Interlaken’s name points to its setting: the town stands on the Bödeli between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, where the Aare links the two waters and the mountain region opens south toward the Jungfrau. It is a small municipality with an outsized role as a transport and visitor centre. The Canton of Bern’s population report, based on the Federal Statistical Office’s STATPOP data, counted 6,123 permanent residents in the municipality on 31 December 2024. This is Interlaken itself, not the larger cluster of neighbouring communities that includes Unterseen, Matten and Wilderswil.
The town’s documented history begins with a monastery, not with a claim that the modern resort was founded in Roman times. An Augustinian community between the lakes was recorded in 1133 under the name “inter lacus Madon”; the federal inventory of protected settlements describes the monastery as a major landowner and force in the valley’s development. The municipality’s former monastery and castle grounds remain at the centre of town. After the Reformation, the property passed to Bern. Archaeological finds around nearby Unterseen—including a Neolithic axe and Roman coins and pottery—show earlier human activity in the region, but do not make present-day Interlaken a Roman-founded town. In the nineteenth century, tourism gave the place a new identity: the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland notes that Aarmühle adopted the name Interlaken for its resort and railway-facing identity, with the municipality officially changing its name in 1891. The documented stages are laid out in the monastery and castle history and the federal ISOS settlement inventory.
Begin in the centre at the Höhematte, the open green that protects the view toward the Jungfrau massif. Follow the Höheweg past hotels and shops to the former monastery precinct, the Schlosskirche and the Japanese Garden. Then cross toward the Aare and continue into Unterseen, a separate neighbouring municipality whose old town adds narrow streets, small shops and restaurants to the walk. Interlaken Tourism describes a signed 3.44-kilometre circular route linking the tourist information office, Höhematte, former monastery, river and Unterseen; it takes about an hour at an easy pace. This is a better introduction than treating Interlaken only as a platform for high-mountain excursions.
For a wider view, the Harderbahn funicular climbs from the edge of town to Harder Kulm in about eight minutes. The lookout and restaurant face the lakes and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau; hikes continue from the summit, while a short visit can be combined with the nearby wildlife park. The destination’s Harder Kulm information gives the access details, but lifts operate seasonally and according to conditions. From Interlaken Ost, the Bernese Oberland Railway connects onward to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, gateways to villages, valleys and higher mountain railways. The Jungfraujoch trip is a separate, weather-sensitive excursion, not an attraction inside town; check the operator’s live timetable and operating notices before buying tickets. Boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz offer another way to explore nearby settlements, with services varying by season.
Tourism, hospitality, transport and visitor services shape the local economy. Interlaken Tourismus has described tourism as the region’s leading economic sector and estimated roughly CHF 400 million in tourism revenue for the wider destination in 2023; that figure is regional and based on visitor spending, not a municipal budget. The economic importance brings a pressure of its own: the municipality has reported rising second-home numbers and introduced a planning zone while considering measures to protect housing for permanent residents. That debate is part of the place’s present character, alongside its hotels, convention facilities, outdoor-sport businesses and everyday services for residents.
Visitors can use two rail stations, Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost; the latter is the principal departure point for Jungfrau-area excursions. The tourist information office is at Marktgasse 1, while accommodation, restaurants, cafés, shops, lake-boat landings and local bus services make the centre easy to navigate. Bern and Lucerne are the main rail approaches described by regional tourism, with onward connections to the wider Swiss network. Before travelling, check SBB and BLS times, boat schedules, lift operations and weather. Interlaken works best as more than a view of the peaks: take time for the old monastery grounds, the Aare, neighbouring Unterseen and the lakeside communities, then choose a mountain journey that matches the day’s conditions.