United kingdom Daily news: The Best Place To Eat In... Interlaken, the gentile year-round Swiss mountain resort

The Best Place To Eat In... Interlaken, the gentile year-round Swiss mountain resort

By Priscilla Pollara

PUBLISHED: 04:36 EST, 5 July 2012 | UPDATED: 09:59 EST, 5 July 2012

They are intricately braided across the landscape like a loaf of their native Zopf bread, but to a first-time visitor unaccustomed to the serenity afforded atop its mountains, Swiss Alpine resorts are often indistinguishable.

Of course, in reality, this is to be truly unfair to an otherwise splendid part of the world â€" after all, how could the likes of Verbier, Zermatt and Klosters have been awarded such notoriety without the varying nuances which make them unique?

There are indeed subtle differences which separate them all: from the local dishes to enjoy, wines to drink and dialects to speak. In fact, the only thing that remains the same in any one village is the ever-dependable punctilious nature for which the Swiss are now globally famous.

So Swiss: Interlaken is one of the traditional resort towns strung across the mountain range

Locals of Interlaken, the small town nestled between Switzerlandâ€™s Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the quaint, but equally dramatic Bernese Oberland, have often wondered why their municipality rarely qualifies for the now well-known, well-worn list of elite Swiss holiday spots.

Modern celebrity has clouded judgement, because once upon a time, Interlaken was the very first of the Swiss Alpine destinations to welcome tourists into its arms. Visitors began enjoying it from as early as 1800.Â

The Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch, the spectacular 4000m Alpine wall which skirts high above the edges of this town, was arguably its winning detail. Today, Interlaken is just as popular as it once was, and true to form, many come just to witness these fraternal peaks and their immediate beauty.

They provide the perfect platform for those who enjoy the outdoors. In the summer, there are hikes, paragliding, bungee jumps and bicycle tours to be had from its heights and around its base, while others just enjoy picnicking in its shadow.

In the winter, skiing opportunities are abundant. Thereâ€™s a breathtaking 214 kilometres of pistes available for both those on snowboards and skis: choose from slopes in the nearby Lutschen and Lauterbrunnen valleys, or ski the powder at Beatenberg, Habkern and Axalp.Â

Historic: The Victoria-Jungrau Hotel opened in 1865

What Else is Good?

One of the cityâ€™s biggest attractions is the Victoria-Jungrau Hotel, the majestic five-star hotel which directly faces the Jungfrau Alpine wall. At the time of its opening, in 1865, Interlaken was at the start of its boom, and the hotel, which sits along the populated pretty high street of Hoheweg, was at the centre of it all.

As the years have gone by, it has stayed true to its ever-Swiss traditions, even with the introduction of a Sensai Spa.

But, of course, food is one of the main attractions in this hearty mountainside town.

Skiing holidays often remind people of bowls of below-average spaghetti Bolognese and soggy Croque Monsieur dishes high up on the slopes â€" but the Victoria-Jungfrau is keen and proud to demonstrate just how Swiss food ought to be enjoyed.

'Working your way around the restaurants at the VJ, is like guiding yourself around Switzerlandâ€™s most exquisite farmersâ€™ markets,' says Ina Bauspiess, the hotel groupâ€™s outgoing director of communications.

On the waterfront: Interkalen is sat between SwitzerlandÂ¿s Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (pictured)

Firstly The Restaurant La Terrasse, always over-booked and heaving with eager visitors, is the 16 Gault Millau eaterie which continually impresses with its elegant Baroque-style ballroom and crystal chandeliers â€" eating here is an experience the restaurant calls â€˜seductiveâ€™. Theyâ€™re not wrong. The most popular dish on the menu the irresistible Swiss take on the French class pudding of Crepes Suzette, which comes with its very own piece of piano music as it arrives at the table.

At the adjacent Jungfrau Brasserie, where the focus is purely on Swiss cuisine, thereâ€™s the chance to tuck into pastetli (creamy mushroom and meat pies), a wide range of wurstsalats (cold sausage salads), Bernese Oberland beef and Swiss Highland Whisky-marinated veal.

In the basement of the hotel, thereâ€™s Carnozet, where private dinners can be held for up to 24 people. But what to have here in this traditional Swiss candlelit cave? Fond ue, of course. Indulge in this culinary delight, characterised by the dipping of bread at the end of long-stemmed forks into a communal pot of hot, bubbly, melted cheese. The Swiss recommend a hearty swig of Kirsch â€" a potent fruit brandy â€" to help digest the heavy meal post-fondue. Those down at the Carnozet are only too happy to serve from their enormous stash.

Why Interlaken?

To work off the food, there are a million and one things â€" aside from skiing â€" that Interlaken-dwellers could find themselves doing at either end of the season spectrum.

Head to the Mountain Market Shop (a few minutes walk from the Victoria Jungfrau Hotel), where owners Christina and Uli host their very own snow-shoe walks in winter and summer hikes through the mountains.

This effervescent pair are Bernese Oberland locals â€" one from Habkern, one from Grindelwald â€" and know all the confusing routes like the back of their hands. Embarking out on a day with them, will mean a lunchpack from their shopâ€™s own produce â€" which is locally-grown Emmental, the spicy Berner Alpkase, the hard Appenzeller, tea leaves, Zopf bread, ham, etc, - for the walk.

Year-round fun: The Eiger mountain rage near Interlaken is perfect for winter skiing and summer walks

Itâ€™s either at a disused mountain hut (used in the summer to produce local cheese) or on the flower-strewn green fields, where Uli and Christina host their lunch of Swiss delights.

Otherwise, locals tend to take full advantage of the ice-melt and take to the Lakes for water-skiing, wind-surfing, or better, by diving into the great number of Lidos (Lido Niederried is considered a favourite) and Lake Brienz for a refreshing swim in the cool clear and clean Swiss water.

If all that fails to take your fancy, take a tour of the all-natural limestone gorges, waterfalls, and stalactite formations founds in the impressive St Beatus Caves, opened to the public since 1904 and situated on the edge of Lake Thun.

Donâ€™t forget, Interlakenâ€™s location within Switzerland means that in only a handful of hours or a lot less, Bern, Zurich, Lausanne, Luzern, Geneva and Zermatt, are within easy reach. By the end of your trip, youâ€™ll most certainly know the difference between all of them.

During warmer climes, visit the Alpine towns by heading out on a characteristic tour hosted by the Bodeli-Villages train tour (commentary given in German and English), which drives passengers through a sightseeing drive of Matten, Interlaken and Unterseen. Alternatively, you could do it all by foot.