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Interlaken Area If you are time-limited and keen to hike, please consider carrying on with it in anything less than a monsoon. Some of my best, most bizarre and most hilarious hiking experiences were in the rain! Keep in mind, though, that a lousy day in Interlaken is for some meteorological reason often a good day in the Grindelwald Valley, where the view is even more spectacular, when the clouds finally part. So, it might not be such a bad idea to take that excursion to Grindelwald when you wake up to rain in Interlaken. When possible, try to confirm the scenario with an actual weather report; it's frequently the case that Interlaken alone is in the fog. If it is, in fact, pouring everywhere, you might want to check out the Museum of Tourism in the Jungfrau Region, which is on the Stadthausplatz, the old square in Unterseen. It's open from May to mid October, Tuesday to Sunday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. A bargain at SFr 3.00, this museum deals mostly with the development of winter sports in the area--a popular theme--and the building of the various kinds of alpine transportation systems. (The Café Treff, a few doors down, is a good place to go for a cappucino afterwards.) The Chäs Dörfli or"Cheese Village" is located right in the center of town, in the little alley behind the Fiechter jewelry and watch shop. Perhaps it's worth a look, but beware of the word "free" in this case, as a signal that it's only marginally worth your effort. Daily starting at 2:00 PM, the Cheese Village goes through the entire cheese making process, about which they have printed leaflets in several different languages, in a stand by the door. You walk in, and there's a (bearded, farmer-type) Swiss man, clad in immitation traditional garb, performing some stage of the process and looking pretty much like he's in the zoo. If it's in any way possible, through hiking and talking to the locals, you should try to go see the real thing instead. (Obere Brechalp in the Trümmel Valley, Obersteinberg, Oberberg and the Rotstock Hut all make their own cheese, but try to go by early because the process is usually finished by noon.) The Casino Kursaal, located on the main street, facing the park, often puts on cultural shows and exhibitions, such as of local farming methods or mountain climbing, to name a few examples. These things cost anywhere from free to SFr 15.00, depending on the nature of the presentation and are usually included on the monthly calender of Interlaken's events that you'll see posted all over town and often in the reception area of wherever you are staying. If all else fails, take the advice of a woman: go shopping. I should probably mention here that there's an outdoor market in the main streets of town every Tuesday, rain or shine, all through the summer. You can find unusual antiques and craft items in an atmosphere where bargaining is not unheard of. The market is a cultural event in and of itself. |