The Two-Lakes-Bridge
Glass planks in space — Thun, Brienz and the trio in one shot.
Manfred Wohlfahrt — Public domain · Deralpinbergsteiger — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ank Kumar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ank Kumar — CC BY-SA 4.0
'Top of Interlaken' — the town's house mountain standing directly behind it: a red funicular of 1908 climbs the forest ten minutes to 1,322 metres, where the famous Two-Lakes-Bridge platform extends its glass planks into space above the town between its lakes. The view is the region's definition made flesh: blue Thun west, turquoise Brienz east, green Interlaken between — 'between the lakes' literally — and behind all, the mighty trio Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in file. The 1908 timber-domed summit restaurant serves the famous terrace for sunset dinner. This is the ideal 'economy' mountain dose: two hours suffice, evening included — last descents run after dinner in summer — and the start is a river-crossing stroll from town centre to its station.
Glass planks in space — Thun, Brienz and the trio in one shot.
The old red one cutting the forest at a grade that makes children laugh.
Opening-era timber with the region's most famous sunset terrace.
Harderbahn, 3800 Interlaken
Unterseen Old TownUnterseen is a small town adjoining Interlaken, separated from it only by the ri14 minutes walk4.7
HöhematteAn open grass meadow lying in the exact centre of Interlaken, between the two ra17 minutes walk4.5
Interlaken Monastery and CastleA group of buildings east of central Interlaken, what remains of an Augustinian 18 minutes walk4.4
Kunsthaus InterlakenA small art gallery in central Interlaken, running temporary exhibitions by Swis18 minutes walk4.3It complements, never replaces: a 'view' not a 'summit experience' — no snow, modest altitude — but it gives the region's full picture at a tenth of the Jungfraujoch's time and a fifth its price. The wise formula: Harder on arrival evening to read the geography, the grand ones for the clear day.
The ridge trail for the serious hours — and gentler: the ninety-minute forest descent in continuous shade (knees first), or the lower path to the free ibex enclosure at its foot where the Steinbock roam — free and touristically unknown.
Summer sunset is its only true peak (terrace and photos) — so take mid-afternoon or late morning. The special magic: autumn mornings when fog drowns the town and the platform floats alone over a white sea, the trio gold.