Parquet Floors and Mountain Views: Our Interlaken Airbnb
The Airbnb with Paragliders Over the Rooftops
The Short Version
A cozy Swiss apartment with beautiful parquet floors, warm lighting, and a little balcony where we watched paragliders sail over the rooftops. I loved the bicycle-themed decor, central location, and comfortable furnishings. I'd love to stay here again.
Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
Sleeps: Up to 4
Layout: One king bedroom with private balcony, two additional single beds in adjoining sleeping areas, one bathroom, and full kitchen.
Perfect for: Families with children or small groups comfortable with the uneven sleeping arrangements.
Highlights: Restored parquet floors, mountain views, generous Nespresso selection, heated towel rack, pedestrian-only street, and a central location within walking distance of the train station and Höhematte.
Of all the activities I'd planned for our trip to Switzerland, paragliding was the one I was most excited about. It was also the one I was most nervous about.
My parents and I were traveling through Switzerland for my dad's 60th birthday, and Interlaken was our second stop after Zurich. I'd booked a tandem paragliding flight weeks in advance and tried to convince one of my parents to do it with me. Neither was interested. I'd watched plenty of videos, and the actual flying looked pretty peaceful. It was the part where you have to run off the side of a mountain that I was still skeptical about.
After spending the day exploring Bern, we caught an afternoon train to Interlaken, arriving around 5:15 p.m. It was a chilly, overcast March evening, and the sun was beginning to set. Fortunately, our Airbnb was only a short walk from the train station, and the host had provided instructions for self-check-in, which I always appreciate after a long travel day.
The apartment was on the second floor of an older building along a pedestrian-only street. We carried our suitcases up a couple flights of stairs, opened the door, and walked into the coziest little Swiss apartment.
There were beautiful parquet wood floors that had been preserved and restored, darker furnishings, and warm lighting throughout. A black bicycle was painted on the wall directly across from the entrance, and vintage cycling prints decorated the living and dining areas. It was an older apartment in the best way, with plenty of character and the kind of comfortable furnishings that made me want to spend time there.
The Good Bedroom
The apartment had a rather unusual sleeping arrangement, which led to a little debate between my parents and me about who would sleep where.
At our previous apartment in Zurich, I'd given my parents the larger bedroom while I took the smaller one. They apparently decided it was my turn to have the good room, and despite my objections, they insisted I take the main bedroom in Interlaken.
I wasn't going to argue with them for too long.
My bedroom had a king-size bed, a little balcony, beautiful wood floors, and a chair tucked into the corner. The bedding was wonderful, and like many European accommodations, the bed came with two individual duvets rather than one large comforter. I've always thought this was a genius idea. No fighting over the covers, and everyone gets to sleep at their preferred temperature. The bed was also extremely comfortable, which I appreciated after a long day exploring Switzerland.
The other two beds were located on the opposite side of the apartment, just beyond the kitchen. One was in a small adjoining room, while the other was in an open nook that was more of a passageway than a proper bedroom. Both were single beds, so my parents each took one.
It wasn't a conventional three-bedroom layout, but it worked well for us.
Coming In From the Cold
That first evening, we went out for Mexican food at a restaurant just a few doors down. I'm sure it was good, but I don't remember because I was so nervous about paragliding the next day.
The next morning, my mom walked me to the paragliding meeting point near Höhematte, the large park just a block or two from our apartment. She dropped me off like I was going to school, and just like a nervous middle schooler, I shooed her away.
Fortunately, the experience was phenomenal, and after landing at the park and meeting my parents, we walked over to Velo Café for a much-deserved breakfast. The café was located on the street below our apartment and, coincidentally, had its own bicycle theme. I'd been too nervous to eat breakfast before my flight, so by the time we sat down, I was more than ready for coffee and the warm apple pancakes I'd been looking forward to.
By the next day, the sun had come out, and we could watch paragliders sailing over the buildings from the tiny balcony off the living room in our apartment.
We spent most of our days exploring Interlaken and taking day trips around Switzerland. Although we had sunshine for the remainder of our time in Interlaken, it was still chilly in March, and we appreciated having a warm apartment to come back to in the evenings.
One night, we decided to pick up a pizza and eat at home rather than go out for dinner. We settled into the living room, which had a comfortable sofa, a leather chair, a television, and a little dining area with a round wooden table. Between the soft lighting and cozy furnishings, it was a great place to spend an evening.
The Apartment: Layout, Amenities, and Location
The apartment was well equipped for a longer stay, even though we ate most of our meals out. The galley-style kitchen had an oven, stovetop, dishwasher, toaster, kettle, large refrigerator and freezer, and plenty of cookware and dishes. There was also a small breakfast bar with stools along the opposite wall.
The hosts provided a remarkably generous selection of Nespresso capsules. There seemed to be every flavor imaginable, and we made our way through all of them during our stay. We also appreciated having a washing machine with a dryer, which came in handy during such a long trip.
There was one shared bathroom, located just off the entrance hallway. It had a raised bathtub with a shower, along with one of those heated towel racks that I love so much when traveling somewhere cold.
As for the location, we couldn't have been happier. We were right in the center of Interlaken, within walking distance of restaurants, shops, Höhematte, and the train station. The pedestrian-only street was particularly nice because there wasn't any noise from cars passing beneath our windows.
We didn't rent a car during our time in Switzerland and instead relied on local buses, regional trains, and plenty of walking. The apartment's location made all of that easy, and we could pop back in to change clothes, grab another layer, or take a break between outings.
Despite the central location, street noise was never an issue. The only noise I noticed came from the building's stairwell, which shared a wall with my bedroom. I could hear other guests coming and going, sometimes late at night, but a pair of earplugs did the trick.
The apartment is on the second floor, and there's no elevator, so you'll need to carry your luggage up the stairs.
Who I'd Recommend It For
I think this apartment is particularly well suited to a family with children, or a group that's comfortable with the uneven sleeping arrangements. For three adults, it worked well for us, although I certainly got the better end of the deal with the king-size bedroom.
I loved the original parquet floors, the comfortable furnishings, and how thoughtfully the apartment had been decorated. The bicycle theme was a fun detail, especially with nearby Velo Café, and the central location made it easy to explore Interlaken without a car.
But I also loved the smaller things: trying all the Nespresso flavors, putting on our boots before heading out into the cold, eating pizza in the living room, and watching paragliders drift down over the buildings.
For our family trip, it was exactly the kind of apartment I'd hoped to find in Switzerland.