Interlaken, Switzerland: The Sky Between Two Lakes
The Eiger Is Right There
You’re running down a grass slope on the flank of the Schilthorn, your instructor counting cadence at your shoulder, and then the ground is simply gone and you’re rising — the valley of Interlaken opening below you like an unfolding map, Lake Brienz electric blue to the east, Lake Thun silver-grey to the west, and the north face of the Eiger watching from across the valley like a deity you haven’t been formally introduced to but feel you should address respectfully.
Paragliding happens all over the world. Paragliding in the Bernese Oberland happens in the Alps, in Switzerland, between two glacial lakes, beneath a panorama that has made artists incoherent with beauty for two hundred years. The physics are the same. The experience is categorically different.
The Bernese Oberland: Why the Flying Is What It Is
The Bernese Oberland — the region surrounding Interlaken — creates near-ideal paragliding conditions through a combination of alpine geography and reliable meteorological patterns. The valley sits at 570 meters, flanked by the Bernese Alps, which reach above 3,500 meters at the Schilthorn and above 4,000 meters at the Jungfrau massif. These peaks generate powerful and predictable thermal activity on clear days, providing significant lift. The valley’s north-south orientation channels valley winds that are readable and manageable for experienced pilots.
The primary take-off sites cluster around Beatenberg on the north shore of Lake Thun (a lower, more beginner-friendly launch), Saxeten, and the famous Schilthornbahn area above Mürren — where cable car access delivers paragliders to launches at 2,970 meters, putting the Jungfrau, Mönch, and Eiger directly across the valley. The Schilthornbahn launch is one of the most spectacular in Europe; you lift off at an elevation where the air is noticeably thinner and the scale of the surrounding terrain rewires your sense of proportion completely.
Thermal season runs from April through October, with June through September offering the most reliable thermal activity for soaring flights. Winter flying exists (and is beautiful, with snow-covered peaks reflecting extraordinary light), but lift is weaker and conditions are less predictable.
“The geography gives you everything,” says Swiss-certified guide and instructor Thomas Wüthrich, who has been flying this valley for eighteen years. “On a good summer day you can stay up for two hours without trying very hard. The views just keep paying you back.”
The Schools and Operators: Flying with the Best
Paragliding Interlaken (Alpin Raft Group)
One of the oldest and most established tandem and instruction operations in the region, Paragliding Interlaken runs both tandem flights (ideal for first-timers who want the experience without the training commitment) and full paragliding license courses. Tandem flights from Beatenberg run approximately CHF 160–€180 [VERIFY] for a 20–40 minute flight depending on thermal activity. The pilots are all Swiss licensed and trained to a standard that Swiss precision-related clichés were invented to describe.
Skywings Interlaken
Specializing in tandem flights from the Schilthorn-area launches, Skywings offers the highest-altitude tandem experience in the region — the extra cost over Beatenberg flights (approximately CHF 180–220 [VERIFY]) buys you a dramatically different visual perspective, with the Jungfrau and Eiger directly across the valley at eye level rather than above you. They also offer acrobatic tandem options (wing-overs, spirals) for clients who specifically request the adrenaline-maximized version.
Swiss Paragliding (Grindelwald Base)
Operating out of Grindelwald — the valley directly beneath the Eiger’s north face — Swiss Paragliding offers the closest tandem experience to the mountain itself. Launching from approximately 1,300 meters and flying toward (not into) the face of the Eiger is an experience so visually overwhelming that most pilots report clients going silent for the entire flight. Tandem flights run approximately CHF 170–200 [VERIFY].
For those interested in learning to fly independently, all three operators offer SHV (Swiss Hang Gliding and Paragliding Federation) certified A-license courses (approximately 6–8 days, CHF 1,400–1,800 [VERIFY]) for those starting from zero.
Community and Events: The Swiss Paragliding Scene
Switzerland takes paragliding with the seriousness it brings to precision watchmaking and regulatory compliance — which, in this context, means an extraordinarily well-organized, safety-focused community with impeccable equipment standards and deeply experienced pilots. The Swiss scene isn’t loud or flashy; it’s competent and continuous.
The Paragliding World Cup circuit visits Swiss venues periodically, bringing professional cross-country pilots competing on accuracy and distance tasks across the Alps. When these events come through the Bernese Oberland, the flying activity above the valley becomes genuinely spectacular — dozens of gliders catching the same thermal at the same time, spiraling upward in a choreography that looks entirely too beautiful to be athletic competition.
Acro paragliding — a discipline that treats the glider like a gymnastic apparatus, performing helicopter spins, tumbles, and wave rides at low altitude over water — has a strong following in the Interlaken area, where lake surfaces provide the safety buffer that makes low-altitude acrobatics survivable. The Freestyle Aerial Association runs international acro competitions in Switzerland that occasionally use Lake Thun as a venue.
Beyond the Sky: Interlaken’s Terrestrial Offerings
Interlaken is the adventure sports hub of Switzerland, which means the paragliding competition is significant. Canyoning in the Saxeten Valley and Grimsel Gorge uses the same glacially carved terrain that shapes the flying, descending through waterfalls, natural slides, and rappels that are simultaneously terrifying and beautiful. White water kayaking and rafting on the Lütschine River runs through similar mountain drainage. Via ferrata routes on the limestone walls above Grindelwald offer a vertical experience that complements the aerial one.
The cultural infrastructure of the region is genuinely exceptional by any comparison. The Jungfraujoch — the “Top of Europe” railway station at 3,454 meters, reached by cog railway from Grindelwald — is the most visited mountain destination in Switzerland. The Aletsch Glacier visible from the summit is Europe’s largest glacier, and the views extend to the Black Forest on clear days. It’s a tourist experience done at Swiss quality: crowds managed, infrastructure impeccable, views undeniable.
Food and drink: Interlaken’s main streets cater heavily to international tourism, which means the best meals are often found by avoiding them. The villages of Grindelwald, Mürren, and Wengen — accessible by mountain railway — all have traditional Swiss restaurants serving raclette, fondue, and rösti at prices more appropriate to places that haven’t been marketed to death. In Interlaken proper, Restaurant du Nord and the restaurants within Hotel Royal St. Georges offer quality Swiss-French cuisine in rooms that have been feeding travelers since the Victorian era.
Logistics: Getting There and Making It Count
Nearest Airport: Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the primary international gateway, approximately 2.5 hours from Interlaken by rail (direct service via Bern, no car required). Bern Airport (BRN) is 50 minutes from Interlaken but has limited international connections. The Swiss rail network is world-class; a rail pass covering the Bernese Oberland regional trains and mountain railways is the correct way to navigate the region.
Best Time to Visit: June through September for peak paragliding season, reliable thermals, and access to all mountain launches. July and August are peak tourist season — busier, but the conditions justify it. May and October shoulder months offer fewer crowds with serviceable (if slightly less reliable) flying conditions.
Accommodation: Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel is the historic luxury choice — a Belle Époque palace hotel at the center of town that has hosted royalty and celebrities since 1865. Hotel du Lac offers lake views at more modest prices. For adventure travelers who prioritize proximity to activities over hotel aesthetics, the area’s network of mountain chalets and village guesthouses in Grindelwald and Wengen offer genuine alpine atmosphere at mid-range prices.
Ideal Itinerary:
Day 1: Train from Zurich to Interlaken, walk the main street, book tandem flight for following morning
Day 2: Tandem paragliding flight from Schilthorn-area or Beatenberg launch
Day 3: Jungfraujoch railway excursion — Aletsch Glacier, summit views
Day 4: Canyoning in Saxeten Valley
Day 5: Day in Grindelwald — hiking, via ferrata, or Eiger Trail walk (with the north face literally above your head)
Day 6: Second paragliding flight if hooked (strongly recommended), acro tandem option
Day 7: Train to Zurich, depart
The Soul of Interlaken
The Bernese Oberland doesn’t need your validation. These peaks have been generating human awe since the Romantic era, when English poets came here specifically to be overwhelmed. The difference now is that the awe is available from above.
When the glider catches a thermal and lifts you in a slow spiral — the valley floor dropping away, the glaciers gleaming, the Eiger’s black rock face turning in your peripheral vision — it’s not an adventure sport anymore. It’s an argument for being alive and choosing to do something significant with the time.
Switzerland charges accordingly. Pay it.
