A little Switzerland in Utah

When a real estate agent at an open house told us that Midway and Interlaken, Utah, were settled by Swiss immigrants, I perked up. After all, we’d just spent two years living in Switzerland — and I even kept a blog about it. The idea of a “little Switzerland” tucked into the Heber Valley was too tempting not to explore.

The Welcome "Willkommen" to Midway at about 500 South o South Center Street (Utah State Route 113)

One weekend while we were driving around Park City, Kamas, and Heber City, we made our way through Midway and Interlaken. It didn’t take long to see the Swiss influence: chalet-style architecture, steep roofs, balconies, murals.

Midway was settled in the 1860s and 70s by Swiss families — names like Huber, Kohler, Probst, Zenger, Durtschi. They brought their traditions with them, from dairying and cheese-making to design touches that still show up on Main Street today. The town still celebrates that heritage every year with Swiss Days, a festival that started in 1947 as Harvest Days.

Midway Town Hall (with Swiss canton flag decorations)

Interlaken, meanwhile, feels more modern — a mountain community built later, borrowing its name from the famous Swiss town. Think of it as Utah branding itself with a wink to Europe.

We left Switzerland in October 2023, and less than a year later we were driving through a Utah town with “Interlaken” on the signs. The universe clearly has a sense of humor.

Driving through Midway and Interlaken felt like a strange echo of our Zurich years. The landscape here really does resemble alpine valleys, which probably explains why the Swiss immigrants felt at home. For us, it was a reminder that no matter how far you move, the threads of your story have a way of weaving back in.

I don’t know if Midway is truly “little Switzerland,” but for me, it felt like a reminder that some places have a way of following you.