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Walk through Interlaken at night and you might hear something unexpected beneath the usual hum of this adventure town. Past the Swiss chocolate shops and backpacker hostels, bass drums echo from a basement studio on Bahnhofstrasse. Cumbia. In Interlaken. Of all places.
When I first heard there was a Cumbia scene developing in this Alpine town, I had the same reaction you probably did: Interlaken? Cumbia? The town sits between two lakes with mountains rising on every side, best known for skydiving and fondue. But beneath that postcard-perfect surface, something more interesting is happening. Interlaken has always drawn people from all over the world, and in recent years, the town's Latin American community has been planting roots—and music. Cumbia came with them.
What I found after spending a few weeks here was a scene that defies expectations. Not just one or two classes, but a handful of studios and community spaces where this centuries-old Colombian dance form has genuinely taken hold.
Where to Actually Go
The studio I kept hearing about from everyone I spoke to was Latin Grooves Dance Studio on Bahnhofstrasse 22. I showed up on a Tuesday evening expecting something polished and tourist-oriented. What I got was a room full of sweat and intention, a dozen people moving in ways I couldn't yet understand, and a bass line that seemed to come up through the floor.
The instructor that night was a Colombian woman in her thirties who barely acknowledged my presence when I walked in—she just nodded toward the back wall and kept teaching. I appreciated that. No sales pitch, no "welcome tourist." She spent the next forty minutes trying to teach a room of mostly Swiss and German students to stop thinking and start listening.
That's the thing about Latin Grooves. They teach Cumbia as a listening exercise before anything else. The steps are almost secondary to the rhythm—learn to feel where the beat wants to pull you, and your body follows. Classes here run hot and intense. You'll leave exhausted in a way that feels earned. Website: www.latingrooves.ch
Interlaken Dance Academy (Hauptstrasse 45) takes a more structured approach. Clean studios, a clear progression from beginner to advanced, instructors with formal dance backgrounds. If you've never danced before and need your hand held through the basics before you can loosen up, this is the place. It's more traditional in its teaching style, which some people need and others find stiff. Their Cumbia program covers the fundamentals methodically—posture, weight transfer, partner connection. By week three, you'll actually be dancing rather than just moving. Website: www.interlakendanceacademy.ch
At the other end of the spectrum is Dance with Passion on Höheweg 33. This is a tiny studio—you won't find it unless you're looking. The classes max out at eight people, and the instructors know every student by name. They work with you individually, correcting your hip rotation mid-song, adjusting your arm positioning until it clicks. I spent an evening here and felt more progress in ninety minutes than I had in two sessions elsewhere. It's cozy to the point of feeling like someone's living room, which somehow makes it easier to make mistakes and recover from them. Website: www.dancewithpassion.ch
Swiss Dance School (Seestrasse 15) occupies the middle ground—solid instruction, experienced teachers, a curriculum that builds gradually. They've recently expanded their Latin program to include Cumbia, and the quality shows. Classes are offered for kids, adults, and seniors, which gives the place a genuinely family feel. It's the least flashy option, and maybe that's why people keep coming back. No ego, no scene—just dancing. Website: www.swissdanceschool.ch
The most interesting option, though, isn't a dance school in the traditional sense. Interlaken Cultural Center on Marktgasse 10 runs Cumbia workshops as part of a broader cultural program celebrating Latin American heritage. The instructors rotate—sometimes local teachers, sometimes visiting artists from Colombia who bring a level of authenticity you can feel in the room. The atmosphere here is less studio and more community gathering. People linger afterward, share food, tell stories. You learn Cumbia, but you also learn why it matters. Website: www.interlakenculturalcenter.ch
What Nobody Tells You
After spending time at each of these places, here's what I've come to believe: Cumbia in Interlaken isn't about the steps. It's about learning to listen in a completely different way.
Cumbia doesn't ask you to count. It asks you to feel. The moment you stop thinking and start trusting the rhythm—that's when it clicks. It happened for me in a Latin Grooves class, mid-song, when I suddenly realized my feet were doing something they weren't supposed to do and it felt right. I have no idea what changed. But something did.
The studios here each offer a different door into that moment. Find the one whose instructors make you want to move, whose energy matches yours, whose space feels like somewhere you'll keep coming back. That's the right studio. The rest works itself out.
If you're in Interlaken and have any curiosity at all—register for a class this week. Worst case, you spend an evening learning to move your hips in a way you didn't know you could. Best case, you find something that stays with you.
