Interlaken

A look into my various grand (mis)adventures throughout Europe

And now we enter what I like to call the "intrepid" leg of my tour. So far I have visited popular cities in Central Europe; places that I am at least somewhat familiar with in terms of what they offer for the tourist experience. The next two destinations I am visiting were chosen on a less informed, more spontaneous whim, much to the chagrin of my Type A mentality and to the delight of my "adventurous" spirit (true to Sagittarius form, apparently).

Remember when I said an "even greater" change of pace was needed on this trip? I certainly got what I asked for in the form of Interlaken, Switzerland, a little town nestled in the Swiss Alps. For perspective: when we arrived by bus at 9pm, the town was quiet--not an uncomfortable, tense quiet, but more like a peaceful silence, as if Interlaken had just fallen asleep. As a whole, Interlaken seems to move at an unhurried, unbothered pace that is a complete 180 from previous destinations.

Because we (now a humble party of two) arrived at night, I was also unable to get a full sense of what my new environment looked like. All I could discern for certain was that we were near a very, very large lake. As my friend pointed out to me (and as you may have realized by now), "Interlaken" essentially means "between lakes"--in this case, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, the latter of which I saw in our drive into town. It really was a spectacular sight to see: the lights of inviting cabins reflecting in the water, the seemingly endless breadth of the lake that my night vision could barely comprehend.

It also left me totally unprepared for the sight that greeted me the next morning when I pulled back the curtain of my room's window. It was always in the back of my mind that we were currently in the mountains; even on our walk from the bus station to the hostel the night before, I was already convinced that the air was cleaner up here. But I could not have imagined just how close we were to said peaks, and how massive and impressive they were to behold. The mountain visible from my window, for instance, towered over my hostel and the picturesque town surrounding it. At its top is Interlaken's famous lookout point Harder Kulm, and on a sunny day you're guaranteed to see a paraglider or three floating through the skies. Everywhere you looked, there was a tree-lined, snow-capped mountain in the deceitfully far distance. It gave a peculiar sense of comfort and security, as if together they are preserving the almost fantastical tranquility of Interlaken.

The view from our hostel's patio--not too shabby

My friend and I existed in this tranquility for an entire week. While seven nights in this faraway town may seem dauntingly long to some, it allowed us to fully decompress and unplug from the hectic pattern of traveling we had been following. It also meant that we could fit exciting activities into our day, but still have time to relax at the hostel and perhaps even get some work (yes, work) done. With a magnificent mountain or two as your background, it's not hard to sit down in one spot and enjoy the stillness for a moment.

But since the weekly forecast did not look promising, we ventured to pack as much outdoor activity as we could into the first two sunny days. Our hostel, Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, provides its guests with several amenities and deals, including free transportation on Interlaken's bus and train system. Although its reliability was spotty at times, its stops brought us to all of our intended destinations smoothly. Additionally, if our student IDs couldn't get us a discount, chances are the ~fancy~ guest card they provided did.

Such was the case at the St. Beatus Caves, our first major activity that did not disappoint. Its impressive front entrance is a visual delight and a brilliant photo op--but also a trial of sorts on the human body, and the first of many steep hills and stairs I would climb on this trip. While thus far our main sights have been palaces, castles, town halls, and churches, one of Interlaken's most popular attractions is a wonder of nature. I would not recommend for the claustrophobic, since the winding path often took us through tight spaces and low ceilings. But the caves offered a beauty unique from the kind I've been privileged to see in the previous locations, and a reminder that the natural world offers its own sights to behold.

St. Beatus Caves: a long trek uphill to plunge into the depths

That pretty much seemed to be the credo of the week. We got lost (literally) along a hiking trail that scaled one of the many mountains, meandered along another that took us to an abandoned fortress. One ambitious morning we got up to see the sunrise at Lake Bönigen. Now I've seen a couple of sunrises in my day, but forgive me and my "abroad-ness" for a moment when I say that nothing beats a sunrise in the Swiss Alps. When people say they feel "spiritually connected" to nature, it must have started by seeing a really good sunrise. I watched as slowly but surely, my entire surroundings colored from a soft blue, to a warm rose, to a brilliant gold...then we took out a compass and realized the sun was rising right behind the tallest mountain and would in fact not be visible for awhile, so we promptly left.

Speaking of lakes, Switzerland has got the "clean water" thing mastered. In every village or city we went to, there were pumps or running fountains encouraging passerby to fill their bottles with clear, cold refreshment. I've drunk so much Swiss water now that maybe I really am "one with nature." Seeing their fast-flowing rivers and pristine waterfalls, I ended up wanting to drink straight from these taps anyway, since dunking my head directly in these bodies of water would be a bit gauche.

The two lakes that sandwich Interlaken were definitely worthwhile spots to visit. Brienz had a more quaint, laidback, traditional backdrop. Stacks of idyllic wooden chalets overlooked water so brilliantly blue it appears artificially dyed: would recommend for extended periods of simply sitting on the stairs that descend into its waters, perhaps sticking your feet in and bracing for the inevitable chill. Thun was surrounded by crowded parks and restaurants, and seemed catered to the tourist experience with its straightforward promenade lining the sparkling banks. This lake and the area around it was perhaps the fastest-paced, remotely urban area close to Interlaken; and even so, we still came across quiet town squares and a completely empty church perfect for some spooky exploration.

And a few days later, another surprise came...

SNOW!!! If you know me, you know that I. LOVE. SNOW. A lot. That feeling of opening your curtain and seeing your entire view blanketed in white never gets old. It came at a perfect time, too--it was nearing the end of our week, and we were losing steam from all of our outdoorsy adventures. After walking around the small downtown and getting my socks soaked in hole-filled snow boots, we ended the day with some hot chocolate and a half-board meal at one of the nearby restaurants.

A fair warning to all who plan on coming to Switzerland: it is pricey. My friend and I theorized why its prices are so much higher than any other place we've been to--our most plausible (i.e. uninformed) reasoning is that no one else noticed because of Switzerland's uncanny ability to stay out of everyone's problems. A "cheap" lunch, as recommended by one of the hostel employees, went for 14.50 CHF. A small sandwich, probably the size of my hand, cost about 3 CHF. But no need to worry, your crafty-minded travelers managed to evade most of these expensive places by stocking up on groceries at the start of our trip. Of course the grocery store was not without its high prices, but for the cost of that cheap lunch we were able to get all the ingredients we needed for sandwiches, along with some fruit, snacks, and of course, mini Toblerone bars. Our hostel's kitchen also had a stock of free food previous travelers had left behind, and it was from here that a couple of eccentric, pasta-based concoctions were born.

As the end of our week approached, we realized that an extended stay like ours practically called for a day trip. After much deliberation and surfing several questionable transportation sites, we finally affirmed our original resolve to visit Lucerne, a city about two miles away. I was not expecting to miss a city setting so much, but when tall buildings, tram cars, and crosswalks started to appear, I felt a mounting sense of excitement and familiarity. Lucerne is about as modern as I expected a Swiss city to be: that is, expectedly charming and up-to-date, while fitting bits of history into its various pockets. The city itself was not as big as we thought; by the end of the day, we found ourselves retracing our steps to familiar sights.

Some recommended spots? The Musegg Wall, for a perfect view of the city and the option for even taller vistas from one of its three towers: also behind the wall, a very peculiar little zoo that had Highland cattle and a couple of alpacas. The Lion Monument is one of the most identifiable landmarks of Lucerne, a commemorative memorial that requires less of an uphill battle (and is also free!). It wouldn't be a trip to a city without a visit to a church, and The Jesuit Church was just the one to check that box. It was like a more decorative Munich's St. Peter's Church, but a shade less elaborate than the Theatinerkirche (What? You haven't been following my previous posts? Honestly, I'm surprised if you're still reading this far). But what you definitely shouldn't miss out on, and most likely won't, are the covered wooden bridges that stretch over the River Ruess. Their history is fascinating (they burned, shocker) and feature art either recreated or directly from the period of their construction. So for a day trip, not bad at all. The ride alone was worth it; if you're going to travel long distances in Switzerland, train is definitely the way to go. Just fast enough, but not too fast that you'll miss all the beautiful views.

By the time we had to leave, it was almost like leaving a home. We had come to recognize every employee at the main desk in our hostel, become accustomed to the provided breakfast that was basically yogurt, granola, and bread. Interlaken itself had become easily navigable in a couple of days, and I couldn't help but feel like a local when I successfully found my way back to the hostel from the grocery store. At first I was daunted by the idea of spending an entire week in a sleepy little town; but what I got instead was a place accustomed to anticipating and surpassing all expectations, and brimming with a natural, vibrant energy in which you will inevitably be swept.