Northeastern Switzerland
Schaffhausen is often nicknamed the Erkerstadt because of its 171 Erker (oriel bay windows), once a status symbol of rich merchants. Some of the most…
Must-see attractions in Switzerland
Locarno
Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a…
Valais
The Aletsch Glacier is a mind-boggling sight and riverside Fiesch on the valley floor is a top place to access it. From the village, ride the cable car up…
Lucerne
French architect Jean Nouvel’s waterfront arts and convention centre is a postmodern jaw-dropper in an otherwise historic city. Inside, the tall, narrow…
Bern
Bern’s 15th-century Gothic cathedral boasts Switzerland’s loftiest spire (100m); climb the 344-step spiral staircase for vertiginous views. Coming down,…
Northeastern Switzerland
St Gallen's twin-towered, mid-18th-century cathedral is only slightly less ornate than the world-famous Stiftsbibliothek library nearby. The cathedral…
Bernese Oberland
It’s a pleasure to wander Thun’s attractive riverfront Old Town, where plazas and lanes are punctuated by 15th- and 16th-century townhouses. A stroll…
Bernese Oberland
These beautiful botanical gardens spread along the shores of Lake Thun, with sublime views to the snowcapped Jungfrau range on clear days. The grounds…
Northeastern Switzerland
For a little Alpine fun, take the winding mountain road to Flumserberg, perched high above the lake and facing the impenetrable rock wall of the…
Valais
The village of Chandolin, high above the valley floor on the eastern side, entices skiers with 75km of broad, sunny runs and fairy-tale panoramas. It is…
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This cable car, with its own station on the Bernina Line (Bernina Diavolezza) and a huge car park at its base, whisks passengers up from 2093m to…
Northeastern Switzerland
Centred on the peak of Piz Sardona, this nature reserve has held Unesco World Natural Heritage status since 2008. A geologist's dream come true, it's one…
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This fun old funicular railway, the first in the Engadine Valley dating from 1907, takes its passengers up over 700 vertical metres to Punt Muragl (2454m)…
Bernese Oberland
The Hasli Valley is laced with 300km of signposted walking trails. A huge hit is this 170m-long, 100m-high suspension bridge, Europe’s longest and highest…
Ticino
A smooth road follows a mountain stream through this valley, where narrow meadows are cradled between steep rocky walls. Its tightly huddled stone and…
Valais
This mountain pass (2005m) links Brig with Domodossola in Italy. In the middle of the 17th century, Kaspar von Stockalper used it for bringing salt by…
Valais
Nothing stirs the soul quite like seeing the sun rise from the top of Mont Fort, at a panoramic 3329m. The Médran cable car offers departures on Thursdays…
Vevey
Ride the GoldenPass funicular from Vevey (Sfr14, 11 minutes, every 20 minutes) through vineyards to the village of Chardonne, and onwards to the foot of…
Northeastern Switzerland
Set against a backdrop of rolling hills that rise to rugged mountains, Appenzell's Altstadt is Grimm fairy-tale stuff. The carved gabled houses that grab…
Northeastern Switzerland
Often hailed as Switzerland’s most beautiful town square (no mean feat!), the elongated Rathausplatz often elicits little gasps of wonder because it's so…
Valais
This glacier, although only about 5km in length, is extremely impressive, about 12km south of Grimentz. PostBuses make the journey to the road-end, where…
Valais
Year-round, the underground Mittelallin funicular climbs to an icy 3500m where the world’s highest revolving restaurant on the Allalin glacier basks in…
Ticino
Blink and you'll almost certainly miss this pint-sized hamlet, which looks as though it would topple down the terraced hillside with the slightest puff of…
Geneva
Home to the UN since 1966, the Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 to house the now-defunct League of Nations. Visits are by guided tour …
Valais
At 1670m, Zinal is 12km south of Vissoie, at the end of the Val d’Anniviers. While Matterhorn climbers start from Zermatt, a valley to the east, climbers…
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This lovely little village of 3500 sits at 1014m and is the main town of Val Poschiavo.Known for its impressive 19th-century architecture, its Old Town is…
Valais
A summer-must in Riederfurka (2065m), a chairlift ride or 20-minute walk uphill from Riederalp (1925m), is this Alpine garden and exhibition on local…
Musée et Chiens du Saint-Bernard
Valais
A tribute to the lovably dopey St Bernard, this museum next to Martigny's Roman amphitheatre includes real-life fluff bundles in the kennels. You can join…
Valais
From the tiny Valais village of Gletsch (1762m; 10km to the Furka Pass), a steep 6km hairpinned road climbs north to the mighty Grimsel Pass (2164m),…
Bernese Oberland
Jungfraujoch commands a phenomenal view of the largest glacier in the Alps: the 23km Aletsch Glacier, which powers its way through peaks hovering around…
Bernese Oberland
Mountains rise like natural ramparts above the impossibly turquoise Oeschinensee, where you can fish, stroll, swim or hire a row boat. A cable car takes…
Ticino
The centrepiece of Cevio is its vibrant 16th-century Pretorio (magistrate’s court), covered in the family coats-of-arms of many of the area’s rulers,…
Central Switzerland
This teensy museum displays historical knives from prehistoric, Roman and medieval times, including folding precursors to the Victorinox classic. Touch…
Northeastern Switzerland
Located at 1350m, this stuck-in-time Walser-speaking hamlet is great for slipping off the map for a while, with its ludicrously picturesque cluster of…
Northeastern Switzerland
This series of three colossal waterfalls, thundering 585m from top to bottom, is fuelled by underground rivers running through the mountain rock from as…
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Dinosaur skeletons, giant mammoths, sloths – the hands-on Zoological Museum of the University of ü is home to 1500 stuffed animals, with interactive…
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Soglio (1090m), a hamlet of 300 near the Italian border, faces the smooth-sided Pizzo Badile (3308m). Segantini claimed it was 'the gateway to paradise'…
Northeastern Switzerland
Looking proudly back on 1000 years of history, the medieval Schloss Laufen offers a close-quarters view of the Rheinfall cascade. You can buy a ticket at…
Ticino
Marooned in the glimmering waters of Lake Maggiore, this tiny pair of islands is famous for its botanic gardens designed in the 19th century. Magnolias,…
Interlaken
For far-reaching views to the 4000m giants, take the eight-minute funicular ride to 1322m Harder Kulm. Many hiking paths begin here, and the vertigo-free…
