Lakes. Peaks. Breathtaking views. The Bernese Oberland.

Anyone standing between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz for the first time will immediately understand why this region is one of the most impressive landscapes in Europe. To the north, the shimmering lake waters – deep blue on one side, emerald green on the other. To the south, the trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, whose silhouette is so outrageously majestic that you can’t help but pause for a moment. The Bernese Oberland is not a place that needs any explanation. One glance is enough.

Interlaken lies like a hinge between the two lakes and is also the gateway to the high Alps. From here, the Bernese Oberland opens up in all directions: to the Lauterbrunnen Valley with its thundering waterfalls, to Grindelwald – the ‘village of the Eiger’ – with a direct view of the North Face, to the tranquil Simmental, or to the Kander Valley with the turquoise Lake Oeschinen high above Kandersteg. Travelling from Thun along the Aare, you approach the Oberland through a gentle foreland before the peaks suddenly rise up and shift the perspective. This dramatic contrast – first tranquillity, then sheer power – is the region’s true hallmark.

Over 4,600 kilometres of hiking trails criss-cross the Bernese Oberland, including twelve long-distance trails – ranging from leisurely lakeside paths to challenging summit treks such as the Panoramaweg from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, which offers spectacular views with minimal elevation gain. Trail runners will find the Eiger Ultra Trail, one of the most famous running routes in the Alps, which pushes even experienced athletes to their limits.

Mountain bikers can explore trails around Grindelwald-First, where, alongside cycling routes, cliff walks and spectacular gondola rides also beckon. For road cyclists, the route from Interlaken Ost to Oberhofen Castle offers a classic lakeside loop that combines panoramic views with a good workout.

There’s just as much variety on the water: canoeing and SUP tours on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are popular activities, alongside sailing, windsurfing and wakesurfing – always with a view of snow-capped peaks. The Lütschine is bustling with river-rafting groups, whilst those who prefer a more leisurely pace can glide across Lake Brienz on a historic steamboat.

In winter, 34 ski resorts share 774 kilometres of slopes – from Adelboden-Lenk via Grindelwald-Wengen to Glacier 3000 near Gstaad. Ski tourers will find quiet ascent routes into the high Alps away from the lifts, whilst snowshoe walkers can explore snow-covered valleys and mountain forests far from the hustle and bustle. Anyone who is the first to carve into the powder-covered slopes in the morning and is sitting in a mountain hut by midday will understand why the Oberland takes on a different kind of intensity in winter.

The Bernese Oberland has one quality that cannot be captured in a photograph: its capacity for tranquillity. In the valleys around Kandersteg, on the shores of Lake Brienz or high up on the Schynige Platte – you naturally find yourself slowing down. Yoga against a backdrop of mountain panoramas, guided meditation walks, alpine wellness with views of mountain ranges. When you arrive here, it often takes two days to realise just how noisy life was before.

If you’re active, you can eat to your heart’s content. In the Bernese Oberland, this applies on several levels: from alpine huts serving freshly made mountain cheese and crispy rösti to refined Alpine cuisine in upmarket restaurants. Here, fondue and raclette aren’t just tourist traps, but a living culinary heritage – creamy, hearty and down-to-earth. In autumn, game dishes take centre stage – game in mushroom sauce with spätzli, red cabbage and chestnuts, as served in inns throughout the region. For those seeking more: the region’s gourmet cuisine has long since come into its own – sustainable Alpine cuisine of the highest standard, Swiss proteins, with a regional flair.

Whether it’s a summit climb or a lakeside walk, a trail run or a yoga session with views of the Jungfrau – the Bernese Oberland is a region that isn’t simply visited, but experienced. The combination of alpine grandeur, expansive lakescapes, an active lifestyle and down-to-earth enjoyment is hard to find anywhere else in such concentration. Once you’ve been here, you’ll measure things differently – in metres of altitude, breaths taken and moments that stay with you.