Interlaken: Lake Thun & Lake Brienz, June 2026

From Zurich, I headed to Interlaken, the outdoor capital of Switzerland which is an easy home base for the exploration of central Switzerland.  Interlaken, “Between the Lakes” in German, is located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the Bernese Highlands.  It takes less than 2 hours from Zurich by train but with heavy luggage, I opted to go by Uber which cost (CHF275 or about US$350).  It was a good thing I checked the Uber situation for my return trip days ahead because turns out it costs over CHF1,000 to return to Zurich!!  Luckily, the hotel was able to book a taxi for CHF500 cash which was still almost double the ride coming in.  The best hotel in town is no doubt the grand dame Victoria Jungfrau Hotel, but also ridiculously expensive (around CHF1,500 (US$1,900) per night.  I opted to stay next door at the more modern and less expensive (a third of the price of Victoria Jungfrau) Hotel Metropole in the heart of the city along the Höheweg Promenade connecting the Interlaken West and East stations.  My room had a balcony with views of Hohematte park and the Jungfrau and where you can watch paragliders drifting down from the peaks to land.  About 10-15 minutes walk just across the Aare River from the center of Interlaken is the charming historic village of Unterseen.  It has a 13th century church tower as well as quaint historic squares and medieval architecture.  Another popular activity in Interlaken is to take the 10-minute funicular ride up to Harder Kulm which overlooks Interlaken.  I didn’t do this because I will be visiting Zermatt and the Matterhorn later.

View of the paragliders landing in Hohematte park from my balcony at Hotel Metropole.  They come very close to the buildings, so close I can speak to them face-to-face!

Interlaken

Interlaken

Since I am not much of a hiker, I decided to take boat trips around the turquoise watered Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.   The lakes are quite big and the boat travels quite slowly so I only took the boat one way to the final stop and then took a train or bus back to Interlaken.

To explore Lake Thun, you would board the ferry dock near the Interlaken West train station.  It takes about 2 hours to get to Thun with stops in Oberhofen Castle and Spiez etc.  To return, you can take the train (with a stop in Spiez) or take the No. 21 bus that takes you right back into Interlaken in less than an hour.  Lake Thun is known for its deep blue waters and a wider, open scenery and historic castles.  There are vineyards and a fortress in Spiez and the castle at Oberhofen.  Oberhofen Castle, built in the 13th century, is one of the most photographed romantic castles in the Alps.  The river runs through the city of Thun and there are little bars and cafes right on the water.  Thun feels more traditional Swiss than Interlaken with the 12th century fortress with 4 white towers offering views of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains.  At times, you can catch the river surfers riding the standing waves at the historic wooden sluice bridges, the Obere and Untere Schleuse, in the Thun town center.

Lake Thun

Lake Thun

Lake Brienz is more calm and turquoise than Lake Thun and characterized by its steep mountains.  There is a stop at Giessbach where you can take a funicular up to the Grand Hotel Giessbach and the 152-meter Giessbach Falls.  Near Brienz is Ballenberg which is a living history museum with over 100 original farmhouses and alpine huts transported here from all over Switzerland.  There are also demonstrations of ancient Swiss crafts, such as cheese making, basket weaving, and blacksmithing.  To explore Lake Brienz, board the ferry dock near the Interlaken Ost train station and it takes about 1.5 hours to get to Brienz town.  One of the stops on the boat ride is Iseltwald, a tiny village on the southern shore of Lake Brienz, made famous by the Korean TV drama “Crash Landing on You”.

Lake Brienz

Ringgenberg Castle

Lake Brienz

Schloss Seeburg in the village of Iseltwald

Lake Brienz