Winterlaken Labyrinth – an aMAZEing
experience

Explore a wintry labyrinth made up of Christmas trees

As if huddling up for warmth in the winter season, thousands of disused and unsold Christmas trees crowd together to form the Winterlaken Labyrinth. After having brought happiness to many households and businesses in the Holiday Region Interlaken, the Christmas trees find a new home on the Höhematte in Interlaken. As you make your way along the winding paths, be enchanted by the magical wintry mood and the many surprises of the fir forest.

Experience the magic of the Winterlaken Labyrinth

In the shadow of the Harder to the north of the city, overlooking the snow-capped Jungfrau to the south, disused and unsold Christmas trees find a second home on Interlaken’s Höhematte in the beginning of the year. When the icy cold winds blowing from Lake Thun to the west and Lake Brienz to the east converge in Winterlaken, the labyrinth offers a haven where you can immerse yourself in a magical world for a short time, mingling with guests and locals and forgetting the world outside.

Enter a snowy fir forest made up of Christmas trees that just weeks before had adorned the homes of local people on the Bödeli and the premises of local businesses and that were liberally donated to the labyrinth by the inhabitants and business owners. Pick your way along beguiling paths lined with wood chips. Hear the rustle of the densely packed fir trees and breathe in the aromatic scent of the needles. In the wintry maze you will encounter various blind alleys and figurines. There could be a little surprise behind any one of the fir trees that will surely call to mind the winter wonderland of Switzerland or the diverse Holiday Region Interlaken. Such sights make perfect subjects for souvenir photos of the breathtaking mountains that encircle Winterlaken – photos you’ll want to keep forever. At the end of the winding path, you will come to the aMAZEment Park, a meeting zone where guests from all over the world can enjoy mingling with the locals.

Enjoy yourself in the aMAZEment Park

In the aMAZEment Park, you and your loved ones can sit and relax, or engage in various activities. Feel free to stay in the Winterlaken Labyrinth a little longer, watching the goings-on and chatting with interesting people. There is also a viewing tower in the aMAZEment Park. Climb up to search for a special picture you have been experiencing the whole time without realising it ... can you see it?

Make a wish

The scores of fir trees and surprises will fill your mind, drawing you so deeply into the Winterlaken Labyrinth that you will forget even these stunning surroundings. Within seconds, you will feel like you really have stumbled into a magical winter forest. Appropriately enough, this is the time to make a wish that hopefully will come true. At the end of the aMAZEment Park, you will have the chance to write your dearest wish on a piece of paper and hang it on one of the many fir trees. Thanks to the wish notes, the wondrous Winterlaken Labyrinth fills with hopes and wishes, keeping it a fairytale forest of white – just in case the snow should melt. How many wishes can we gather? Some may wish for a toy car, others a return visit to Winterlaken, while others still may wish for the health of their loved ones. No wish is too grand to write down and place on a Christmas tree.

The partners & fir tree donors

Thank you for your support!

We would like to thank all our partners, sponsors, fir tree donors and active helpers for their great support! The sensitisation project was very well received and recorded a total of almost 45,000 visitors in 2024.

The partners

  • Abegglen Werft AG, Iseltwald

  • Alpenwildpark, Interlaken

  • Hightide Kayak School GmbH, Bönigen

  • Herosec GmbH, Muri bei Bern

  • Haenggi Bruno, Interlaken

  • H. Gosteli AG, Matten bei Interlaken

  • Grand Café-Restaurant Schuh, Interlaken

  • Residents and citizens communities & depots: Interlaken, Matten, Unterseen, Wilderswil, Gsteigwiler und Saxeten

  • Elektro Wyler AG, Interlaken

  • Congress Kursaal Interlaken AG, Interlaken

  • Brunner Kurt, Interlaken

  • BlueMax event Technics GmbH, Unterseen

  • BEO-Pellets, Ringgenberg

  • Beatushöhlen-Genossenschaft, Beatenberg

  • Balmer Ueli, Interlaken

  • Anwohner:innen & Anrainer:innen, Interlaken

  • Hofstetter Gerry (Concept), Zürich

  • Höhemattekommission, Interlaken

  • Industrielle Betriebe Interlaken (IBI), Interlaken

  • Jäck AG, Unterseen

  • Jost Gartenbau GmbH, Unterseen

  • Jungfrau World Events GmbH, Matten bei Interlaken

  • Jungfraubahnen Management AG, Interlaken

  • Oeltrans AG, Interlaken

  • Paragliding-Pilot:innen, Interlaken 

  • Reichenbach Daniel, Matten bei Interlaken

  • Reitschule- und Kutschenbetrieb Vögeli, Unterseen

  • Rubin & Morger GmbH, Interlaken

  • Insurances: Schweizerische Mobiliar Versicherungsgesellschaft AG, Zürich Versicherungs-Gesellschaft AG

  • Wood-Life Schreinerei, Interlaken

  • Woodpecker Gabriela Schild, Interlaken

  • Wyss+Früh AG, Unterseen

  • Zentrum Mittengraben, Interlaken

  • Other local partners and ideal supporters

The fir tree donors

  • Inhabitants of the communities: Bönigen, Gündlischwand, Habkern, Interlaken, Leissigen, Lütschental, Matten, Meiringen, Ringgenberg, Sigriswil, Unterseen, Wilderswil und Zweilütschinen and from other communities

  • B. Ryffel GmbH, Unterseen

  • Berner Sternenmarkt, Bern

  • Blumen Aebi AG, Meiringen

  • Coop Verkaufsregion Bern

  • JUMBO Thun Allmendingen, Münsingen und Strättligen

  • LANDI Jungfrau AG, Brienz

  • LANDI Jungfrau AG, Interlaken

  • LANDI Niesen Genossenschaft, Thierachern

  • LANDI Thun Genossenschaft

  • Mäder Amselberg, Worb

  • Local businesses

  • Local hotels & accommodation providers

  • Local restaurants

  • and many more

Christmas trees used three times

The Winterlaken Labyrinth is a memorable experience for guests and locals alike. It is made up of numerous disused and unsold Christmas trees. Last year, around 3,000 fir trees donated by residents, local businesses, shelters, the municipality and many other supporters found a second home on the Höhematte. After providing an entertaining diversion for visitors, the fir trees are passed on to fisheries, farms and animal parks for a third use.

Facts about the Winterlaken Labyrinth 2024

45'000

visitors

10'000

wish notes

3'000

fir trees

800 m

LED strip

150 m3

wood chips

51

days

25

countries

15

elements

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