Interlaken became the birthplace of Alpine paragliding in 1978, when a handful of Swiss pilots launched from Beatenberg's north-facing ridge and stayed aloft for seventeen minutes above Thunersee.
The town sits at 567 metres between two glacial lakes, Thun and Brienz, with the Jungfrau massif rising 3,454 metres to the south. This vertical amphitheatre creates stable morning air currents and powerful afternoon thermals, making paragliding in Switzerland Interlaken the most consistent tandem flight corridor in the Alps. By 1985, certified tandem systems allowed commercial operations, and Interlaken's Höheweg promenade became the launch coordination hub for flights departing Beatenberg, Harder Kulm, and the Mürren cliffs.
The Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site, visible from every flight path, spans 824 square kilometres of glaciated terrain. Pilots launch from Beatenberg at 1,200 metres or Mürren at 1,650 metres, riding upslope winds generated when valley air strikes the limestone escarpments. Flight durations range from twelve to thirty minutes depending on thermal strength, with altitude gains reaching 400 metres on strong days. The Eiger's north face, Mönch's ice fields, and Jungfrau's summit pyramid form a constant horizon line during descent. Interlaken paragliding tours operate year-round, though November through March brings colder air and shorter flight windows.
Today's tandem paragliding tickets include pre-flight briefings at certified schools along Höheweg, ground transport to launch sites, and GoPro footage packages. Pilots hold Swiss Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association licenses and log minimum 500 tandem hours. Morning departures between 09:00 and 12:00 benefit from glassy air and unobstructed Jungfrau visibility before valley thermals intensify. Beatenberg launches offer longer flights over Thunersee's turquoise water, while Mürren flights prioritise proximity to the Eiger's 1,800-metre north wall. The Interlaken valley floor, stitched with the Aare River and flanked by the Harder and Schynige Platte ridges, compresses all flight paths into a single ten-kilometre corridor, ensuring that every descent passes over meadows, chalets, and the twin lakes that first drew pilots here in the 1970s.
1 hr 30 min
