Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of character that's missing in many swankier resort areas. You can even swish with
the Swiss down the world's longest sledding run (9 miles long, out of Grindelwald,
only open when snow's good). Three ski areas cluster around the Lauterbrunnen Valley:
Mürren-Schilthorn (best for experts), Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen (busiest, best vari-
ety of runs), and Grindelwald-First (best for beginners and intermediates, but lower el-
evation can make for iffier snowpack). Lift tickets cost around 70 SF a day, or you can
buythetwo-daySportspassJungfrau,whichcoversallthreeareas,forabout130SF(see
www.jungfrauwinter.ch
for prices and info).
When the 19th-century Romantics redefined mountains as something more than cold and
troublesomeobstacles,Interlakenbecametheoriginalalpineresort.Eversince,touristshave
flockedtotheAlps“becausethey'rethere.”Interlaken'sglorydaysarelonggone,itselegant
oldhotelseclipsedbythenewer,moreswankyalpineresorts.Today,itsshopsarefilledwith
chocolate bars, Swiss Army knives, and sunburned backpackers.
WhileEuropeanjet-settersareelsewhere,Interlakeniscashinginonahugeinterestfrom
IndiaandtheArabworld.Indianscometoescapetheirmonsoonseason—especiallyinApril
and May—and to visit places they've seen in their movies. (The Alps often stand in for
Kashmir, which is less accessible to film crews.) There's even a restaurant called “Bolly-
wood” atop the Jungfraujoch. People from the hot and dryArabian Peninsula come here just
to photograph their children frolicking in the mist and fog.
Efficient Interlaken (pop. 5,500) is a good administrative and shopping center. Take care of
business, give the town a quick look, and view the webcam coverage of the weather higher
up (at the TI)...then head for the hills.
Tourist Information
The TI, with good information on the region, is located under the 18-story skyscraper on the
mainstreetbetweenthetwotrainstations,a10-minutestrollfromeither(May-JuneMon-Fri
8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-16:00, closed Sun; July-Aug Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat 8:00-17:00, Sun
10:00-12:00 & 17:00-19:00; Sept Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sun; shorter
hours Oct-April, Höheweg 37, tel. 033-826-5300,
www.interlaken.ch
)
. The
You Want It All
booklet is an almanac covering everything you need in Interlaken (except for some events,
whicharecoveredmorethoroughlyinthemonthlyentertainment guide).There'snopointin
