Interlaken, Switzerland, is a hotspot on the backpacking circuit and is located in the beautiful Bernese Oberland.
For those that like to spend their time jumping out of planes, diving into canyons, and hiking glaciers, Interlaken in Switzerland is your perfect destination. Surrounded by a diverse landscape of jagged peaks, roaring rivers, snow capped mountains, and lush greenery, it contains the ideal landscape for an array of adventure sports. The area is also world-renowned for its famous hiking trails in the Swiss Alps. And, starting in March of 2012, a brand new hostel will be open to Interlaken visitors.
For those looking for an air-borne adventure, hanggliding, skydiving, and paragliding can all be experienced. If you want a thrill but would rather stay a little closer to Earth, Interlaken has bungy jumping, horseback riding, hiking, ice climbing, skiing, rock climbing, glacier trekking, ropes courses, and mountain biking. There is also a unique adventure sport called Via Ferrata which consists of traversing mountain passes equipped with fixed cables, steel ladders, and ziplines, and can only be done in a few unique regions. And for the water lovers, Interlaken gives you canyoning, kayaking, river rafting, and funyaking.
[flickr image via Fr Antunes]