Switzerland, land of great alpine landscapes, green meadows, lakes with crystal clear waters, medieval cities and fairytale towns, is a country where in addition to enjoying the wildest nature to the fullest, you cannot miss trying its delicious gastronomy, among which includes their famous chocolates and cheeses that will leave the best taste in your mouth.
Although the best time to travel to the country is during the warmer months, between April and September, when the weather is most pleasant, it is important to consider that on a route through Keep in mind that the best way to explore this beautiful country is by car . or train and in both cases we advise you to invest a minimum of a week to see the most essential places and about 10-14 days if you want to do a more complete route. winter , like the one we did, you will be able to enjoy the beauty of snowy landscapes as well as some of the best ski slopes in the world, something important if you are a winter sports lover.
Table of Contents
What to visit in Switzerland?
Switzerland is a small country, surrounded by the high mountains of the Alps and dotted with hundreds of lakes, forming beautiful landscapes worth visiting. Fountains, castles, monuments, bridges, viewpoints… we will take a tour of the most beautiful places to visit in Switzerland .
1. Lucerne
Lucerne, bathed by the Lake of the Four Cantons and surrounded by the Alps, is one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland and Europe.
Although the entire city is impressive, it is especially worth getting lost in the narrow streets surrounded by picturesque facades of its medieval old town to find treasures such as the Kapellbrücke (the chapel bridge), the Lion Monument and the Cathedral, all located between The best places to see in Lucerne .
Keep in mind that you can get to know Lucerne by including it as a one-day stop on a route through Switzerland by train , by car, or by taking a two-day getaway by flying to Zurich, located an hour away by train.
2. Stanserhorn, one of the best places to see in Switzerland
To enjoy the best views of Lucerne, the Four Corners Lake and all its beautiful mountainous surroundings, we recommend taking a day trip to one of the high massifs of more than 3,000 meters that surround it, such as Mount Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn and the Titlis.
Mount Pilatus is the most visited by tourists and can be easily accessed by taking a train from Lucerne and then climbing more than 2,000 meters on the steepest funicular in the world or also by cable car.
Titlis, 3,238 meters high and another of the most beautiful places to see in Switzerland, can be reached with the first rotating cable car in the world that allows you to enjoy an incredible landscape and the highest suspension bridge in Europe.
On our last trip we also did the excursion to the Rigi where you can climb to the highest mountain area on an old cog railway and take hiking routes with a wide panoramic view of the Alps .
Of course, although they are all specular, if we have to stick with one excursion from Lucerne it would be the climb to Stanserhorn, which is done on an impressive open cable car that leaves some images on your retina to remember.
Entry to most of these attractions such as the Stanserhorn or the Rigi are included in the Swiss Travel Pass , an ideal pass to save money.
3. Interlaken
In a valley surrounded by large alpine mountains is Interlaken, the city between lakes and one of the most essential places to visit in Switzerland .
Although it is one of the most touristic places in the country, we do want to tell you that more than visiting its tourist city, what is really worth it is the natural environment that surrounds it, such as lakes Thun and Brienz, from which the photogenic castle of Oberhofen, where you can take a boat ride or go hiking or cycling, which are just some of the most popular activities in this area.
It is also worth going up to the Harder Kulm viewpoint to have the best views of the lakes and the most famous mountains in the valley such as the Jungfrau, as well as visiting the beautiful medieval town of Thun.
4. Jungfrau
Climbing the Jungfraujoch or Top of Europe, the highest railway station in Europe, is one of the best things to do in Switzerland .
To get to the top of this mythical 3,454-meter mountain, you can take a train from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald stations, well connected to Interlaken station, and travel the last kilometers on an old rack railway.
Once up you will have views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains as well as the Aletsch glacier, the longest in Europe.
A highly recommended option to save money, remember that climbing this mountain costs about 200 euros per person, is to buy the Jungfrau Travel Pass that includes this route and other important ones in the area.
5. Lauterbrunnen Valley
If we had to choose one landscape to see in Switzerland, we would surely choose the Lauterbrunnen Valley , which marvels with its 72 waterfalls, among which the Trümmelbach waterfalls stand out, which is the largest underground waterfall in Europe.
In this valley there are many activities related to nature, such as taking the funicular to Murren, a beautiful town dotted with wooden houses with views of the Alps and places full of charm, which will make you believe that at any moment Heidi will appear in front of you. a corner.
Another of the best excursions from this valley is the climb to the Schilthorn mountain, 2970 meters high, which is a spectacular balcony of the Alps and is famous for being the location of some scenes from a James Bond movie.
6. Grindelwald
Near Lauterbrunnen is GrindelWald, another favorite valley for hikers and lovers of typical Swiss landscapes with its wooden houses dotting huge green meadows.
In addition to reaching this valley on the fantastic Wengernalpbahn rack railway, we advise you to take one of its most popular routes such as the First Cliff Walk viewpoint, the Kleine Scheidegg and the one that takes you to the beautiful Lake Bachalpsee.
If you prefer to take a mythical and comfortable circular route on a 19th century rack railway with open cars, we recommend you go to Schynige Platte.
7. Blausee
Blausee (Blue Lake) is one of the most beautiful mountain lakes to visit in Switzerland thanks to the particular intense blue color of its crystalline waters.
Located in the middle of a natural park, near Interlaken, it is a perfect place to visit with the beautiful colors of autumn and spring, either with family or friends, and take a beautiful hiking route, a boat ride or a picnic. in any of its authorized areas.
Near Blausee is Lake Oeschinen, which also marvels at the turquoise blue color of its glacial waters.
8. Bern, one of the cities to visit in Switzerland
Bern, with a historic center declared a World Heritage Site and surrounded by the meander that forms the Aar River, in addition to being the capital, is for us the most beautiful city to see in Switzerland .
You can start the visit by going up to the Rosengarten viewpoint and then get lost in the streets and squares of the old town full of colorful fountains, sandstone buildings, towers and old churches.
To know the main points of interest in the city.
9. Chillon Castle
Skirting the shore of Lake Geneva from Montreux to the photogenic Chillon Castle is another of the best things to do in Switzerland.
Its origins date back to the 10th century and it is worth spending about two hours to visit its interior, entering its rooms, prison and defense sites, which are preserved in magnificent condition. Furthermore, from the castle towers, the views of Lake Geneva are excellent, giving you the best end to your visit.
If you have time, you can also take a few minutes by train from Montreux to the town of St. Saphorin and take a walking route through the terraces of the Lavaux vineyards, declared a World Heritage Site.
10. Freiburg
Located on a rocky mountain and surrounded by cliffs, Freiburg is another of the jewels that must be seen in Switzerland.
This city through which the Sarine River crosses and which is divided between the upper and lower part, stands out for an old town full of Gothic facades from the 15th century in which the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas stands out and 15 bridges that cross the river, between including the beautiful Pont du Milieu and Pont du Berne.
Be sure to take a walk through the lower part with views of the river and the beautiful houses on the shore, an experience that we are sure you will love and that is one of the things you cannot miss doing in Switzerland.
11. Ride a panoramic train, another thing to do in Switzerland
One of the best tips for traveling to Switzerland is to travel the country on the spectacular panoramic trains that stand out for their glass cars, with windows much larger than normal trains, through which you can enjoy incredible alpine landscapes.
During our route on panoramic trains through Switzerland we took the 5 best: Gotthard Panorama Express, Bernina Express, Glacier Express, Goldenpass Panoramic and Luzern-Interlaken Express, stopping in cities like Lucerne, Interlaken, Lugano, St. Moritz and Zermatt and doing a route which without any doubt, has become one of the best trips we have ever taken.
Keep in mind that although these trains are quite expensive, you have to keep in mind that the standard of living in Switzerland is very high, to save money you can buy the Swiss Travel Pass , with which you will save a lot of money. You can read more information in this post about the Swiss Travel Pass .
12. Zermatt
Paradise for mountaineers, hikers and skiers worldwide and with more than 350 kilometers of high-quality slopes, Zermatt and its famous Matterhorn mountain (Cervino) is another of Switzerland’s jewels.
To get to this city, free of motor vehicles and surrounded by imposing mountains, you must take a train in the nearby town of Täsch or in the main cities of Switzerland. Once in Zermatt you can do some of its most famous excursions such as the climb to the Gornergrat viewpoint and Lake Riffelsee, the route of the 5 lakes, the Rothorn Paradise or climb to the highest station in the world passing over a glacier with the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car.
13. Gruyères, one of the best places to visit in Switzerland
Gruyères, famous for Gruyère cheese and surrounded by green meadows, is a small medieval city full of charming corners and another of the most beautiful places to see in Switzerland. Located
on a hill where its 13th century castle stands out, it is essential walk through its main square, which crosses almost the entire town, and eat a delicious fondue at the Chalet Gruyères restaurant.
As a curiosity, in this town is the HR Giger Museum, creator of the figures from the movie Alien . If you don’t want to go in to visit the museum, you can have a drink at the bar, where a very alien aesthetic will welcome you with open arms.
14. Zurich
Located at the confluence of the Limmat River with Lake Zurich and near the Alps, Zurich would be our favorite city in Switzerland to spend a long time.
Multicultural city with a great offer for lovers of art, leisure and good quality of life, this is a perfect place where you can do everything: take a boat trip on the Limmat River or Lake Zurich, get lost in the Niederdorf old town neighborhood, visit one of its many museums and art galleries or have a drink on one of its lakeside terraces.
We recommend you follow this list of places to see in Zurich so you don’t miss anything important in the city.
If you have extra days, other cities in Switzerland that are worth it are Basel and Geneva .
15. Rhine Falls
The Rhine Falls, located in northern Switzerland, near the border with Germany and less than an hour by train from Zurich, is our last proposal on this list of the most incredible places to see in Switzerland.
These waterfalls, 150 meters wide and 23 meters high, have the largest waterfall in Central Europe and are surrounded by viewpoints that will allow you to see them up close and hear the deafening roar of the water. In the middle of the waterfall there is a huge rock that has resisted great water erosion, where you can access by boat and from above, feel all the force of nature.
For more information you can consult this guide to visiting the Rhine Falls .
After the visit that will last almost all morning, you can take the train and go to the beautiful town of Stein an Rhein and thus complete a most interesting and complete day.
Also read: Top 10 Cheapest country to travel from India under 50k
