Harderkulm

The classic panorama of Interlaken between its two lakes, with the Jungfrau massif filling the horizon

The Harderkulm is the finest viewpoint in the Interlaken area, reached by the Harderbahn funicular from a station five minutes' walk east of Interlaken Ost. The journey takes twelve minutes and gains nearly 700 metres of altitude — at the top, a cantilevered viewing platform juts out over the valley. The panorama takes in Interlaken directly below, both lakes, and the full Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau massif in a single sweep. On clear days the view extends across half the Bernese Alps.

The restaurant at the summit is expensive but the terrace is open to non-diners if you just want the view. An easy trail loops around the hillside and connects to longer paths towards the Augstmatthorn for those who want to make a proper hike of it. The funicular runs from April to November; check schedules as they vary by season.

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The Harderbahn opened in 1908, and the view from the top is the same one that filled Victorian postcards and Belle Époque hotel brochures. From 1,322 metres, you look straight down onto Interlaken like a map — Lake Thun stretching to the west, Lake Brienz to the east, and the town squeezed on its narrow gravel bar between them. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau stand in a wall behind. It is the quintessential Bernese Oberland viewpoint, and it has been earning its reputation for over a century.

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