The 17 essential things to do in Interlaken

The Jungfraujoch is the saddle linking the Monch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps. Its station, at 3,454 metres, is the highest in Europe and is nicknamed the "Top of Europe"; the col itself peaks at around 3,463 metres.

You reach it on the Jungfrau Railway, opened in 1912, which leaves from Kleine Scheidegg and climbs through a tunnel bored into the Eiger and Monch. The ride runs past glaciers and rock faces before reaching the top.

At the summit: panoramic terraces, an ice cave, the Sphinx observatory and a walk on the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps and the core of the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch site.

Grindelwald spreads across a glacial bowl at the foot of the Eiger, about thirty minutes by train from Interlaken. The village is the gateway to Grindelwald-First and the Eiger Express toward the Jungfraujoch.

People come for panoramic hikes, cliff-edge trails and, in winter, skiing. The gondolas open up high-altitude balconies and mountain lakes.

The Lauterbrunnen valley is a steep-walled glacial trough nicknamed the valley of 72 waterfalls. The most famous, the Staubbach, falls about 297 metres in a veil of water above the village.

A little further on, the Trummelbach Falls thunder inside the mountain, lit and reached by lift from April to November. The village is about twenty minutes by train from Interlaken Ost; the lifts up to Murren and Wengen also start here.

The Schilthorn rises to 2,970 metres above the Lauterbrunnen valley, facing the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Its summit is crowned by Piz Gloria, the world's first revolving restaurant at that altitude, made famous by the filming of a James Bond film in the late 1960s.

You reach it by a chain of cable cars from Stechelberg or Murren. Beyond the 360-degree panorama, the site offers a glass platform and a cliff-hugging walkway, the Thrill Walk, below the station.

The Harder Kulm is Interlaken's lookout, perched at about 1,322 metres above the town. A funicular reaches it in around ten minutes from the centre.

From the cantilevered platform the view takes in both lakes, the town nestled between them and the Eiger-Monch-Jungfrau skyline. A restaurant sits at the top; sunset is the busiest moment.

In winter, Interlaken is a base for the ski areas of the Bernese Oberland. The nearest, Grindelwald-Wengen, has around a hundred kilometres of pistes facing the Eiger, complemented by Murren-Schilthorn across the Lauterbrunnen valley.

Beyond alpine skiing, the region suits sledging, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The lifts are reachable by train from Interlaken Ost.

Interlaken is one of Europe's prime paragliding spots: the terrain and the rising currents over the lakes make it ideal. Tandem flights launch from the heights of Beatenberg or Amisbuhl and glide over the town facing the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

No experience is needed: a licensed pilot flies the wing while the passenger takes in the scenery. The flight lasts ten to twenty minutes depending on conditions.

Lake Brienz stretches east of Interlaken, framed by wooded slopes and rock faces. Its turquoise colour comes from the fine glacial particles its tributaries carry down from the peaks.

The shore path on the Interlaken Ost side is walkable or cyclable; from there, boats serve Iseltwald, Brienz and the Giessbach. It is the wilder and quieter of the two lakes.

Lake Thun (Thunersee) borders Interlaken to the west. Larger than Lake Brienz, it is dotted with lakeside villages, vineyards and Spiez Castle overlooking a bay.

The promenade starts at Interlaken West; boats run up the lake to Spiez and Thun, stopping below the main sights. The crossing pairs easily with a stop on land.

The Interlaken region is a first-rate hiking area, in the heart of the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch site. Marked trails set off from Grindelwald-First, Murren or the Schynige Platte plateau, reached by mountain lifts.

Routes range from a family stroll beside a high-altitude lake to more committing traverses below the great rock faces. Trail and lift opening depends on the season, so it is worth checking before you set out.

The Giessbach Falls drop about 400 metres in fourteen tiers toward the south shore of Lake Brienz, in front of the Grandhotel Giessbach.

They are reached by boat from Interlaken Ost or Brienz, then by the Giessbach funicular, opened in 1879 and considered the oldest in Europe. Footpaths climb alongside the falls, one of them passing behind a curtain of water.

Interlaken's old core is split between the Hoheweg, the broad avenue with the best-known view of the Jungfrau, and the village of Unterseen on the other bank of the Aare.

Unterseen, founded in the 13th century, lines up half-timbered houses, a church square and quiet lanes. It is free to wander and takes an hour or two, away from the tourist bustle of the Hoheweg.

Spiez Castle stands on a promontory above Lake Thun, in the middle of a terraced vineyard. Its oldest parts date to the early Middle Ages; the keep and the neighbouring Romanesque church make it one of the notable medieval ensembles of the Bernese Oberland.

Now a museum, it displays the furnishings of the noble families who lived there and offers, from its gardens, a sweeping view over the bay. It is reached directly by boat from Interlaken West.

Canyoning means descending steep gorges by combining walking, swimming, jumps and abseils along alpine torrents. Several canyons around Interlaken are set up for it.

The Saxeten suits beginners; the more technical Chli Schliere is for experienced canyoneers. Trips always run with a certified guide, wetsuit and helmet provided.

Interlaken's Adventure Park is a high-ropes course set in the forest, run by Outdoor Interlaken. Rope bridges, nets, ladders and ziplines link the trees across several difficulty levels.

Helmet and harness are provided after a safety briefing. It suits families and groups alike and fills half a day.

A via ferrata follows a rock face using fixed cables, rungs and bridges, secured by a lanyard. The best known in the region links Murren to Gimmelwald, above the Lauterbrunnen valley.

The route, about 2.2 kilometres over three hours of descent, is graded K3 (fairly hard) and suited to those comfortable with exposure. It runs from June to October and is not advised in the rain, when the rungs turn slippery.

Interlaken has no public thermal baths in the town centre. For a soak, the closest verified options are the Beatus Solbad (a panoramic saltwater bath in Beatenberg, on Lake Thun) and the spa of the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel in Interlaken itself.

After a day of hiking or canyoning, these wellness areas offer baths, saunas and views over the Bernese Alps.