Interlaken

Interlaken sits on a flat plain between two turquoise lakes, Thun and Brienz, with the snow-capped trio of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau rising to the south. It is less a place to admire in itself than a launchpad, the classic base for the Bernese Oberland's mountain railways, cable cars, hikes and lake steamers. The town is small and easily walked, its long central Hoheweg promenade lined with grand hotels, souvenir shops and the paragliders drifting down onto the Hohematte meadow. Give yourself a proper stretch of days here, because the weather rules everything: save the big summits like the Jungfraujoch or the Schilthorn for the clearest morning and fill grey days with lakes, waterfalls and villages. Buy a regional travel pass, learn the train and cable-car connections, and treat the surrounding villages of Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and Wengen as your real destinations. Eat hearty Alpine food, rosti, fondue and lake fish, and let the mountains set the daily rhythm.