Matten bei Interlaken
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| Matten bei Interlaken | ||||||||||
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| Population | 3,662 (January 2005) | |||||||||
| - Density | 621 /km² (1,608 /sq.mi.) | |||||||||
| Area | 5.9 km² (2.3 sq mi) | |||||||||
| Elevation | 572 m (1,877 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 3800 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0587 | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Interlaken, Bönigen, Gsteigwiler, Wilderswil and Därligen | |||||||||
| Website | www.matten.ch | |||||||||
  Matten bei Interlaken
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Matten bei Interlaken (or simply Matten) is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
The municipalities of Matten, Unterseen, and Interlaken comprise a single metropolitan area.
Matten is a native field name, going back to the Old High German matta- ("meadow").
Matten bei Interlaken lies in the Bernes Oberland in the Alps, in the Bödeli (the tongue of land between of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz). In the West, Matten borders on the foothills of the Abendberg Ridge, the Kleinen Rugen and the Grossen Rugen. In the South an enclave of the Aenderberg forms an enclave within the municipality.
Matten bei Interlaken, like eight adjacent municipalities, belongs to the church parish Gsteig bei Interlaken.
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[edit] History
In the seventh century, Alemanni first settled in the modern municipal area, pushing out the Celts into the surrounding valleys. The first documented reference to the town, in the phrase inter lacus Madon, was on November 8, 1133 in a letter from Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor. It is known that many residents of Matten served as soldiers in service of a foreign power.
A milestone in the history of the place was the first Unspunnenfest in 1805. As tourism to the Bernese Oberland increased in the course of the nineteenth century, Matten profitted, and the large hotels Jungfraublick (1863) and Mattenhof (1870) were built. The latter served as a military hospital in World War II.
During World War II, an airbase was built in the municipality. For its construction, a large portion of the southeastern part of the municipality was drained. Today, although there is still a tarmac strip, this area no longer serves a military purpose and it is now used for cattle grazing. Other large events take advantage of the large flattened area as well, such as the Country- und Trucker Festival and the Greenfield Festival. Erich von Däniken's Mystery Park was also built on the former airbase land.
[edit] Politics
The legislature consists of the municipal assembly. The executive is the municipal council of seven members; in the case of tied votes the mayor becomes the tie-breaker. All of the authorities have additional responsibilities as well.
[edit] Economy
Because of the growth of the municipalities Unterseen, Interlaken, and Matten into one another, their economies have also become tightly interconnected. For all of them, tourism plays an important role. In Matten, the Balmers Herberge is well-known to backpackers. The Tell Freilichtspiele, located within the municipality, attracts thousands of tourists in summer. Along with Mystery Park, it is one of Matten's most famous tourist attractions.
With the closing of the airbase, Matten and the Bödeli region as a whole lost many valuable jobs. Although the area is still characterized by agriculture, only 4% of the workforce is employed in the sector.
[edit] Notable sights in the area
- Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
- Tell Freilichtspiele
- Kunsteisbahn
- Loop road to the kleinen Rugen
- The Schynige Platte (via the Schynige Platte Railway) provides a scenic view of Interlaken and the surrounding mountains
- The Harder Kulm via the Harderbahn
- Mystery Park
- Greenfield Festival
- Country und Trucker-Festival
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