Hotels near Höhematte meadow and Interlaken town centre

The Höhematte is a 14-hectare protected meadow in the middle of town that has been preserved unbuilt since 1864 - the story goes that 37 local citizens bought it outright to keep hotels from filling in the Jungfrau view. Today it's where paragliders land, where you'll see cows grazing 200 metres from a five-star hotel, and where the Alphorn festival happens each August. The Höheweg promenade runs along its north edge past the historic Victoria Jungfrau (built 1865) and the horse-carriage stand. Ten minutes on foot gets you to the old wooden covered bridge over the Aare in Unterseen, whose old town dates to 1279 and has some of the best-preserved timbered houses in the Bernese Oberland. It's free, always open, and the best sunset spot in the valley on a clear evening.

Pro Tip: Cross the Aare into Unterseen for dinner rather than eating on Höheweg. Restaurants like Bebbis Restaurant or Restaurant Bären are half the price of the tourist spots on the main strip and locals actually eat there.