Discover Interlaken in a different way by bike!

Adrenalin on different terrain

Our bikes were ready and so were we. We could hardly wait to get pedalling and decided to try out Bikepark Thunersee. Thanks to various routes around Lake Thun, this bike park promises a varied range of biking options for beginners to professionals.

The «Bikepark Thunersee» association is committed to promoting biking opportunities around Lake Thun. Thanks to their dedication, five trails are already in action and are regularly maintained by the association. In order to support the association in its maintenance and other projects, we bought a daily Daily sponsorship for 5 Swiss francs. This can be easily redeemed via Twint directly at the trail entrance.

Day #1 The Goldiwheel Trail ideal to get started

We put the Goldiwheel Trail near Thun to the test first and were not disappointed. The trail is flowing and rollable from top to bottom. This makes it ideal to get started or for beginners. A long jumpline (several jumps in a row) beckons in the lower section – a rarity in Switzerland! The «Prügu Jumps» jumpline consists of several rollable or avoidable jumps that get bigger and bigger. The tables (jump with flat surface between jump and landing) range from four to eleven metres. We particularly liked this line because of the numerous exit options and the uphill trail. In this way, you can work your way up from the smaller jumps to the big tables.

Day #2 The Heartbeat Trail says it all

The next day we drove from Interlaken to the Niederhornbahn, 12 kilometres away. There, the new Heartbeat Trail was recently opened. The mountain railway transports mountain bikers to Beatenberg station for just CHF 18.60 with a half-fare card. This is especially worthwhile in summer, when the train runs until 7 pm. The trail has it all: Technical passages alternate with various gaps (distance between two elements) and drops (jump where the landing is lower than the jump). It’s worth taking a good look at the different sections on the first descent, because the name of the trail «Heartbeat» says it all.

Day #3 Slow-paced fun on the single trails in Lungern

After two days in the bike park, the technical single trails of the region lured us to Lungern. A one-way trip on the Lungern-Turren cable car costs CHF 18.00 per person including your bike and saves you 860 metres in altitude. Up to the Schönbühl Restaurant we covered 500 metres in altitude under our own steam. Once at the top, we needed some energy, so we tried the house speciality. Don’t miss the 40 cm long nut croissant for CHF 6.50! Refueled, we enjoyed the view from the Gibel (2039 m) over Lake Lungern for a few minutes. We continued our journey along the winding hiking trail towards the Brünig Pass,
After another beautiful day on our bikes, we enjoyed the amazing meal in Restaurant 3a at the Interlaken Youth Hostel. I fell in love with this menu: Thai peanut curry with organic tofu straight from Frutigen. Of course we explored Interlaken for a bit in the evening. The front garden of the casino really piqued my interest. But we were too tired for a round of poker.

After another beautiful day on our bikes, we enjoyed the amazing meal in Restaurant 3a at the Interlaken Youth Hostel. I fell in love with this menu: Thai peanut curry with organic tofu straight from Frutigen. Of course we explored Interlaken for a bit in the evening. The front garden of the casino really piqued my interest. But we were too tired for a round of poker.

Day #4 Hidden bike trails and real insider tips

On the fourth day, a regional bike guide accompanied us and showed us his biking grounds. We met Dario Küffer in Stans, where we parked the car and rode our bikes to the valley station of the Wirzweli cable car near Dallenwil. For CHF 11.20 we comfortably covered the first 700 metres in altitude by train. After covering another 400 metres of altitude by bike, the guide showed us one of his favourite trails, which we would never have found on our own. The demanding trail really challenged us again with its technical passages and jumps. If you also prefer to explore the area with a guide, then check out Trudy Bike bike school and guiding.

Our conclusion: Thumbs up for the bike trails around Interlaken

One thing we can say for sure: Interlaken deserves five stars when it comes to biking! We found brilliant and varied bike trails that challenged us in different ways. Some of the trails are on hiking trails. But there are also professionally developed bike trails that are suitable for beginners as well as advanced bikers. One special plus is the breathtaking view of the Central Swiss lakes.

If you are looking for the pearls among the bike trails off the beaten track, you will find them with the help of the local bike guides. Since some of the trails are not easy to find, we would like to make a small recommendation: Before you set off, map your routes on Swiss Topo. As always: The mountains belong to no one. That is why we all have to respect and have consideration for nature and other alpinists. Don’t just drive cross-country, inform yourself about the route and trail rules beforehand. Often hikers and bikers use the trail network together, which can also lead to conflict. A friendly greeting can often work wonders and strengthens mutual understanding. The Swiss Alpine Club SAC has put together 8 tips for nature-friendly mountain biking.

What are you waiting for? Off to Interlaken and get biking!

If you are looking for the pearls among the bike trails off the beaten track, you will find them with the help of the local bike guides. Since some of the trails are not easy to find, we would like to make a small recommendation: Before you set off, map your routes on Swiss Topo.

As always: The mountains belong to no one. That is why we all have to respect and have consideration for nature and other alpinists. Don’t just drive cross-country, inform yourself about the route and trail rules beforehand. Often hikers and bikers use the trail network together, which can also lead to conflict. A friendly greeting can often work wonders and strengthens mutual understanding. The Swiss Alpine Club SAC has put together 8 tips for nature-friendly mountain biking.

What are you waiting for? Off to Interlaken and get biking!

Sina Candrian is a professional snowboarder and ambassador of our wellnessHostel3000. In her free time, she can usually be found in nature, in winter on her board and in summer biking or climbing. Since 2020, she has been a part of the Schtifti Foundation and, together with the team, is committed to empowering young people.