Paragliding in Interlaken

Interlaken is the unofficial European capital of tandem paragliding, and the reason is the setting: launch sites on the slopes above town drop you into a flight with two turquoise lakes below, the valley floor spread beneath your feet, and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau filling the horizon. It is postcard Switzerland seen from the best possible seat.

No experience is required — you're clipped to a qualified pilot who does all the work, so all you do is run a few steps off the mountain and then sit back. The flight lasts around twenty minutes, launching from Beatenberg and landing on the Höhematte green in the middle of town, which adds a small thrill of its own at the end.

It's weather-dependent, so a little flexibility helps if the wind isn't cooperating on your chosen day, and morning or evening air is usually the smoothest. For a first taste of free flight in genuinely spectacular surroundings, very few places on earth compete.

Tandem with a commercial pilot — no training, no gear, no fitness requirement beyond being able to jog a few steps.

Book a tandem flight launching from Beatenberg and landing at Interlaken's Höhematte — you just jog a few steps off the slope. Operators apply weight and age limits, and flights cancel readily on wind.