Interlaken Off The Beaten Path

Leave OST INTERLAKEN train station and take a ride up the mountain. Expect to spend the whole day doing it. It's a bit pricey but if your in Interlaken for a few days it's a MUST DO. You'll have to change trains I think two times, take in the unbelievable scenery.

TIP:Bring a HEAVY JACKET with you despite the temperature at the bottom of the mountain. When I left interlaken it was about 72 F, at the top it was -2 F

Check out my pics

Check out the views

Lauterbrunnen is a tiny village in the Bernese Oberland, with no more than a thousand inhabitants, and it's the point where you can, either by bus or rail, get to either the mountains Jungfrau, Eiger, Mönch or visit other villages like Wengen, Mürren and Gimmelwald, where the landscape is impressive.
However, Lauterbrunnen should be visited for its own merits: all of the landscape you can see from this place! You can go whenever you want, but I found it especially beautiful in the summer :-)
You can go to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken by both train (the Bernese-Oberland railway) and car. Time to reach there: 20-30 minutes.

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Not very far from Interlaken, you can find some impressive mountain roads. A trip to the Grimsel Pass provides dramatic views, and some thrilling driving (especially if you like Motorcycles).

Coming down the road from the Grimsel Pass is an adventure itself, and not very advisable for people that suffer from vertigo.

All and all, the road to the Grimsel Pass is a must if you live in a mostly flat country, like me.

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The great Aletsch Glaciar is not exactly close to Interlaken, but it's a great opportunity for a nice road trip to leave from Interlaken, and drive through the mountain passes (via Grimsel Pass) until Fiesch. There you can catch the funicular up until the Eggishorn and have a fabulous view of the entire Aletsch Glaciar.

Another highlight of the Eggishorn is the possibility to climb to the summit, using a trekking path (not for the fain of heart).

If the weather permits, you can also have lunch outdoors, with a view that I believe not many restaurants have.

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Photos include Jungfrau Jock, the pass between the Jungfrau and The Monch.
Then one of the Eiger and going east to the mountains seen from Grindelwald, the last round up before going back to earth, come off cloud 9.

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On the journey up to the viewpoint no one else used the trail I followed, at the top I found another path that hada better grade and was used by many hikers. So the journey down gave me some more photo opportunities.( Hahaha).

I think the first one provides an opportunity for quiet study or reflection, yet that can be done just sitting on a seat. No complaints though the person gave me a good photo.

The other photos show the odd shaped cliffs and rock towers that were part of the way down.

Last one shows the train descending.

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Above the Bergstation at Schynige Platte, and after the Alpine Gardens, the path continues to a viewpoint at Daube, here the views are 360 degrees and on a clear day" you can see forever"!!

If that climb is not enough for you, then go east and hike to Oberberghorn and even find your way with well signed paths to Grindelwald.
The photos are of the climb up, the views and the walk down using a different path.

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What to do when you get off the train.

Visit the Alpine garden.
Go for a short walk.
Climb to the view point Daube.
Visit the restauarant for a meal or a snack.
Go for a longer walk, like to First the Cable car teminus above Grindelwald and then take the bus or the train back to Interlaken, maybe 5 hours of hiking.