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While Switzerland is a tiny country, one cannot simply underestimate the beauty that lies within it.
From the perfectly architected city of Bern to the charming town of Lucerne, Switzerland is packed with amazing places to visit, especially when it comes to nature and adventure! They’re everywhere in the country.
What’s more amazing? You don’t have to visit multiple regions of the country to see different natural wonders and try various adventures. You simply have to visit the beautiful Jungfrau Region.
It’s one of the top destinations in Switzerland. Home to turquoise lakes, spectacular peaks, gigantic glaciers, thundering waterfalls, idyllic alpine countryside villages, and heaven-on-earth valleys, this region is absolutely a must-visit.
There’s so much to do that four days in the Jungfrau region might feel not enough to fully explore and enjoy it.
If you’re planning a visit, the region’s most accessible town is Interlaken, which is usually only one or two train rides away from Switzerland’s major cities. It is also the favored home base for its central location and convenient public transportation to the highlights of the region.
Now, let me share with you the beautiful places you can quickly reach from Interlaken (arranged from nearest to farthest).
Map of Jungfrau Region
Good to know
- The Jungfrau Region is a part of the Bernese Oberland in the heart of Switzerland. Located in the canton of Bern, it’s one of the beautiful day trips that you can do if you’re staying in Bern.
- From Bern, Interlaken is just an hour away if you’ll be traveling using public transportation. It’s a 56-kilometer journey, should you decide to go there by car.
- The Jungfrau Region is also close to Lucerne, which is another beautiful destination in Switzerland. If you’re coming from Lucerne, the train journey to Interlaken is approximately 2 hours using the fastest train option. By driving, however, it’s just a 68-kilometer road trip, lasting for approximately 1 hour.
- And suppose you’re flying to the Jungfrau Region, Zurich is the best option. Both Lucerne and Bern are just an hour away from Zurich by train.
1. Harder Kulm
Let’s say you like traveling through trains and you just arrived at Interlaken OST (the main terminal of the town), then you are literally a few minutes away to the first beautiful destination in the Jungfrau Region — Harder Kulm.
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2. Lake Thun
Lake Thun is located on the western side of Interlaken. If you are currently at Harder Kulm, you can see it to your right.
Among the beautiful places you can visit from Interlaken, Lake Thun is the most unique. It has scenic lake views and five time-transporting castles that provide a special experience for those who visit them.
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10 Attractions in Lake Thun That Make the Lake Worth a Visit
3. Lake Brienz
Are you interested in seeing something truly spectacular, just by looking at a lake’s surface?
Well, look no further than Lake Brienz.
As far as I know, it’s the lake in Switzerland with the brightest turquoise color – so bright, in fact, that you can spot it from space on Google Earth!
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4. Lauterbrunnen
For me, Lauterbrunnen is the most beautiful place in the Jungfrau Region that you can reach quickly from Interlaken.
You can skip any place, but not Lauterbrunnen.
Did you know that Lauterbrunnen served as the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Rivendell (the home of the elves in LoTR)?
That pretty much explains it. I mean, if you want to be inspired to create something that also inspires, Lauterbrunnen is the place to be!
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5. Wengen
Wengen is another destination from Interlaken, known for its beautiful scenery overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
From its streets and hiking paths, you can clearly see the trough shape of the valley, which looks absolutely stunning.
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Why Visit Wengen? The Reasons, Experiences, and Expectations
6. Männlichen
One cable car ride from Wengen lies a beautiful place called Männlichen.
It’s a 2343-meter high mountain peak on the ridge that separates Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, known for the 360-degree view of the entire Jungfrau Region it offers.
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7. Grindelwald
The Jungfrau Region is worth visiting for several reasons.
Aside from the picturesque natural scenery, it also offers exciting activities where you can create fun, memorable moments to cherish for a lifetime.
If you want to see breathtaking places and have fun adventures in the Jungfrau Region, Grindelwald is the place to be.
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8. Gimmelwald
If Grindelwald is the best place to have both adventure and picture-perfect scenery, then Gimmelwald is the village to visit for introspection and a peaceful encounter with nature.
Gimmelwald is the smallest village in the Jungfrau Region, located at the farthest end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and that pretty much gives a clue as to why Gimmelwald offers a unique, potentially life-changing experience.
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9. Mürren
Of all the villages in the Jungfrau Region, Mürren is the most elevated.
It is perched on a 1650-meter-high cliff top on the western part of the Jungfrau Region, overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Situated above the middle part of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Mürren offers its visitors a spectacular view of the craggy west face of Schwarzmönch mountain.
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10. Oeschinensee
Oeschinensee (Oeschinen Lake) isn’t exactly located in the Jungfrau Region.
However, it is situated within the UNESCO World Heritage region of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (Bernese Oberland) and is quite accessible from Interlaken.
You can find this unreal lake in Kandersteg, which is in the Kander Valley, west of the Jungfrau Region. If you’re traveling from Interlaken, reaching Oeschinensee involves a 1.5-hour journey on two trains (from Interlaken to Spiez and from Spiez to Kandersteg), followed by a short hike from Kandersteg.
What makes Oeschinensee a beautiful destination is simply that it’s one of Switzerland’s most gorgeous lakes. Come to Oeschinensee to be inspired to take hundreds of photos!
Oeschinensee is a mix of Lake Brienz and Bachalpsee. It resembles Lake Brienz because of its turquoise water, and Bachalpsee because it’s at a high elevation with picture-perfect scenery.
However, as much as I believe that Oeschinensee shares characteristics with Lake Brienz and Bachalpsee, it’s quite obvious that it’s unique compared to the two.
Oeschinensee has a craggy mountain face above it, which looks stunning, especially when reflected on its turquoise surface.
When you arrive at Oeschinensee, you can just hang out at its shores and appreciate the views.
However, I encourage you to spend some time hiking around the lake for more spectacular angles.
Check out the loop north of the lake; for me, it’s the best area to hike. It can be done on a roundtrip, starting from Rodelbahn.
You can learn more about the hiking trails in Oeschinensee (and how to visit Oeschinensee) from its official website, linked in the resources section of this post.
Resources
That concludes my list of 10 beautiful places in the Jungfrau Region that are easily accessible from Interlaken.
As promised, I’ve provided links below that you can use as references for some of these stunning locations near Interlaken.
- Grindelwald First – Top of Adventure – start discovering the adventures in Grindelwald First here.
- Via Ferrata (Mürren-Gimmelwald) – Here you can find the information about the Via Ferrata from Mürren to Gimmelwald
- Oeschinensee – Official website of Oeschinensee: Visiting information and hiking trails
Tip: If you are planning a 3-day to a week-long Jungfrau Region trip, take advantage of the Jungfrau Travel Pass. It gives you free and unlimited use of nearly all kinds of public transportation in the Jungfrau Region.
Lastly, don’t forget to have unlimited 4G internet so you can check the live webcam, public transportation schedules, and more online services in Switzerland during your trip. For more ideas on what to do in the Jungfrau Region or Bernese Oberland check out it here.
Plan Your Trip Now
Here are my recommended services
For more ideas on how you can explore Switzerland, check out my 4-day Switzerland Itinerary. It’s perfect for an extended weekend trip to Switzerland, focusing on Lucerne, Mount Pilatus, Bern, and Lake Thun. This itinerary lets you experience different aspects of Switzerland in just a few days. If you’re interested in destinations outside Switzerland that offer a blend of experiences, I suggest going to Salzburg. It’s a city in Austria that’s literally straight out of a movie. Check it out!