Photos and Text By Christopher Platis
A middle-aged woman rappelling down a cliffside while canyoning
Toss yourself into the Swiss Alps scene by jumping in, on and over Interlaken’s lakes and mountains by way of Europe’s most adrenaline-inducing adventure sports.
Dive Into Interlaken
Approaching one of Interlaken's ports by boat
Easily accessible via Switzerland’s paradisiacal public transportation–which totes trains, trams, boats and busses second to none internationally–Interlaken is too often overshadowed by the country’s monetary-based municipalities, Zurich and Geneva. Travelers looking for the benefits of a Swiss holiday (cheese fondue, chocolates, and fine-made timepieces) without falling victim to tourist-trap prices in more popular cities have been exploiting Interlaken for decades.
Get Your Heart Racing
A landing strip after a paragliding excursion
Void of museums and lacking an old town to historically roam, Interlaken smartly markets its greatest asset: adventure. One small step out of an airplane quickly becomes a giant leap of faith when soaring above the tallest of Swiss Alp peaks in a skydiving trip like no other. Rather than flying above them, some adrenaline-junkies opt to traverse down the mountains through the form of canyoning. Legally offered only several places worldwide, canyoning challenges those daring enough to dive, slide, jump, rappel and race down the rushing watery gorge of a given mountain. Water extremists will be pleased with Interlaken’s year-round raft outings, and cold-weather conquerors can push their bodies to the limit with either ice climbing or glacier hiking journeys. Feeling a little intimidated? Interlaken offers alternatives for novice adventurers with scenic hang gliding and paragliding tandem tours.
Centrally located, bound by beautiful mountains and surrounded by streaming lakes which define the city, Inter-laken has become a haven for travelers looking to supercharge their heartbeats. Take advantage of its extreme locale, and use your old bucket list to wipe your hands clean after you’ve reached the peak of your adventurous desires.
