Northwest SwitzerlandJura, Neuchâtel & FribourgThe lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel are strung along the foot of the Jura Mountains. Although not one of the most popular regions for tourists, the rolling hills of the Jura mountains, the Franches Montagnes in the Neuchâtel region and the foothills of the Alps in the canton of Fribourg to the south of the lakes are excellent for hiking, camping and fishing. The waterfalls of the Doubs and the gorges of the Areuse in the Jura are very impressive. The area is also famous for its food and wines, and for
the production of Swiss precision watches; do not miss the Horological Museum at La-Chaux-de-Fonds, and the watch-making factories at La-Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle. The striking yellow stone buildings of medieval Neuchâtel, attractively located beside a lake, were once described by Alexander Dumas as ‘carved from butter’. The town itself is celebrated for its cafe culture and first-class cuisine. Worth visiting nearby is the medieval town of Romont and the unspoilt lakeside town of Murten (known as ‘Morat’ by its French-speaking minority). The bilingual city of Fribourg (or ‘Freiburg’ to its German-speaking minority), where a Romanesque-Germanic atmosphere prevails, is one of the most interesting historic cities in Switzerland. In the south of the canton of Fribourg, in the foothills of the Alps, lies the Gruyère region, famous for its dairy farming which produces one of the best Swiss cheeses: Gruyère. The ancient town of Gruyères is still completely surrounded by its old city walls.
BasleThe ancient university and trading city of Basle (Basel), straddles the Rhine between the Jura, Alsace in France and Germany’s Black Forest, and is a center of art and research. During the three days of the
Basler Fasnacht (a pre-Lenten carnival), no serious sightseeing should or can be done, as visitors are required to take part in grand masked parties and street parades with fancy costumes. There is even a Fasnacht Fountain in front of the City Theater. The collection in the Art Museum ranges from Cranach and Holbein via Rembrandt to Monet, Picasso and Max Ernst. In the old city center stands the ancient red sandstone cathedral or Münster (parts date from the ninth to 13th century). Its tower affords impressive city vistas. Other sights include the Spalentor (1370), one of the original city wall’s three remaining towers, and the Church of St Peter (15th century). Away from the town, mountain paths zigzag up the Jura mountains.
EXCURSIONSAlthough northern Switzerland is not one of the main tourist areas, there are a few well-known holiday resorts beyond Basle, one of which is picturesque Solothurn where the prevalent architectural styles are Renaissance and Baroque. Day trips to Aarau, Baden and the 13th-century moated castle at Binningen, are also recommended. During winter months, the main sport in the Jura is cross-country skiing.
Southwest SwitzerlandGenevaGeneva is a university town situated on the Rhône-outlet of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), at the southern foot of the Jura mountains. Its popularity is, however, not only due to its excellent surroundings. It owes its cosmopolitan nature to the presence of the United Nations, the International Red Cross and numerous other international organizations. Elegant shops, nightclubs, restaurants, fine museums and art galleries and an extensive calendar of cultural activities make it a favorite with many visitors. The old city center is best explored on foot. One of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture is the Cathedral de St Pierre. The flower clock, with over 6,500 blooms, near the lake in the Jardin Anglais pays homage to Geneva’s watch industry. A boat trip on the lake is recommended. Dominated by the Jet d’Eau, a 145m- (476ft-) high fountain, the lake is generally alive with sailing boats. A crisp breeze known as the
bise (kiss) blows across the lake and there are facilities for all kinds of watersports, as well as golf and riding nearby. Geneva is also a traditional European center for health and recuperation, and maintains state-of-the-art sanatoria such as the 100-year-old Clinique Générale Beaulieu.
Ski resortsGeneva is the gateway to a variety of ski resorts. One especially extensive area well-suited to families but with excellent skiing for all abilities is Portes du Soleil, a cluster of small resorts forming a massive skiing circuit which straddles the French-Swiss border. Key Swiss resorts here include the pretty traditional village of Champéry, and the tranquil purpose-built mini resorts of Champoussin and Les Crosets.
LausanneThe capital of the canton of Vaud, Lausanne is situated on the northern shore of Lake Geneva. The symbol of the city is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in the Cité, the old center, and the Château St Maire (1397-1431). A walk along the promenade of the old Port d’Ouchy reveals a slower pace of life. A funicular can be taken from Ouchy to the inner city of Lausanne.
ExcursionsSeveral rivulets and rolling hills dominate the canton Vaud, a famous wine-producing region. Other traditional activities in the region include wood sculpture and cheese-making. Vaud also boasts one of the country’s most important historic buildings: the Benedictine monastery Church of St Pierre (11th century) in the small town of Romainmotier. Montreux is renowned for its mild climate and the
International Jazz Festival in July. At Villars there is an 18-hole golf course, while nearby Château d’Oex, Les Diablerets and Leysin are major sporting centers for climbing, mountain-biking, skiing, paragliding and hiking. Each summer there is a rock festival at Leysin and there is summer skiing on the glacier at Les Diablerets (noteworthy for its panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the icy peaks and green valleys of the Alps).
Ski resortsThe traditional village resort of Gstaad is an upmarket, glamorous destination for skiers with extensive slopes and a thriving après-ski scene. Smaller, more family-oriented winter resorts include Château d’Oex, Leysin and Villars.
ValaisValais (‘The valley’) stretches all the way from the Rhône Glacier past Brig, Martigny and Sion down to Lake Geneva. Nestling between the northern and the southern side of the Alps is a diverse landscape which will entice every visitor. Glaciers can be found on all peaks of the Valais Alps which are the highest in Switzerland: Dufour Peak (4634m/15,217ft), Dom (4545m/14,917ft), Weisshorn (4509m/14,793ft) and the Matterhorn (4478m/14,698ft). Small villages of weathered wooden-beamed houses, with flowers pouring out of the windowboxes in summer, perch in clearings high on the slopes. High transverse valleys give access to their resorts at the foot of the alpine giants such as Saas Fee in the Saas Valley and Zermatt in the Nikolai Valley; the Matterhorn provides a magnificent backdrop for the latter. In the internationally-known resort of Zermatt, cars are not allowed and transport is either on foot, by electric car or by horse and cart. There are well-posted walks and cablecars, with lifts and tows to the top of the slopes for more ambitious climbing. The highest aerial cablecar in Europe is here at Zermatt, ascending the Little Matterhorn. The ski run from here back to the village is the longest in Europe. The historic town of Brig boasts the most important Baroque castle in Switzerland, the Stockalperschloss. Sion, an episcopal town, and Martigny, with their castle ruins, are worth a visit and are also ideal starting points for excursions to the surrounding area. Castle enthusiasts should also visit Leuk, Monthey and Sierre. Any visit to the area should also include the Rhône Glacier and grotto at Gletsch.
Ski resortsValais contains some of Switzerland’s most celebrated resorts including the picturesque car-free village of Zermatt, which offers excellent skiing for all abilities, lively nightlife and plenty of non-skiing activities. Trendy Verbier forms part of the extensive Les Quatre Vallées ski area, attracting serious skiers and snow-boarders to its challenging slopes and providing plenty of facilities for young people. The beautiful car-free village of Saas Fee has high, snow-sure slopes and is ideal for beginners and intermediates. The popular ski area of Crans Montana consists of chic Crans sur Sierre with its thriving nightlife, and the more down-to-earth, restrained Montana. Smaller, more family-oriented resorts in the region include Anzère, Bettmeralp, Riederalp and Zinal.
Central SwitzerlandBerner OberlandThe Berner Oberland, with Interlaken and the Jungfraujoch, as well as Europe’s highest railway, is a major tourist area; its spectacular scenery includes famous peaks, mountain lakes, alpine streams and wild flowers. Adelboden, Grindelwald and Lenk were already famous with the European nobility and artists in the 19th century. Interlaken, situated between the lakes of Brienz and Thun, is a renowned climatic health resort and the gateway to the Berner Oberland. From here a network of roads and mountain railways such as the narrow-gauge Berner-Oberland-Bahn (BOB) serve the resorts in the Jungfrau region. Jungfrau (4158m/13,642ft), Mönch (4099m/13,448ft) and Eiger (3970m/13,024ft), whose dangerous, nearly perpendicular northern ascent was first climbed in 1938, are three of the most famous mountains in Switzerland. Their names mean the ‘maiden’, the ‘monk’ and the ‘ogre’; together they are known as the Finsteraarhorn Group. Finsteraarhorn (4275m/14,026ft), the highest peak of the Berner Alps, is dominated by glaciers which stretch from the upper Aare and the Rhône valley to Lake Geneva. Also in the region, excursions up the Schilthorn mountain by funicular (made famous by James Bond in the movie
Her Majesty’s Secret Service); to the waterfalls at Giessbach and Lauterbrunnen: to the Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes fell to his fictional death); and to the Swiss Open-Air Museum at Ballenberg, with its charmingly preserved houses from all regions of the country displaying traditional crafts and trades, are all recommended. The popular winter resorts of Adelboden, Lenk and Zweisimmen are reached from Spiez on Lake Thun. The castle at Thun, with its historical museum located at the top of the Altstadt (old town), should not be missed.
Ski resortsThe popular year-round resorts of Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen thrive during the winter ski and snowboard season (mid-December to late-March). Grindelwald is quite old-fashioned and quiet in the evenings but with excellent skiing, ideal for intermediates and beginners, and off-piste activities including tobogganing and winter walking trails. The ski network links up with the scenic ski village of Wengen, popular with British skiers, and with lots of long, gentle runs, ideal for intermediates. Nearby tiny, traffic-free Mürren counts among Switzerland’s more rustic resorts, with limited but challenging skiing including the famous Schilthorn run where the British invented modern-day skiing. The quiet resort of Kandersteg is a good base for cross-country skiing.
BernThis ancient capital (known as ‘Berne’ by Switzerland’s French-speaking citizens) provides opportunities for sightseeing and shopping in the 11th-century arcaded streets. The backdrop is provided by the Jura in the northwest and the south is dominated by the Alps and their foothills. The medieval city center is located on the Aare River between the 13th-century clocktower (Zeitglockenturm) and the striking copper spire of the Nydegg church (Nydeggkirche). Across the Nyddegg bridge are the ancient medieval bear pits (Bärengraben), a reminder of the city’s ursine emblem seen throughout the town in the form of flags, statues, stained-glass windows and souvenirs. There are daily vegetable and flower markets here in summer, and a celebrated onion market on the fourth Monday of November.
LuzernLuzern (known as ‘Lucerne’ by the country’s French-speaking citizens) is located on the edge of a sizeable lake, the Vierwaldstättersee. Its medieval old town (Altstadt) remains intact; important buildings include the Hofkirche, the old Town Hall (1602-1606) and the famous Löwendenkmal, a memorial to the city mascot the ‘dying Lion of Lucerne’, carved out of a cliff. Spanning the River Reuss, the 170m- (558ft-) long, covered wooden Chapel Bridge, was the oldest in Switzerland (1333) until it was destroyed by fire in 1993. It has since been reconstructed. Luzern also houses the Richard Wagner Museum and the Swiss Transport Museum. An international music festival is held here every year.
ExcursionsThe Lucerne region, with its mountains, lakes, pine forests and meadows, is traditionally a very popular tourist area. Ferries on the Vierwaldstättersee service the tiny villages surrounding the lakes and connect with various mountain railways and cableways. Cablecars, passenger lifts and cogwheel railways provide transport to the Gütsch, the Pilatus and the Sonnenberg and other mountains. South of Luzern, near the small town of Engelberg, the world’s first revolving cable car ascends Mount Titlis, the highest lookout-point in central Switzerland. Historians should visit Schwyz, one of the three original cantons, the country’s namesake and home to the Museum of the Swiss Federal Charter and the Forum of Swiss History.
Ski resortsThe main ski areas near Luzern include the attractive, traditional village of Andermatt with reliable snow and challenging skiing, and Engelberg, with a small ski area suitable for all abilities.
Northeast SwitzerlandZurichSwitzerland’s largest city is set on its own lake, Zürichsee, on the banks of the Limmat River, and is the country’s main German-speaking business and banking center. The old part of the town (the Altstadt) is especially picturesque. On a walk through the old center do not miss the Gothic Basilica Fraumünster (11th to 13th century) with its three naves and stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall. Across the river, the skyline is dominated by the Grossmünster with its twin towers. Other sights include the impressive Town Hall, a fine example from the late Renaissance (17th century), the Swiss National Museum and the modern art collections at the Kunsthaus Zürich. Zürich also has a full cultural program. Plays are performed in the Zürcher Schauspielhaus, which is considered one of the most prestigious German-speaking theaters.
ExcursionsZürich is set in the Mittelland (‘middle country’), a very lush and picturesque region scattered with small historic towns, villages and vineyards. Local trains and buses provide easy access to the hills, woods and parks that surround Zürich; during the summer, steamer cruises on Zürich’s lake are popular. A day-trip to the Uetliberg, a hill to the southeast of the city, is also recommended. On clear days, the panorama from the top of the hill includes a bird’s eye view of Zurich, with the Valais and Berner Alps to the west and the Black Forest to the east. The medieval castle at Rapperswil, on the bank of the lake, is well worth a visit.
West and South of Lake ConstanceThis area of northeastern Switzerland rises slowly over the rugged range of the Churfirsten near St Gallen to the Glarner Alps. Appenzell, in the northeastern part of Switzerland, with its highest peak Säntis (2504m/8215ft), is ideal for hiking tours. Old traditions remain very much alive in Appenzell and national costume is still worn for village and folk festivals. The Rhine, which springs from Lake Toma in the St Gotthard, runs through the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and cascades near Schaffhausen into the Rhine Falls – one of the largest waterfalls in Europe. On the banks of Lake Constance, Stein am Rhein is an especially picturesque small town with cobbled streets, fountains, half-timbered houses and a medieval atmosphere. St Gallen’s old city center is dominated by burgher houses from the 17th and 18th century. Not to be missed is the Baroque Cathedral and the famous Abbey Library (Stiftsbibliothek) in the courtyard of the old Benedictine monastery (incunabula and illuminated manuscripts), named a World Heritage Treasure by UNESCO.
ExcursionsBoat trips on Lake Constance to Konstanz and Lindau in Germany or to Bregenz in Austria, and excursions to the Duchy of Liechtenstein can easily be arranged from here.
Southeast SwitzerlandGraubündenThere are 150 valleys in the rugged mountainous region of Graubünden (known as ‘Grisons’ by French-speaking Swiss), the largest, least populated canton of Switzerland, famous for glamorous ski centers, spa resorts and dramatic alpine landscapes. Graubünden also has the longest history of any region of Switzerland with countless castles, fortresses, churches and chapels and, from valley to valley, the local language changes from German to Romansch to Italian.
The climatic health resorts of Arosa, Davos, Klosters and St Moritz are renowned the world over, and not only for their winter sports facilities. Typical Engadine stone houses characterize the towns of St Moritz, Pontresina and Zuoz. The highest peak in the canton is the Bernina (4049m/13,284ft), bordering Italy and Austria. Chur, the capital of Graubünden and the oldest Swiss settlement, is the hub for many other ski resorts. Sights of the city include the St Lucius Church, the Cathedral (12th to 13th century) and the Rhaetic Museum. In the Engadine valley, small villages beyond Zernez and the Swiss National Park have cross-country skiing and summer walking areas. One-third of the 168 sq km (65 sq mile) Swiss National Park is covered with dense forest and is home to several wildlife species, among them roe deer, eagles, marmot and lizards.
Ski resortsMany of the country’s top ski resorts are located in Graubünden including chic, expensive Davos and Klosters, with excellent skiing facilities and lots of varied and sophisticated après-ski, and glamorous St Moritz with its top-notch on- and off-piste activities (snow-polo, horse-drawn sleighs, the Cresta run), glitzy nightlife and luxury hotels. Smaller ski resorts in the area include the beautiful spa town of Bad Scuol, the smaller resorts of Flims and Laax, and beautiful Arosa, popular with downhill skiers of all levels and also for cross-country skiing.
TicinoThe Italian-speaking, southernmost tip of Switzerland is the Ticino, divided from the rest of the country by the Alps but connected by road via the San Bernadino pass. Here the climate is subtropical and the atmosphere Mediterranean. From the Alpine valleys the road runs through Bellinzona with its three medieval castles, en route to the lake resorts of Southern Ticino. Locarno, on the shores of Lago di Maggiore, with its narrow streets, pavement cafes and lakeside lido is one of the most popular destinations, with a world-famous film festival in August. Further south, the health and holiday resort of Lugano lies on the Lago di Lugano between the peaks of Monte Bré and San Salvatore. The largest city in Ticino, it is a favorite holiday destination for the Swiss. Piazzas, palazzos, palms, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the promenade along the lakeshore give the city a special flair. Local ferries link Lugano with the scenic lakeside towns of Gandria and Morcote. During spring the area is in full bloom with fig and olive trees, pomegranates and myrtle. Local buses visit the picturesque villages of the area and funiculars run to the top of Mount San Salvatore. Coach excursions to the great passes of Furka, Lukmanier and Oberalp, and to Milan and Venice, can be arranged locally.
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