Nestled between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and surrounded by picturesque mountains, Interlaken is a town right out of a fairy-tale. Staying in “Backpacker’s Villa Sonnenhof”, a beautiful and affordable hostel in an historic Swiss chalet, I had a breath-taking view from my window of thousands of trees climbing towards the viewpoint of ‘Harder Kulm’ at 4337 ft, of which people were running and jumping off daily as part of the paragliding activities. It comes as no surprise that in the proclaimed ‘Thrill Capital of Europe’, there are people literally falling from the sky, making such a picturesque place seem even more surreal.
There truly is an air of possibility and adrenaline that incapsulates Interlaken and its visitors, even if you aren’t planning on jumping off mountains or out of a plane. In taking the funicular railway to the top of Harder Kulm, the view of the Jungfrau region of mountains was particularly beautiful. There is also a restaurant atop the mountain, worth getting a drink at near the edge.
However, by far my favourite experience in Interlaken, and possibly my trip overall, was wild swimming in Lake Brienz one morning. As the lakes are formed from melted glacier, the water has become an extremely clear; almost fluorescent blue, making for a freezing, and unforgettable, experience. After finding an empty and pebbled shore to the lake, I swam for an hour until I couldn’t feel my toes. Some curious burbots swam near to the surface beside me, and it was a truly magical experience that has left me feeling very grateful for nature and aching to see more of the world!