Two turquoise lakes. The Jungfrau massif. Valleys that shelter the air. People come from all over the world because the flight really does feel like Switzerland from a postcard.
70k+Tandem flights a year, because people come for this
Flying areas
Two flights, two valleys
Most visitors picture one launch and one landing. Around Interlaken, two main tandem areas sit close together. Both are beautiful. They feel completely different in the air.
I fly both main areas: the classic lakes route from Amisbüel down to Höhematte park, and the Mürren launches into Lauterbrunnen. The lakes route gives you the Interlaken postcard. Mürren feels wilder, with cliffs, waterfalls, and a quieter alpine mood.
The lakes flight
Amisbüel → Interlaken
Lakes, town, and the Jungfrau peaks when skies are clear.
Launch: Amisbüel, the ridge above the lake northeast of town.
Land: Höhematte park in the centre of Interlaken.
You'll see: Lakes Thun and Brienz, the town below, and on clear days the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
Best for: First-timers, families, anyone who wants the iconic “I flew over Interlaken” view.
Logistics: Short transfer from hotels. Most daily tandem operations run here.
Pros
Postcard Interlaken: lakes, town, and the big peaks when skies are clear
Short transfer from most hotels, easy to fit into a busy day
Land in Höhematte park and walk straight back into town
Cons
The busiest option, with most daily tandem flights running here
Less “inside the cliffs” drama than the Lauterbrunnen valley
The famous Jungfrau backdrop needs a clearer day to really show
For a first flight in the Bernese Oberland, this is the classic Interlaken route most people have in mind.
The valley flight
Mürren → Lauterbrunnen
Cliffs, waterfalls, and the Lauterbrunnen valley walls.
Launch: Cliff takeoffs around Mürren / Schilthorn side, west of the valley.
Land: Stechelberg on the valley floor, a separate village from Interlaken town.
You'll see: Sheer rock faces, Staubbach Falls, deep inside the Lauterbrunnen amphitheatre.
Best for: Visitors who want drama, scale, and a flight that feels alpine in every direction.
Logistics: Often longer transfers and a different rhythm from the lakes circuit.
Pros
Sheer walls, waterfalls, and a deeper alpine feel from takeoff to landing
Often quieter in the air than the busy lakes circuit
Gives the region another option when weather pauses the lakes side
Cons
Longer transfers from Interlaken hotels, so plan more time
Land at Stechelberg, then take another hop back to Interlaken
The route feels more alpine than the classic “flew over Interlaken” postcard most first-timers picture
Weather can favour one area while the other waits, which gives the region more flying days than a single launch site would.
Pick the view you want most: lakes and town, valley and cliffs, or both if your trip allows. Either route puts you in one of the great tandem regions on earth. Ask me which fits your day. Weighing Interlaken against Zermatt or Grindelwald? See where to paraglide in Switzerland.
In the air
What the flight looks like
From the air, Interlaken suddenly makes sense. The lakes sit bright turquoise on either side of town. The streets shrink to thin lines. On a clear day the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau fill the horizon, and you are moving through the picture you saw earlier from the train window.
Some days the peaks steal the show. Some days the light on the lakes does it. Both are real Interlaken, and both can become the story you tell years later.
The flight at the top of this page shows both: it starts above Stechelberg, follows the Lauterbrunnen valley to Interlaken, and ends behind the Beatenberg launches.
From the air
Lakes, peaks, and the valley below
Ten to twenty minutes over the scenery most visitors first spot from a train window.
Why this region
Sheltered valleys, more flying days
Plenty of Alpine towns look dramatic from a hotel balcony. Interlaken also has terrain that protects many launch sites from the worst wind. That matters. We can often fly here while more exposed mountain regions stay grounded.
In a good year that adds up to over 300 flying days in the region. The geography works with us. Two flying areas close together help too: when one valley waits, the other may still be open.
People travel a long way to fly here for good reason. The scenery is obvious from the ground. In the air, the scale finally lands. The valley handles tens of thousands of tandem flights a year and still feels spectacular from the harness.
01
Flying days
300+
Flying days a year. Sheltered valleys often keep the air usable when exposed Alpine spots sit out.
02
Two areas
2 sites
Two world-class sites minutes apart: lakes and town, or cliffs and waterfalls.
03
Sheltered air
Protected
Terrain that shapes the wind is one quiet reason Interlaken flies so reliably.
The pilots
How pilots qualify here
Swiss tandem qualifications are among the hardest in the world. From scratch, expect around five years of serious flying before a pilot can carry passengers, and that assumes they fly a lot. Commercial work in Interlaken adds local knowledge, mountain weather judgment, and a culture where every passenger flight is treated as serious work.
Commercial tandem pilots here belong to the VKPI, the Verein Kommerzieller Piloten Interlaken. The association helps manage takeoff and landing sites, flight safety, and shared standards across the valley.
Flights happen when the wind, visibility, and launch conditions line up. I've lost count of the people who've landed and told me they wish they'd done it sooner. Plenty have also said it was one of the best things they've ever done. Making people that happy is what makes this job special. For equipment, risks, and insurance detail, see the safety guide.
Next step
Ready to plan your flight?
If you're visiting Switzerland and you've ever thought about paragliding, Interlaken is the place to do it. The scenery earns the trip. Flying days are frequent. The pilot standard is high. Put it on the plan while you're already in the mountains that make the flight memorable.
