Interlaken
Interlaken (German pronunciation: [ˈɪntərlakŋ̍]; lit.: between lakes) is a Swiss town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, and the main transport gateway to the mountains and lakes of that region.
Interlaken | |
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Interlaken | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Interlaken | |
Interlaken Interlaken | |
| Coordinates: 46°41′N 7°51′E | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Bern |
| District | Interlaken-Oberhasli |
| Government | |
| • Executive | Gemeinderat with 7 members |
| • Mayor | Gemeindepräsident Urs Graf SPS/PSS (as of June 2018) |
| • Parliament | Grosser Gemeinderat with 30 members |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation (Convent/Castle) | 568 m (1,864 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2018) | |
| • Total | 5,610 |
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi) |
| Demonym | German: Interlakner(in) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (Central European Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time) |
| Postal code(s) | 3800 |
| SFOS number | 0581 |
| Localities | Im Moos, Öli |
| Surrounded by | Bönigen, Därligen, Matten bei Interlaken, Ringgenberg, Unterseen |
| Twin towns | Scottsdale (USA), Ōtsu (Japan), Třeboň (Czech Republic) |
| Website | interlaken-gemeinde SFSO statistics |
The town is located on flat alluvial land called Bödeli between two lakes, Brienz to the east and Thun to the west, and alongside the river Aare, which flows between them. Transport routes to the east and west alongside the lakes are complemented by a route southwards into the near mountain resorts and high mountains, e.g. the famous high Alpine peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, following upwards the Lütschine.
Interlaken is the central town of a Small Agglomeration with the same name of 23,300 inhabitants.
The official language of Interlaken is German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German.