Interlaken

There’s just something about forest-covered mountains and snow-capped peaks that takes your breath away. It’s a feeling the beach, however beautiful, just can’t seem to duplicate.
Interlaken, Switzerland, situated between two ice-blue lakes in a valley surrounded by mountains, was the most serene destination of our trip.
After stepping out of the train station, you’re greeted by wooded mountains and by such blue-white water that it looks as if someone added a chemical to make it appear that color.
Sam and I decided simply looking at the mountains wouldn’t be enough, so we did two hikes during our two and a half days in Interlaken.
The first hike started from the train station and climbed the adjacent mountain to a restaurant and hotel perched on top, overlooking Interlaken and the valley below.
Interlaken sits at about 1,870 feet above sea level, but the restaurant we were hiking to is about 4,400 feet.
So, naturally, we were walking uphill most of the way.
The views down below were worth every step, as was the tranquil feeling that comes with traipsing in woods.
We weren’t just looking down, but up as well.
Interlaken is known for adventure sports, and we saw at least a dozen paragliders overhead during our two and a half hour climb to the summit.
In fact, some paragliders were only 20 feet above us at the restaurant, although their views of the valley cost at least 200 dollars.
The views we enjoyed, thankfully, were free.
The second hike was much more strenuous, but the scenery was even more spectacular.
We took a train to up into the mountains to a town called Lauterbrunnen and then embarked on another two and a half hour hike up to a small mountain village called Murren, which sits about 8,500 feet among the mountains.
Since Lauterbrunnen’s elevation is about 6,000 feet, we climbed another 2,500 feet on that hike.
On that trail we hiked by numerous mountain streams that were supplied by the mountain snow above.
The water couldn’t have been more than 40 degrees, and although I didn’t drink from the streams, the icy water felt refreshing on my head and neck during the climb.
We also saw the beautiful peaks of the tallest mountains in Europe.
The tallest mountain is called Jungfrau, which is more than 13,000 feet high.
Once we reached Murren, we had lunch on a terrace with a mountain peak backdrop.
From Murren, we took a short, 30-minute hike downhill to a small hamlet named Gimmelwald.
Only about 200 people called Gimmelwald home, as its nestled in a small valley where the main activity is cow farming. A close second is probably sitting on the porch looking at those wondrous mountaintops.
From Gimmelwald we took a large gondola back to Murren, then a combination of a train, gondola, train back to Interlaken.
You couldn’t have a bigger contrast between those peaceful mountain hikes and the atmosphere at our hostel.
Throughout our trip we’ve been staying in hostels and budget hotels, always with our own private room.
Interlaken was our first “hostel experience” with tons of young, American kids roaming around the grounds of our establishment, Balmer’s Herberge.
Our guidebook said that Balmer’s had a frat-house vibe, and it couldn’t be more true.
We weren’t impressed.
It seems like all pompous, arrogant, too-cool-for-you frat boys from American universities all converge on Balmer’s during the summer months.
The place is made for them.
There’s an open beer garden in the back that serves almost exclusively American food and two different happy hours where you can get two beers for the price of one — believe me, I’m not complaining about that aspect one bit.
Once the beer garden shuts down, a downstairs nightclub opens where there are theme parties complete a guy whose job it is to be the life of the party. There was a beach-themed party and an old school hip-hop party while we were there.
I might have had a better feeling about the place if there were more locals there, but it was almost entirely full of American college kids.
Isn’t the point of going to Europe to experience other cultures and do something that you can’t do back in the United States?
When you’re down in that nightclub listening to American hip-hop surrounded by fellow Americans in swim trunks and Hawaiian shirts, couldn’t you be at any college party in America?
It’s a comfort thing really. Going to places where you don’t speak the language can be difficult and unsettling at times. When everyone speaks English, you don’t have to worry about a thing.
With all that being said, though, Interlaken was still a great place to visit because the scenery is incomparable to anywhere else.