Monday Escape: Interlaken, Switzerland
Interlaken is the georgeous tourist town among the Swiss mountains popular with adventure-seeking backpackers throughout the year. It is a skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and– of course– skiing paradise.
The town offers tourists a peaceful base from which to explore the surrounding areas by train or bus. However, the main attraction is probably the magnificent Jungfrau (4,158 m (13,642 ft)) and the nearby Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m (11,319 ft)). Many hotels are located along the Höheweg avenue which offer good views of the mountains.
Another attraction is the Unspunnenfest festival, held in Interlaken and the neighbouring communities of Matten and Wilderswil approximately every twelve years. The festival highlights traditional Swiss culture and features competitions of Steinstossen (stone put), Schwingen (wrestling) and yodelling. The next celebration isn’t scheduled until the year 2017, but once you arrive here we’re confident you’ll want to stay for at least that long.
For a more regular festival, be here every summer for the Greenfield Music Festival.
Interlaken has always been considered a prime destination for aspiring expats. It has a quaint population of 5,286, of which 24.0% are foreign nationals. And for the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.5%.
The main train line connects Interlaken with the cities of Spiez, Thun and Bern, so the town is easily accessible. Book your ticket into town today and get ready for a spectacular winter season.