Travel Tips: Interlaken, Switzerland

It's famous for its highest point in Europe but the steep cable car up to Harder Kulm is closed in winter. Nonetheless, even if you don't intend to travel further onto to Grunewald where all the winter spotters go, Interlaken is a magical place. I like combining nature and culture in my travels and in Switzerland that's easy to do because it has lots of both, is wherever you are, you're a train ride of a few hours away from breathtaking scenery.  From Basel, the train journey is two hours, from Bern one hour. I should have booked in advance so had a bit of hassle getting my ticket without paying quadruple price. The Basel train station was so busy with 'take your number and wait' that I ended up downloading the train app. I got a much better deal than the station ticket machines had offered, in fact precisely half price. The only disadvantage is that you can only take trains at certain times, but they suited me and you can pick and choose which you want. That's how I got the super saver ticket, but my advice... book your ticket in advance.  I don't like holidays with organised schedules, but in retrospect, this would have been one schedule worth making.

                                        

I had read online in research that training to Interlaken Out is what most do. However, upon arriving and walking through the beautiful city with snowcapped mountains surrounding it, I ended up in Interlaken West. So just book to West, they're really not that far apart.  Both cities are similar but walking the one to the other is a must. The views are spectacular everywhere. Interlaken Out and West are between two lakes of that turquoise special colour Swiss water so walk the river inlets out the city too.  The lakes are Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.  The train ride down in winter did not offer any mountainous views as East Switzerland does in spring, until you are twenty minutes from Ost. You'll be sharing the trainer with hundreds of skiers, snowboarders and families off to sledge for the day.  It was packed and everyone wears their snow boots with skis/board in hand, ready to jump off the train and head straight to the ski regions and lifts. I felt quite boring in comparison with just a camera in hand, haha, but the trip was so worth it. A day is enough if it's winter and you are not skiing. But next time i would spend a few days so as to visit Grunewald to perhaps do some “lang lange “ ski walking. Either way, do have a good Swiss lunch, with crepes as dessert  and put on good boots for walking. That way you'll see the most. Enjoy! ps. I didn't parasail there as I've done it before at Suncity in JHB but  it does seem to be the favourite sport of choice, apart from the skating rink at the foot of the Mountain the Junge Frau.