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Interlaken
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INTERLAKEN
isn't much more than its long main street,
HA¶heweg
, with a train station at each end. It has little to amuse the trippers passing through on their way to the mountains, save for the cafA©s and hotel bars lining HA¶heweg and some great
views
towards the Jungfrau massif, perfectly framed between two hills and best savoured from HA¶hematte, a central grassy rectangle of parkland. The town lies on a neck of land between two of Switzerland's most attractive
lakes
, and the best way to arrive is by boat.
Interlaken Ost
station is the terminus of mainline trains and the departure point for branch lines into the mountains; boats also dock here from Brienz, on the Luzern rail line. Trains from the Bern/ZA?rich direction pass first through
Interlaken West
(docking point for Thunersee boats), and this station is nearer to the
tourist office
, which sits beneath the town's tallest building at HA¶heweg 37 (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2-6pm, also June-Sept Sat 8am-5pm, Oct-May Sat 8am-noon; July & Aug also Sun 5-7pm; tel 033/822 21 21,
www.interlakentourism.ch
). Beware that accommodation fills up very quickly in the summer and winter high seasons; there are hotel lists and courtesy phones at both stations. Interlaken's
HI hostel
is 2km east, at Aareweg 21 in BA¶nigen (tel 033/822 43 53,
www.youthhostel.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24; bus #1); you'd do better joining the backpacker crowd at the excellent SB
Balmer's Herberge
, fifteen minutes south of town at Hauptstrasse 23, Matten (tel 033/822 19 61,
www.balmers.com
; A?5-10/$8-16). There are quieter hostels in town, led by the quality SB
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof
, Alpenstrasse 16 (tel 033/826 71 71,
www.villa.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24), which also has
Internet
access; also try
Alp Lodge
, Marktgasse 59 (tel 033/822 47 48,
www.alplodge.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24), or the SB
Happy Inn
, Rosenstrasse 17 (tel 033/822 32 25,
www.happy-inn.com
; A?5-10/$8-16). The nearest
campsite
is
Sackgut
behind Ost station (tel 033/822 44 34; closed Nov-April). Of the dozens of
hotels
,
Alphorn
, Rugenaustrasse 8 (tel 033/822 30 51,
www.hotel-alphorn.ch
; A?20-25/$32-40) is a charming, well-run little place. For budget
food
, visit
Migros
restaurant opposite West station (currently undergoing rebuilding work);
PizPaz
on Centralstrasse for pasta, pizza and fish dishes; or
El Azteca
, Jungfraustrasse 30, offering Mexican set-meals from Sfr14.
CafA© Runft
opposite West station is a tearoom, snackerie and
bar
open until 3am;
Positiv Einfach
, Centralstrasse 11, is a small but hip music bar; and
Balmer's
hostel has cheap beer. In
adventure sports
, Alpin Raft (tel 033/823 41 00,
www.alpinraft.ch
) is the local leader, running loads of activities every day from skydiving to horse trekking. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Switzerland,
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