useful and current information. Also, the websites from Switzerland Tourism (at Switzerland.com or My Switzerland.com) were very helpful in our planning.

Next, we headed to Vaduz, Lichtenstein for two days.