After a beautiful day in Geneva, Switzerland, I used my Eurail pass to head to Interlaken, a charming town three hours to the east by train.

Ever since I first heard about this place when it was featured as a stop on the Amazing Race, witnessing its promised panoramic mountain views and skiing in the Alps at the lifts here has been on my travel bucket list.

(C) Interlaken Tourism

Located at the foot of three mountain peaks and two lakes, Interlaken is the perfect base for outdoor excursions, especially in the winter months when the destination is full of snow.

The mountains nearby this town, the Eiger, Monch and Jungrau, are known as the Jungrau Region and are part of the Swiss Alps. From the town in the valley, skiing, hiking and panoramic views can be easily reached by trains and cable cars. Even in the heat of summer, visitors can see snowy peaks 365 days a year with a rail ride up the mountains to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest-altitude railway station and glacier experience.

Interlaken: Gateway to the Swiss Outdoors

(C) Interlaken Tourism

In the summer months, Interlaken is a top destination for music festivals, including the SnowpenAir Concert, Greenfield Open air festival, International Trucker & Country Festival (can I please go back for this?) and Brienzersee Rock Festival.

(C) Interlaken Tourism

When the temperatures climb, Interlaken also becomes a haven for adventure sports such as bungy jumping, paragliding, sky diving and water rafting. Lakes Thun and Brien also provide a landscape for water skiing and sailing.

No visit to Interlaken, or Switzerland for that matter, is complete without tasting fondue, a swiss specialty of melted cheese.  Good bets for authentic fondue include Restaurant Laterne, Schuh, or the Restaurant Chalet in the City Hotel Oberland. These restaurants also offer cozy seating (much welcomed after a day in the wintry cold) and other Swiss specialties such as Raclette (melted cheese with potatoes) and beef stroganov.

(C) Interlaken Tourism

Surrounded by mountains and snow, Interlaken’s many shops are also a perfect stop for mountain gear and souvenirs.

As I visited in December, I stuck to winter sports and hiked the glaciers at Jungfraujoch Top of Europe and skied at Grindlewald first. Check back for future blog posts sharing more in depth details of these excursions.