Harder Kulm Hike: How to Find the Best Interlaken Views

Rising above the mountain town of Interlaken, hiking up to the summit of Harder Kulm was one one my favorite activities throughout my travels across Switzerland.

The top of Harder Kulm sits at 1,321 meters (4,334 feet) above the Interlake and provides an jaw-dropping views of Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, Jungfrau, and everything in between.

Soon after arriving in Interlaken, my Airbnb host asked me about my plans for the day and when I mentioned that I was planning to hike to the top of Harder Kulm, he recommended that I take a little-known trail up the back way in lieu of the more well-known, heavily trafficked route that most people take.

I decided to trust the local insight and go for it. This article outlines how to reach the peak of Harder Kulm from the backside and will have you feeling like an Interlaken local!

Three ways to get to Harder Kulm

There are three ways you can get to Harder Kulm:

1. Funicular from Interlaken Harderbahn
2. Harder Kulm Loop Trail (from Interlaken Ost Station) | Most popular way to hike to Harder Kulm
3. Hike to Harder Kulm from Unterseen | Alternative hiking route to Harder Kulm (the hike outlined in this article)

In this article, I’ll cover in detail how to hike up to Harder Kulm from Unterseen and take the cable car back down to Interlaken. That’s what I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Map of Harder Kulm trail options

The hike from Unterseen up the backside of Harder Kulm is highlighted in yellow on the map above. The trail in red is the more heavily-trafficked Harder Kulm Loop Hike. I hiked up the yellow trail and took the funicular down to Harder Bahn.

Alternatively, you could extend the hike by continuing down the red route instead of taking the funicular back to Harder Bahn station. Or you could go back down the same way you hiked up.

Harder Kulm | Hike Guide

Getting to the trailhead

Finding the trailhead in Unterseen is a bit tricky because the hike is not listed on AllTrails or other popular hiking websites.

The trailhead is located just west of Unterseen, about a 10 minute walk from the Interlaken West train station. If you are are staying in Interlaken, you can take a bus or quick train ride from the Interlaken Ost station to Interlaken West.

To get to the trailhead starting from the Interlaken West train station, head southwest and take a left on Scheidgasse. Continue for about one kilometer until just after the intersection of Beatenbergstrasse and Scheidgasse.

Here you will see a little park with a playground to your left. Take a right down the path heading towards the mountain and look for the orange signs for Harder Kulm. From this point on, the trail is well-marked and very easy to follow.

• To view more details about each location, click on the marker on the map.
• To save this map for future use, click the star next to the title. From your phone, open the Google Maps app and click the “saved” tab, followed by the “Maps” icon. From your Gmail account, navigate to Maps –> “Saved” –> “My Maps” –> “Maps” tab.
• To email this map to yourself, click the three dots in the upper right corner.

Starting the Hike

When you reach the trailhead, be sure to follow the orange signs for Harder Kulm. The trail starts out through a heavily wooded forest, with intermittent windows looking out upon the towns of Interlaken and Unterseen and the beautiful snow-covered peak of Jungfrau as the backdrop.

There are a few benches along the way so take a moment to rest and enjoy the picturesque view.

Paragliders overhead

The hike to Harder Kulm is very peaceful, with the quiet broken only by the faint, distant sound of paragliders flying overhead. As the adventure capital of Switzerland, paragliding in Interlaken is very popular!

Nearing Harder Kulm

After about a mile and a half, you will come to an opening in the trees, giving way to a grassy field with colorful wildflowers and a view of Lake Thun. Here you’ll want to keep an eye out for the orange signs pointing to Harder Kulm.

Soon the trail will merge with the Harder Kulm Loop trail, and traffic will start to pick up.

Harder Kulm Summit

At the Harder Kulm summit, there is a viewing platform with panoramic views of Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

Expect crowds at the top, particularly because the funicular makes Harder Kulm easily accessible. It can feel a little frustrating to arrive drenched in sweat, just to see people strolling out of the train station in their flip-flops and dresses. But remember that the views are sweeter when you’ve had to work for them!

There is a restaurant at the top of Harder Kulm, but it is quite expensive, even by Swiss standards.

How to get down from Harder Kulm

You have a couple options for getting back down from Harder Kulm:

• Retrace your steps and hike back down to Unterseen the way you came.
• Take the 2.5 mile hike down the Harder Kulm Loop trail. The trailhead starts on the opposite side of the train station and ends near the Interlaken Ost train station.
• Take the Harder Bahn funicular down to Interlaken. This is what we did to save time.

Harder Kulm funicular

• Regular | 17 CHF (one-way)
• With Swiss Pass | 8.50 CHF (one-way)

The funicular departs every 30 minutes during peak season (April-November) and the ride takes about 10 minutes. Note that the funicular does not run in the winter.

Book your trip | Purchase your round trip funicular tickets online before you go!

Harder Kulm Hike | FAQs

Why should I hike Harder Kulm from the Unterseen trailhead?

When hiking to Harder Kulm, most people take the Harder Kulm Loop Trail, meaning the trail can be quite crowded. On the flip side, the hike up from Unterseen isn’t even on AllTrails, so there are significantly fewer people.

In addition, because many paragliding routes start from west of Harder Kulm and fly east into Interlaken, there were often paragliders flying overhead.

And finally, along the trail, there were often openings in the trees that offered a perfect view of the famous Jungfrau in the distance and the town of Interlaken with its teal rivers below.

Where should I stay near Harder Kulm?

Interlaken is a small, laid-back town that serves as a hub for outdoor adventure activities, from hiking and kayaking to paragliding and base jumping.

Although Unterseen is definitely less well-known, it is actually quite similar to Interlaken. There are plenty of lodging options in both towns.

Other Switzerland resources

Looking for more to do in Switzerland? Check out these resources for more inspiration!

Have you tackled the hike to Harder Kulm? Questions about hiking up from Unterseen? Let us know what you think in the comments below!