The city of Interlaken is located in the Swiss Canton of Bern. It is one of the most famous and old tourist destinations of the Swiss Alps. The origin of the name Interlaken is Latin: it means literally between the lakes; the city in fact was built between the Aare River and the Lütschine River.
Although during some excavations romans coins were found the first evidence of a settlement in the area is dated in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 12th century an Abbey was erected on the left bank of the Aare River. Soon enough a village developed very close to the monastery. The Abbey became immediately very powerful, however only a couple of centuries later a slow decline started. The inhabitants of the monastery decided to stop following the monastics rules and 1528, during the Protestant Reform, the abbey was definitively secularized.
The city grew in importance again three centuries later when its beautiful landscapes attracted many Swiss painters. At the beginning of the 19th century the town hosted a festival dedicate to the Swiss Culture: Interlaken became quickly a popular touristic destination. Elegant hotels and spas were opened and the economy grew rapidly. During the first half of the 20th century the instable world situation put a stop to the incredible Interlaken’s growth. However in 1955 the city was able to relaunch successfully itself as a convention center.
Although during some excavations romans coins were found the first evidence of a settlement in the area is dated in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 12th century an Abbey was erected on the left bank of the Aare River. Soon enough a village developed very close to the monastery. The Abbey became immediately very powerful, however only a couple of centuries later a slow decline started. The inhabitants of the monastery decided to stop following the monastics rules and 1528, during the Protestant Reform, the abbey was definitively secularized.
The city grew in importance again three centuries later when its beautiful landscapes attracted many Swiss painters. At the beginning of the 19th century the town hosted a festival dedicate to the Swiss Culture: Interlaken became quickly a popular touristic destination. Elegant hotels and spas were opened and the economy grew rapidly. During the first half of the 20th century the instable world situation put a stop to the incredible Interlaken’s growth. However in 1955 the city was able to relaunch successfully itself as a convention center.
