Where to Stay

World famous and clearly the most popular choice of the accommodations in the Interlaken area is Balmer's Herberge. This private hostel is located in the suburb of Matten, just to the south of the town center, and both the West and East train stations give out free maps showing how to walk there. (Or you can also take the #5 bus from Interlaken West.)

Balmer's is kind of a bizarre story, however, in that it's a great place to be anytime other than summer, when the extremely wild, extremely North American crowd is reaching fever pitch. Unfortunately, summer is also the best time to be at Balmer's because that's when they offer all of the adventure sports, such as paragliding, bungy jumping and river rafting. If you want to take advantage of these activities, think about getting a private room instead of an over-crowded dorm, come right at the very beginning of the season or right at the very end and simply hope for the best. While you're there,please try to do your part in controlling their whole crazy summer scene by listening to the rules, following them and encouraging the people around you to do so as well.

Balmer's in the off season is much more relaxed--a fun place to meet and hang out with other English-speaking travellers of all ages. If you feel like kicking back for a few days, avoiding the normal stresses of travel and having a taste of home, Balmer's is the place to do it. So many conveniences and amusements are offered by Balmer's that it's a wonder the official youth hostel in neighboring Bönigen can stay in business. There are cheap meals, a shop, movies, a currency exchange, laundry, bus service to Grindelwald and group photographs on the national holidays of the nationalities most prevalent. (Believe it or not, Balmer's crowd of English-speakers is occasionally off-set by an influx of Koreans, and I once even participated in a Korea Day photograph.) All of this is naturally a huge draw, and, like I said, I would and do happily overnight there anytime but in the peak of summer season.

Balmer's prices, still among the cheapest in all of Switzerland, are as follows:

Dormitory beds . . . SFr 17.00

Dorm beds for people over thirty . SFr 19.00

Single rooms . . . SFr 37.00

Double rooms per person . . SFr 27.00

Triples or quads per person SFr 22 .00

As for cheap hotels, avoid the town center but for two possible exceptions. If you go to the center traffic circle and head south, veering right at the first fork, you will immediately see a sign for the (new on the scene) Happy Inn. My knowledge of it is limited to the price: SFr 35.00 per person in a single, double or triple room, or SFr 25.00 per person in a quad. Brekky included. Also new, or at least newly renovated, is the Alp Lodge. For this option, go north at the circle instead of south. The A.L. is located above the Riverside Bar (on the lefthand side), and the entrance is in the alley to its left. Depending on the season, private accommodations without bath but with breakfast go for SFr 22.00-25.00 per person. Old favorites, out on the same street as Balmer's (twenty minutes by foot from either station or with the #5 bus from West) are the Hotels Tell and Alpina. The Tell only has rooms with bathrooms but is still quasi-economical at SFr 45.00-55.00 per person. The Alpina will run you SFr 42.00-55.00 per person in a double without bath. Both include breakfast. Marginally preferable is the Alpina because of its atmospheric bar/terrace and occasional reduced rates for poor students.

Further away but scoring the highest on aesthetics is the Gasthof Steinbock in Wilderswil (just south of Int. East on the "private" mountain train, or take the #5 bus from West). The renovated 18th century building is five minutes from the station; just make a bee-line for the church tower. The hotel sits on the river, just to the right of the church, and is reached by crossing one of the three covered bridges on the lower Lütschine. In the summer their restaurant has a grill and riverside tables. A double room at the Steinbock will run you SFr 61.00 per person. That's with breakfast but without bath in high season. If you are three people, or you come in the off season, or both, things get cheaper. But the atmosphere is worth the splurge.

Late-breaking news is the existence of the unpronouncable but noteworthy Chalet Daipason. From the Wilderswil station, cross the street and follow the road (perpendicular to the train line) ten minutes uphill to its location on the quaint town square. For three nights or more, it's a flat SFr 25.00 per person per night, in a private room sans bath, regardless of how many people you are. Otherwise, it's SFr 40.00. Breakfast is optional at an additional SFr 10.00. But there is also access to a great kitchen!