Why go
This is useful context when moving between Interlaken, Matten and Unterseen. Their present streets meet, but their boundaries reflect older village politics. Aarmühle became independent from Matten only in 1838, and its better-known station and post-office name finally became the official municipal name in 1891.
The full story
A mill on the Aare gave Aarmühle its name and was recorded by 1365. The abbey held markets there, while the village remained politically part of Matten. Its shared fields and woods became a long-running source of disagreement with nearby farming communities. Attempts to settle the disputes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries failed; the common property was divided in 1810, and Aarmühle became a separate municipality in 1838. Across the Aare, Unterseen absorbed the older village called Interlaken. Aarmühle meanwhile used 'Interlaken' for its station and post office. As travel grew, visitors learned that name more readily than the municipal one, and the official change followed in 1891. The old Aarmühle name preserves the river mill's role, while the modern name reflects the place's position between the lakes and its development as a travel hub.