Things to Do at Casino Kursaal Interlaken
Complete Guide to Casino Kursaal Interlaken in Interlaken
About Casino Kursaal Interlaken
What to See & Do
The Gaming Floor
The ceiling soars—old theater bones still showing—while roulette wheels spin, blackjack tables hum, poker chips clack, slot machines blink in tight rows. CHF 25 maximum keeps stakes low; nobody loses their shirt, the room feels almost sleepy. Mid-week evenings stay quiet. You'll have space to learn games without an audience breathing down your neck.
The Historic Architecture
Pause. That 19th-century facade bellows Belle Époque Swiss swagger—arched windows, perfect symmetry, the whole "we built this to impress and we know it" stance. Inside, original ornamental plasterwork still grips the older walls. The gaming floors? Renovations have scrubbed the history clean.
The Panoramic Setting
Step outside the casino and you're staring straight down the valley toward the Jungfrau—no filter needed. The building sits tight against the Höhematte, Interlaken's famous central meadow, so every clear day delivers this jolt: you blink out of slot-machine glow into raw alpine wall. Odd contrast? Absolutely. Beautiful? Without question. When the terrace area is open and the weather cooperates, that deck might be the single best argument for visiting.
Live Event Programming
Skip the casino. The Kursaal's real action happens upstairs—concerts, theater, even the odd boxing match. One weekend you'll catch Swiss folk music, the next it's a Queen tribute band. Thirty seconds to check the schedule. Worth it. Locals pack these events, and the crowd's energy flips completely from the tourist-heavy gaming floor below.
The Casino Bar
The bar grafted onto the casino floor won't win design awards—serviceable, not destination-worthy. Still, it works. Prices are Swiss (read: steep by most standards) and the drinks list covers basics competently. Total chaos at the slots. You'll linger. Conversation stretches longer than planned, maybe because you're waiting to see if your luck turns at the tables.
Practical Information
Opening Hours
Doors swing open at noon. They bolt shut at 3am—for slots and gaming. The restaurant and bar? They march to different clocks. Events slide around. Always check the site.
Tickets & Pricing
Entry is free. Bring a valid passport or Swiss ID—they'll check at the door, and they don't bend the rules. Minimum age is 18. Table games start at CHF 2–5 minimum bets with a CHF 25 maximum per Swiss type B casino regulations. Budget CHF 50–100 if you want a proper session at the tables.
Best Time to Visit
7–10pm on a weekday is the sweet spot—lively but you'll still snag a table without a wait. Weekend nights? Packed with groups. Great if you feed off chaos, maddening if you came to play. Summer evenings on the terrace are pure gold.
Suggested Duration
Two to three hours covers it—comfortably. One hour on the gaming floor, a drink, a wander. Done. If you're booked for a live event, plan that separately.
Getting There
Things to Do Nearby
Paragliders rain from the sky. The broad central meadow between Interlaken's two main streets is the town's living room—on busy days the chutes drift like bright confetti while the mountains frame every postcard shot you'll see. Three minutes from the casino, it is the quickest way to decompress after the tables.
Eight minutes. The Harder Kulm funicular drags you from Interlaken Ost to 1,322 m that fast. The payoff? A panorama that slaps you awake—Lake Thun to the left, Lake Brienz to the right, and the Jungfrau massif parked dead ahead. This is the view that explains why people can't quit this valley. Do it at sunset. You'll still have time for the casino earlier—no rush.
Ten minutes west of the casino, Interlaken's original medieval village sits in near-silence—shockingly quiet against the tourist roar of the main drag. The 14th-century church still stands. Half-timbered houses line the Aare exactly as they did before Swiss tourism swallowed the valley. Pair it with the casino. The contrast hits hard.
The turquoise lake gets its milky blue-green from glacial melt. That water colour is striking. Paddle steamers depart from Interlaken Ost quay to Brienz and various stops along the shore. A morning or afternoon on the lake pairs well with a casino evening—as it happens.
The rooftop bar at the Hotel Metropole on Höheweg has become a local institution for sundowners, with a view of the Jungfrau that people queue for in peak season. Good as a pre-casino drinks stop—or an alternative when the casino bar feels a bit much.