SWITZERLAND - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1511

A short walk from West Station, Eiger Sport rents bikes for a little less than Flying
Wheels (8 SF/hour, 10 SF/2 hours, 15 SF/3 hours, 20 SF/half-day, 30 SF/day, Mon-Fri
8:30-12:00 & 13:30-18:30, Sat 8:30-16:00; from West Station, cross river—it's on the
right at Bahnhofstrasse 2, tel. [phone]).
Self-Guided Walk
Welcome to Interlaken
(See “Interlaken” map, here .)
Most visitors use Interlaken as a springboard for high-altitude thrills (and rightly so). But
the town itself has history and scenic charm and is worth a short walk. This 45-minute stroll
circles from the West train station, down the main drag to the big meadow, past the casino,
along the river to the oldest part of town (historically a neighboring town called Unterseen),
and back to the station.
• From the West train station, walk along...
Bahnhofstrasse: This main drag, which turns into Höheweg as it continues east, cuts
straight through the town center from the West train station to the Ost train station. The best
Swiss souvenir shopping is along this stretch (finer shops are on the Höheweg stretch, near
the fancy hotels). At the roundabout is the handy post office (with free public WCs). At
Höheweg 2, the TV in the window of the Schilthornbahn office shows the weather up top.
The 18-story Metropole Hotel (a.k.a. the “concrete shame of Interlaken”) is by far the
town's tallest building. Step right into the main lobby (through the second set of doors)
and ride the elevator to the top for a commanding view of the “inter-laken” area, and gaze
deep into the Jungfrau region to the scenic south. A meal or drink here costs no more than
one back on earth. Consider sipping a drink on its outdoor view terrace (or come back to-
night—it's open very late).
• On your right is...
Höhematte Park: This “high meadow,” or Höhematte (but generally referred to simply
as “the park”), marks the beginning of Interlaken's fancy hotel row. Hotels like the Victoria-
Jungfrau hearken back to the days when Interlaken was the top alpine resort (late 19th cen-
tury).ThefirstgrandhotelswerebuiltheretoenjoytheviewsoftheJungfrauinthedistance.
(Today, the jung Frau s getting the most attention are next door, at Hooters.)
The park originated as farmland of the monastery that predated the town (marked today
by the steeples of both the Catholic and Protestant churches—neither are of any sightseeing
interest). The actual monastery site is now home to the courthouse and county administra-
tion building. With the Reformation in 1528, the monastery was shut down, and its land was
taken by the state. Later, when the land was being eyed by developers, the town's leading