Interlaken

For other uses, see Interlaken (disambiguation).

Interlaken
Country Switzerland Canton Bern District Interlaken-Oberhasli 46°41′N 7°51′E
Population	5,429 (Dec 2010)
- Density	1,234 /km2 (3,196 /sq mi)
Area	4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Elevation	568 m (1,864 ft)
Postal code	3800
SFOS number	0581
Mayor	Urs Graf (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland)
Surrounded by	Bönigen, Därligen, Matten bei Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Unterseen
Twin towns	Scottsdale (USA), Ōtsu (Japan), Třeboň (Czech Republic)
Website	www.interlaken-gemeinde.ch SFSO statistics
Interlaken
Map of Interlaken

Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.

History

Until 1891 Interlaken was known as Aarmühle. The convent of the Augustinian Canons was built in 1130 and lasted until 1528.^{[citation needed]} Previously, printing, textiles, and to a smaller extent watchmaking were also of importance, but today tourism is the most significant source of income. Interlaken is one of the oldest tourist resorts in Switzerland, and it remains one of the most popular.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

View of Interlaken from Schynige Platte

The Casino gardens

Interlaken is located between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west in the area called Bödeli. The town takes its name from its geographical position between the lakes (in Latin inter lacus). The Aare River flows through the town connecting the lakes.

Interlaken is located at 570 m (1,870 ft) above sea level.

Interlaken has an area, as of 2009, of 4.4 km² (1.7 sq mi). Of this area, 1.05 km² (0.41 sq mi) or 24.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.97 km² (0.37 sq mi) or 22.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.03 km² (0.78 sq mi) or 47.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.3 km² (0.12 sq mi) or 7.0% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.2% is unproductive land.

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%. 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 in rivers and streams.

Demographics

Jungfraustrasse

Interlaken has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 5,429. As of 2007, 24.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.5%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (83.4%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 3.9%) and Italian being third ( 2.8%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 29.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (21.3%), the FDP (18.7%) and the Green Party (11.6%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000) is 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%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Interlaken about 69.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

Interlaken has an unemployment rate of 3.86%. As of 2005, there were 28 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 6 businesses involved in this sector. 742 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 76 businesses in this sector. 4,935 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 535 businesses in this sector. The historical population is given in the following table:

year	population
1764	397
1850	1,054
1900	2,962
1950	4,368
2000	5,119

Tourism

Jungfrau from Interlaken

The town is a base from which to explore the surrounding areas by train or bus. One of the main attractions is the Jungfrau, (4,158 m (13,642 ft)) and the Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m (11,320 ft)). Many hotels are located along the Höheweg. Mystery Park, a paranormal-based theme park owned by Erich von Däniken, was closed in 2006 after three years because of financial difficulties but re-opened in 2009.

Interlaken is a destination for backpackers throughout the year. Interlaken has numerous backpacker-friendly hostels and companies providing guided services in skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and skiing.

Transportation

BOB railways train at Interlaken

Interlaken has two railway stations Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West and two funicular railways, the Harderbahn and the Heimwehfluhbahn. Train connections in Interlaken serve the Jungfrau region via the Berner Oberland Bahn, and the narrow-gauge lines of the Zentralbahn extending over the Brünig Pass to Luzern. The main line connects Interlaken with the cities of Spiez, Thun and Bern. There are also regular bus links to the neighbouring town of Thun. Boat services across Lake Brienz to Brienz and across Lake Thun to Spiez and Thun are operated by BLS Lötschbergbahn. Interlaken also has an airport, Interlaken Airport. It serves the cities of Matten and Interlaken.

Events

• In September, the Jungfrau Marathon starts in Interlaken.
• The Unspunnenfest is a festival held in Interlaken and the neighbouring communities of Matten and Wilderswil approximately every twelve years. The festival highlights traditional Swiss culture and features competitions of Steinstossen (stone put), Schwingen (wrestling) and yodelling. The last Unspunnenfest was held in September 2006. The next celebration is scheduled for the year 2017.
• On July 15 of 2007, the Red Bull Air Race World Series was held on the Airport situated near Interlaken.
• During Summer, there is the Greenfield Music Festival on the outskirts of Interlaken.

Weather

Climate data for Interlaken
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	1.9 (35.4)	4.3 (39.7)	8.5 (47.3)	12.8 (55.0)	17.3 (63.1)	20.4 (68.7)	23 (73)	22 (72)	18.8 (65.8)	13.8 (56.8)	7.1 (44.8)	2.7 (36.9)	12.7 (54.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.2 (29.8)	0.4 (32.7)	3.6 (38.5)	7.4 (45.3)	11.6 (52.9)	14.7 (58.5)	16.9 (62.4)	15.9 (60.6)	13.1 (55.6)	8.5 (47.3)	3 (37)	−0.4 (31.3)	7.8 (46.0)
Average low °C (°F)	−4.1 (24.6)	−3.1 (26.4)	−0.7 (30.7)	2.6 (36.7)	6.5 (43.7)	9.7 (49.5)	11.9 (53.4)	11.4 (52.5)	8.7 (47.7)	4.6 (40.3)	0 (32)	−3.1 (26.4)	3.7 (38.7)
Precipitation mm (inches)	75 (2.95)	76 (2.99)	85 (3.35)	89 (3.5)	109 (4.29)	139 (5.47)	128 (5.04)	145 (5.71)	81 (3.19)	78 (3.07)	90 (3.54)	80 (3.15)	1,174 (46.22)
Avg. precipitation days	10.1	9.6	12.1	11.8	13.9	14.2	12.8	13.5	9	8.4	10	10.1	135.5
Source: MeteoSchweiz

See also

View of Interlaken, 1821

• Swiss Alps
• Harder Kulm
• Entrelagos
• Interlagos

External links

• Official website
• Official website of the municipality (German)
• Activities and webcams in the surrounding area
• Interlaken (municipality) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.