The town is located on flat alluvial land calledBödeli between two lakes,Brienz to the east andThun to the west, and alongside the riverAare, which flows between them. Transport routes to the east and west alongside the lakes are complemented by a route southwards into the near mountain resorts and high mountains, e.g. the famous high Alpine peaks ofEiger,Mönch andJungfrau, following upwards theLütschine.
Interlaken is the central town of a small agglomeration with the same name of 23,300 inhabitants.[2]
Until 1891, Interlaken was known asAarmühle.[3] The convent of theAugustinian Canons was built around 1133 when it was mentioned asinter lacus Madon and lasted until 1528.[4] The mill on the left bank of the Aare was first mentioned in 1365 asAmuli, while the town on the right bank was mentioned in 1239 asvilla Inderlappen.[3]
While some scatteredNeolithic flint objects, earlyBronze Age swords andRoman era coins have been found near Interlaken, there is no evidence for a settlement in the area before the Middle Ages.Interlaken Monastery was built around 1133 onimperial land on the left side of the Aare. The monastery controlled a bridge over the river and generated an income from tolls. A village grew up around the monastery, along with a mill (which gave the municipality its name until 1891). On the right bank of the river, Interlaken village developed. In 1279/80 the village ofUnterseen developed near Interlaken village. Also near the village were theimperial castle ofWeissenau and themarket town of Widen. The castle and market town became the possessions of the monastery, but fell into disrepair in theLate Middle Ages.[3]
TheNew Castle was built in 1746–50 on the site of the monastery's west wing.
The Interlaken Monastery was first mentioned in 1133 whenLothair III, Holy Roman Emperor took it under his protection. By 1247, there were also women at the monastery. During the 13th century the monastery's influence spread throughout the neighboring area and into theAare andGürbe valleys. They eventually had authority over two dozen churches along with a number of villages and farms and became the largest religious landholder in the region.[5]
During the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, the monastery grew and prospered. However, in 1350 a period of crises and conflicts led to a decline in the number of monks and nuns and increasing debt. A document from 1310, indicates that there were 30 priests, 20 lay brothers, and 350 women at the monastery. In contrast, in 1472 there were only theprovost, theprior, nine ordinarycanons, seven novices and 27 nuns. At this time, the monastery also had problems with its tenants and neighbors. In 1348, the people ofGrindelwald andWilderswil joined a mutual defense league withUnterwalden. Bern responded with a military expedition to theBernese Oberland, which ended in defeat for Unterwalden and its allies.[4] In 1445 theEvil League (Böser Bund [de]) rose up in the Oberland near Interlaken and fought against Bernese military service and taxes following theOld Zürich War.[5]
During the 14th century, the canons and nuns stopped following most of the monastic rules. In 1472 a violent dispute between the men and the women's convents resulted in two visitations by theBishop of Lausanne who noted serious deficiencies. The provost was arrested and some of the canons were replaced by canons from other convents. Despite the reform measures the nun's convent was closed in 1484 and its property transferred to the newly foundedmonastery of St. Vincent inBern.[4]
During theProtestant Reformation, the monastery wassecularized in 1528. The canons received a financial settlement and the properties were now managed by a Bernesebailiff. The tenants of the monastery who had expected the abolition of allowed interest responded by rioting, which was suppressed by Bern.[4]
After the Reformation, Bern created theInterlaken bailiwick from the monastery lands. Part of the monastery building was used as the headquarters of the district administration, while the rest was used as anindigent hospital. In 1562-63 Bern converted the monastery church'schoir into a granary and a wine cellar. In 1746-50 the west wing was demolished and GovernorSamuel Tillier built the so-calledNew Castle. It has remained the center of administration for theInterlaken District since that time.[4]
Höhenweg der Aarmühle nach Interlaken painting of Aarmühle by Jules-Louis-Frédéric Villeneuve from 1823
Aarmühle was named for themill on the Aare which was built there in or before 1365. Starting in 1365, the monastery held weekly and yearly markets at Aarmühle. It had its ownbäuert (agricultural cooperative) but was politically part of the municipality ofMatten.[6]
In the 16th century, the bäuert of Aarmühle and the surrounding bäuerten began quarreling over the use ofcommon fields and woods. Attempts at arbitration in 1533, 1586, and 1618 were unsuccessful. Partly as a result of the quarreling, in 1633,Wilderswil separated from Matten and became anindependent municipality. However, the dispute continued between Aarmühle and Matten, and in 1761, the governor of the Interlaken district attempted, unsuccessfully, to mediate. Finally, in 1810 the two villages divided their common property, though it took until 1838 for Aarmühle to become an independent political municipality.[6]
Around the time of the separation, the number oftenant farmers (farmers that did not own the land that they worked) was very different in Aarmühle and Matten. In 1831, 37% of the population in Aarmühle were tenants, while only 12% were in Matten. This meant that the population of Matten was closely tied to the land and remained farmers, while in Aarmühle they began to support the growing tourism trade.[6]
On the right bank of the Aare, Unterseen became the only municipality and absorbed the village of Interlaken. In 1838, on the left bank, the villages became the two municipalities of Matten and Aarmühle. However, Aarmühle used the name Interlaken for its post office and train station, leading to that name becoming more well known. Officially the name changed to Interlaken in 1891.[3]
A flourishing resort: Interlaken c. 1875 (in the background: Jungfrau). Etching byHeinrich MüllerParc-Hotel in Interlaken
Interlaken's reputation as international resort started around 1800 due to the landscapes ofFranz Niklaus König and otherSwiss landscape artists. The success of theUnspunnenfest, a festival ofSwiss culture, in 1805 and 1808 brought many tourists to Interlaken. Starting in 1820, they came for mountain air and spa treatment and the large Kursaal opened in 1859 to provide an elegant spa. The many hotels combined with good transportation links made it easy for these early tourists to visit. In 1835 asteam ship route opened along Lake Thun fromThun, followed in 1839 by another along Lake Brienz fromBrienz.[3]
In 1872, theBödelibahn railway opened fromDärligen, on Lake Thun, to Interlaken. Two years later it was extended toBönigen, on Lake Brienz. Initially, this line was unconnected to the rest of theSwiss railway system and served as a link between the steamships on both lakes. However, in 1893, theLake Thun railway line opened alongside Lake Thun providing a direct rail connection to Thun, with onward connections toBern and beyond. In 1888, theBrünig railway opened betweenAlpnachstad, onLake Lucerne, and Brienz, on Lake Brienz, thus providing a through steamer and rail connection from Interlaken toLucerne. By 1916, the Brünig railway had reached Interlaken from Brienz, and, together with an earlier extension at its eastern end, provided a direct rail route to Lucerne. In 1890, theBerner Oberland railway connected Interlaken to the tourist destinations ofLauterbrunnen andGrindelwald.[3][7]
With the opening up of transport links, hotels developed along the route to theJungfrau. In 1860–75 and 1890–1914 several luxury hotels were built with views of the Jungfrau and surrounding mountains. Thecurrent Kursaal was built in 1898-99 and remodeled in 1909–10.[3]
Despite the emphasis on tourism, a parquet factory operated from 1850 until 1935 and a wool weaving factory opened in 1921. In the late 20th century a woolen thread and a metal products factory opened in Interlaken. Since 1988, Interlaken has been connected to theA8 motorway.[3]
The tourism industry's frantic growth abruptly ended in 1914 when World War I started, though it resumed somewhat after the war. World War II brought another dramatic slowdown. Interlaken started to recover from theeffects of the war in 1955 as Interlaken re-branded itself as a convention and conference center. Today, the two nuclei villages (Aarmühle and the village around theBailiff's Castle) have been joined by new construction between them. The municipalities of Matten and Unterseen are also connected by new construction to Interlaken and share a common infrastructure. A referendum to merge the three political municipalities into one was voted down in 1914 and again in 1927.[3]
Aerial view of Interlaken (as seen from the west) located at the southern bank of the Aare (picture: on the left side), andUnterseen on the northern bank of the Aare,Matten b. I. south, right next to Interlaken,Bönigen right on Lake Brienz' end shore in the background, and Lake Thun in the foreground; the valley of the Lütschine is in shadow to the right withWilderswil still in the sun.
Interlaken is located at 566 m (1,857 ft)above sea level, between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west on the alluvial land calledBödeli. The town takes its name from its geographical position between the lakes (in Latininter lacus). TheAare flows through the town from one to the other lake, whilst theLütschine flows from the mountains from the south into Lake Brienz however not running through the municipality of Interlaken.
The municipality of Interlaken has an area of 4.27 km2 (1.65 sq mi).[8] Of this area, 1.05 km2 (0.41 mi2) or 24.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.97 km2 (0.37 mi2) or 22.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.03 km2 (0.78 mi2) or 47.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.3 km2 (0.12 mi2) or 7.0% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km2 (2.5 acres) or 0.2% is unproductive land.[9]
Of the built-up area, industrial buildings made up 5.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 21.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 16.0%. while parks, green belts, and sports fields made up 4.0%. Out of the forested land, 20.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 6.5% is used for growing crops and 16.3% is pastures, while 1.6% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.[9]
The Municipal Council (Gemeinderat) constitutes theexecutive government of the municipality of interlaken and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of seven councillors (German:Gemeinderat/-rätin), each responsible for a portfolio (Ressort). The councillor of the executive portfolio acts as an executive president (Gemeindepräsident). In the mandate period (Legislatur) 2021–2024 the Municipal Council is presided byGemeindepräsidentPhilippe Ritschard. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Grand Municipal Council are carried by the Municipal Council. The regular election of the Municipal Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any Swiss resident of Interlaken allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipal Council. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofProporz. The president is elected as such as well by public election by means of a system ofMayorz while the heads of the other portfolios are assigned by the collegiate.[16][17]
As of January 2021[update], Interlaken's Municipal Council is made up of three members of the FDP (The Liberals) of whom one is also the mayor, and two members each of the SP (Social Democratic Party) and SVP (Swiss People's Party). The last regular election (Landsgemeinde) was held on 27 September and 1 November 2020. Thevoter turnout was 67%/49.4%.[18]
The Municipal Council (Gemeinderat) of Interlaken[19]
TheGrosse Gemeinderat of Interlaken for the mandate period of 2021–2024
SP (19.4%)
GPS (6.50%)
GLP (16.1%)
EVP (6.50%)
FDP (22.6%)
SVP (22.6%)
EDU (3.20%)
Jupa (3.20%)
The Grand Municipal Council (Grosser Gemeinderat, GGR) holdslegislative power. It is made up of 31 members, with elections held every four years. The Grand Municipal Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Municipal Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofProporz.
The sessions of the Grand Municipal Council are public. Any resident of Interlaken allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Grand Municipal Council. The parliament holds its meetings six to eight times per year in theKunsthaus (art museum) at Amman-Hofer-Platz.[18]
In the2019 Swiss federal election for theSwiss National Council the most popular party was theSVP which received 26.1% (-4.6) of the votes. The next five most popular parties were theSP (19.9%, +1.3), theFDP (12.3%, +0.9), theGreen Party (10.6%, +2.7),GLP (9.8%, +5.6), and theBDP (7.9%, –6.5). In the federal election, a total of 1463 voters were cast, and thevoter turnout was 42.1%.[20]
Interlaken has a population (as of December 2020[update]) of 5,719.[24] As of 2010[update], 26.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 5.3%. Migration accounted for 8.2%, while births and deaths accounted for −1.9%.[25]
Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (4,271 or 83.4%) as their first language, Portuguese is the second most common (198 or 3.9%) and Italian is the third (145 or 2.8%). There are 64 people who speak French and 11 people who speakRomansh.[26]
As of 2008[update], the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The population was made up of 1,830 Swiss men (33.7% of the population) and 751 (13.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 2,164 Swiss women (39.9%) and 684 (12.6%) non-Swiss women.[27] Of the population in the municipality, 988 or about 19.3% were born in Interlaken and lived there in 2000. There were 1,923 or 37.6% who were born in the same canton, while 805 or 15.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,185 or 23.1% were born outside of Switzerland.[26]
As of 2000[update], children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 63.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.6%. In the same year, there were 2,158 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 2,288 married individuals, 367 widows or widowers and 306 individuals who are divorced.[25][26]
As of 2000[update], there were 2,418 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.0 persons per household. There were 1,041 households that consist of only one person and 74 households with five or more people. A total of 2,292 apartments (83.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 329 apartments (12.0%) were seasonally occupied and 125 apartments (4.6%) were empty. By 2009[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 4.6 new units per 1000 residents.[25][28]
As of 2003[update] the average price to rent an average apartment in Interlaken was 1013.98Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$810, £460, €650 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 642.58 CHF (US$510, £290, €410), a two-room apartment was about 741.20 CHF (US$590, £330, €470), a three-room apartment was about 945.28 CHF (US$760, £430, €600) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1648.96 CHF (US$1320, £740, €1060). The average apartment price in Interlaken was 90.9% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[29] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010[update], was 0.1%.[25]
The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][30]
Hotels on theHöheweg; roughly a quarter of all jobs in Interlaken are in hotels or restaurants.
Interlaken is classed as a tourist community. The municipality is the center of theagglomeration of Interlaken.[31] As of 2014[update], there were a total of 6,939 people employed in the municipality. Of these, 12 people worked in 5 businesses in theprimary economic sector. Thesecondary sector employed 804 workers in 100 separate businesses. Finally, thetertiary sector provided 6,123 jobs in 724 businesses.[32] In 2019 a total of 4.2% of the population received social assistance.[33]
In 2011 the unemployment rate in the municipality was 3.4%.[34]
In 2015 local hotels had a total of 710,116 overnight stays, of which 82.2% were international visitors.[35] In 2017 there were about 27 hotels in the municipality, with 1,599 rooms.[36]
Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau
In 2008[update] the total number offull-time equivalent jobs was 4,903. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 4, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 745 of which 281 or (37.7%) were in manufacturing and 397 (53.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 4,154. In the tertiary sector; 1,145 or 27.6% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 276 or 6.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 1,170 or 28.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 57 or 1.4% were in the information industry, 168 or 4.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 308 or 7.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 119 or 2.9% were in education and 360 or 8.7% were in health care.[37]
In 2000[update], there were 4,253 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,117 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.[38] Of the working population, 12.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 28.5% used a private car.[25]
From the 2000 census[update], 1,139 or 22.3% wereRoman Catholic, while 2,873 or 56.1% belonged to theSwiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 83members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.62% of the population), there were 4 individuals (or about 0.08% of the population) who belonged to theChristian Catholic Church, and there were 374 individuals (or about 7.31% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church.[26]
There were 3 individuals (or about 0.06% of the population) who were Jewish, and 170 (or about 3.32% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 29 individuals who were Buddhist, 43 individuals who were Hindu and 9 individuals who belonged to another church. 342 (or about 6.68% of the population) belonged to no church, areagnostic oratheist, and 235 individuals (or about 4.59% of the population) did not answer the question.[26]
In Interlaken about 2,181 or (42.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatoryupper secondary education, and 562 or (11.0%) have completed additional higher education (either university or aFachhochschule). Of the 562 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.3% were Swiss men, 21.4% were Swiss women, 8.4% were non-Swiss men and 8.0% were non-Swiss women.[26]
View of Jungfrau from theHöhematteThe weir on the Aare
The town is principally a base from which to explore the surrounding areas. Among the main attractions are the mountains of the Jungfrau region, including theJungfrau, (4,158 m (13,642 ft)), theMönch (4,107 m (13,474 ft)) and theEiger (3,967 m (13,015 ft)). Whilst the peaks of these mountains are accessible only to mountaineers, a sequence of connectingmountain railways gives access to theJungfraujoch, asaddle (3,454 m (11,332 ft)) between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, but correctly translated as ayoke (German:Joch), which is the highest point in Europe reachable by train.
Closer to Interlaken, theHarderkulm (1,321 m (4,334 ft)), just to the north of the town, and theSchynige Platte (1,967 m (6,453 ft)), just to the south, are also accessible by railway and provide extensive views of the higher mountains. Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are both close to the town, and the Aare flows east to west through the town. Boat trips operate on both lakes, serving various lakeside towns. One of these, Brienz, is the starting point for one of Switzerland's last remainingsteam operated mountain railway, theBrienz Rothorn Railway.
Jungfrau Park, anamusement park, is situated just to the south of Interlaken. It was originally opened as a Mystery Park, a paranormal-based theme park owned by the authorErich von Däniken, but was closed in 2006 after three years because of financial difficulties. It re-opened in its current guise in 2009.
Interlaken has a large selection of hotels of various grades, many of which are located along theHöheweg, a street that links the town's two railway stations and offers views of the mountains. Other hotels are clustered around one or other of the two stations, or located across the river in the neighboring municipality ofUnterseen.
The canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatoryKindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter anapprenticeship.[39]
During the 2009–10 school year, there were a total of 667 students attending classes in Interlaken. There were 4 kindergarten classes with a total of 72 students in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 36.1% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 47.2% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 15 primary classes and 275 students. Of the primary students, 33.8% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 43.1% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During the same year, there were 16 lower secondary classes with a total of 301 students. There were 17.6% who were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 18.3% have a different mother language than the classroom language.[40] As of 2000[update], there were 450 students in Interlaken who came from another municipality, while 78 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[38]
Interlaken is home to theBödeli-Bibliothek library. The library has (as of 2008[update]) 22,043 books or other media, and loaned out 114,730 items in the same year. It was open a total of 292 days with an average of 21 hours per week during that year.[41]
Berner Oberland train at InterlakenLake Brienz shipJungfrau at Interlaken
Interlaken has two railway stations,Interlaken Ost andInterlaken West, which are both served by theBLS AG'sThunersee line that provides direct services toSpiez,Thun,Bern and beyond, with onward connections at Bern to the rest of Switzerland. Through international services are provided byTGV to Paris andICE toFrankfurt and Berlin.[42]
Besides being the terminal of the Thunersee line, Interlaken Ost is also the terminus of theZentralbahn'sBrünig line to Brienz,Meiringen andLuzern, with onward connections to north-eastern Switzerland. TheBerner Oberland railway also operates from Ost station, providing the first stage of severalmountain railway routes into the Jungfrau region and, most notably, to Europe's highest station at theJungfraujoch.
Boat services acrossLake Brienz to Brienz and acrossLake Thun to Spiez and Thun are operated by the BLS AG. The boats on Lake Thun operate from a quay adjacent to the West station, connected to Lake Thun by theInterlaken ship canal. The boats on Lake Brienz operate from a quay on theAare by the Ost station. The remainder of the Aare between the two lakes is controlled by severalweirs and is not navigable.
Interlaken is connected by theA8 motorway to Thun and Lucerne, with onward connections by otherSwiss motorways to the rest of Switzerland. Local roads also follow both banks of the lakes to east and west and follow the valley of the Lütschine south into the Jungfrau region. However, there is no direct road connection across the mountains of that region into thecanton of Valais to the south, with the nearest such connections being theGrimsel Pass to the east, or using the vehicle transport service through theLötschberg rail tunnel to the west.
TheUnspunnenfest is a festival held in Interlaken and the neighbouring communities ofMatten andWilderswil approximately every twelve years. The festival highlights traditionalSwiss culture and features competitions ofSteinstossen (stone put),Schwingen (wrestling) andyodelling. The last Unspunnenfest was held in 2017. The next celebration is scheduled for the year 2029.
During summer, there is theGreenfield Festival on the outskirts of Interlaken.
^The official language in any municipality in German-speaking Switzerland is always German. In this context, the term 'German' is used as an umbrella term for any variety of German. So, according to law, you are allowed to communicate with the authorities by using any kind of German, in written or oral form. However, the authorities will always useSwiss Standard German (aka the Swiss variety ofStandard German) in documents, or any written form. And orally, it is eitherHochdeutsch (i.e., Swiss Standard German or what the particular speaker considers asHigh German), or then it depends on the speaker's origin, which dialectal variant (s)he is using.
^Jürg Ehrbar."Interlaken Ost–Bönigen".eingestellte-bahnen.ch (Amateur site) (in German). Zweisimmen, Switzerland: Jürg Ehrbar. Archived fromthe original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved26 September 2012.
^"Organe/Behörden: Gemeinderat" (official site) (in German). Interlaken, Switzerland: Gemeinde Interlaken. 2016. Archived fromthe original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved6 October 2016.
^"Die Raumgliederungen der Schweiz 2016" (in German, French, Italian, and English). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 17 February 2016. Retrieved14 December 2016.
^"Kantonsliste A-Objekte".KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Archived fromthe original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved25 April 2011.
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