May 27, 2015 ---- After two rainy days in Zurich and Lucerne, the sun finally shined above fluffy clouds. Nathan and I packed and left Lucerne early in the morning for Interlaken. We got on a train that runs regularly between the two cities, and we really enjoyed the scenery along the way. Sit on the right side if you find a seat!
Accommodation: We stayed in Interlaken for only a night and explored the area for two days. We were budget travelers, so we stayed at a hostel called "Swisslodge Falken" located about a 5-10 minute walk from Interlaken West Station. We got 2 bulk beds in a 4-bed room with private bathroom. What I liked about this hostel was the location, free WiFi, and the outside lockers to store our bags before/after checking in and out. The downside is that the kitchen closes at 8 p.m. and there was nothing in there other than a small fridge and a water boiler. No microwave or stove to cook or heat up our food, so we ended up having instant noodles for dinner. :-(
Transportation: There are trains, buses and boats that go everywhere from Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost. Between Lucerne-Interlaken and Interlaken-Bern, you can get a 50% discount train ticket if you buy the "Supersaver Tickets" that are available two weeks before your travel date. To go up to Jungfraujoch from Intrelaken Ost, it costs over CHF 200 for a round-trip ticket and includes two changes, at Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg. For the bus and boat ride around Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, check out the website here: http://www.bls.ch/e/homepage/index.php
Food and Restaurants: Food is expensive. We relied on Coop and Migros supermarkets located around the train stations for fresh vegetables, and I made tuna sandwiches for our hike. Never needed to eat out even once.
Attractions: Interlaken is located right in the middle of Switzerland, and it's a great base for sport lovers and those who want to go up to Jungfraujoch or the "Top of Europe." Nathan and I didn't do any water sports, but we love hiking and wandering in the woods, so we decided to hike on the Three Waterfalls Trail.
Our Trip Itinerary: Hiking on Three Waterfalls Trail
Three Waterfalls Trail is really well worth the hike. I'm a waterfall lover, so I always find any trail toward a waterfall to be worth doing. We started from Interlaken West and proceeded toward Bönigen where the trail begins, so that added another hour to the hiking time. The trail was very well marked and uphill most of the way. On this trail, some parts are very steep, and we walked past many small farmers' houses and happy cows. Sometimes we walked through the forest and other times on the edge of the mountains overlooking Lake Brienz. We got started pretty late in the day, so we didn't make it all the way to Brienz. We saw only two waterfalls: Wasserfall Erschwanden and Wasserfall Mülibach, but unfortunately not Giessbachfälle. We stopped at Iseltwald and walked around the beautiful lake town before hopping on the hourly bus back to Interlaken West.
Scenic Route "Lucerne - Interlaken"
Interlaken
Hiking on "Three Waterfalls Trail"
Iseltwald
