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Interlaken

 
Dictionary: In·ter·la·ken   (ĭn'tər-lä'kən, ĭn'tər-lä'-) pronunciation

A town of west-central Switzerland southeast of Bern. It is a popular resort in the Bernese Alps. Population: 5,280.

 

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Interlaken
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Interlaken (ĭn'tərläkən), town (1990 est. pop. 5,180), Bern canton, central Switzerland, between the Lake of Brienz and the Lake of Thun. Its manufactures include textiles and watches. Interlaken is one of the largest tourist resorts (mainly summer) in the Bernese Alps, and its yearly visitors far outnumber its permanent inhabitants. The region is famous for its magnificent view of the Jungfrau peak.


Dialing Code: The telephone dialing code for: Interlaken, Switzerland
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The country code is: 41
The city code is: 33


Wikipedia: Interlaken
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Interlaken
Interlaken -
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Interlaken
Canton Bern
District Interlaken
46°41′N 7°51′E / 46.683°N 7.85°E / 46.683; 7.85Coordinates: 46°41′N 7°51′E / 46.683°N 7.85°E / 46.683; 7.85
Population 5,577 (December 2007)
  - Density 1,268 /km2 (3,283 /sq mi)
Area 4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Elevation 568 m (1,864 ft)
Postal code 3800
SFOS number 0588
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 is located in Switzerland
Interlaken
Interlaken

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

Contents

History

Until 1891 Interlaken was known as Aarmühle.[1] The original importance of the town was as the site of a convent of the Augustinian Canons; the convent was built in 1130 and lasted until 1528. In the past, 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.

Geography

View of Interlaken from Schynige Platte
On the main street

The Aare River flows through the town. 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).

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

Interlaken has an area of 4.4 square kilometers (1.7 sq mi). Of this area, 26.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 21.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 45.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (6.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[2]

Demographics

Interlaken has a population (as of 2007) of 5,286, of which 24.0% are 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 Portugese 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.[2] The historical population is given in the following table:[1]

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

Tourism

Jungfrau from Interlaken

Interlaken is frequently visited by adventure-seeking backpackers throughout the year. Interlaken is home to numerous backpacker-friendly hostels and companies that provide guided services in skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and skiing.

The town offers tourists a peaceful base from which to explore the surrounding areas by train or bus. However, the main attraction is probably the magnificent Jungfrau (4,158 m (13,642 ft)) and the nearby Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m (11,319 ft)). Many hotels are located along the Höheweg avenue which offer good views of the mountains. 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[3].

Transportation

BOB railways train at Interlaken

Despite its small size, the town features 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, with 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.

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, 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

Weather data for Interlaken
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 1.9
(35)
4.3
(40)
8.5
(47)
12.8
(55)
17.3
(63)
20.4
(69)
23
(73)
22
(72)
18.8
(66)
13.8
(57)
7.1
(45)
2.7
(37)
12.7
(55)
Daily mean °C (°F) -1.2
(30)
0.4
(33)
3.6
(38)
7.4
(45)
11.6
(53)
14.7
(58)
16.9
(62)
15.9
(61)
13.1
(56)
8.5
(47)
3
(37)
-0.4
(31)
7.8
(46)
Average low °C (°F) -4.1
(25)
-3.1
(26)
-0.7
(31)
2.6
(37)
6.5
(44)
9.7
(49)
11.9
(53)
11.4
(53)
8.7
(48)
4.6
(40)
0
(32)
-3.1
(26)
3.7
(39)
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 [4] 8 May 2009

See also

View of Interlaken, 1821

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Interlaken in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  2. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 12-Jun-2009
  3. ^ http://www.mysterypark.ch
  4. ^ "Temperature and Precipitation Average Values-Table, 1961-1990" (in German, French, Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss. http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html. Retrieved 8 May 2009. 



 
 

 

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