Bern
Tapestries, diptychs and other treasures vividly illustrate Bernese history from the Stone Age to the 20th century in this marvellous castle-like edifice,…
Must-see attractions in Switzerland
The Jura Mountains
This smart museum occupying a beautiful baroque mansion surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens and a botanic garden features taxidermy, fossils and…
Valais
Lording it over the fertile Rhône Valley from its hilltop perch above Sion, the crumbling remains of this medieval stronghold, destroyed by fire in 1788,…
Bern
Bern's Museum of Fine Arts houses Switzerland’s oldest permanent collection, ranging from an exquisite early Renaissance Madonna and Child by Fra Angelico…
Basel
Adults and kids alike love this fascinating and lovingly curated fantasy land claiming the world’s biggest collection of teddy bears and a slew of…
The Jura Mountains
Everything from books and clocks to pharmaceutical objects are displayed in this delightful museum, well placed in Porrentuy’s former hospital – a…
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…
Central Switzerland
Central Switzerland's tallest mountain, Mt Titlis, is known for the world's first revolving cable car. This was completed in 1992 and is still one of the…
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…
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…
Graubünden
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…
Graubünden
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…
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…
Lago di Lugano
Popping up between Italy and Switzerland, the 1704m peak of Monte Generoso has far-reaching views across a patchwork of lakes and mountains. The rack-and…
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…
Lago di Lugano
Set in subtropical parkland, Parco Scherrer, 400m west of the boat stop in Morcote, is the dream come true of textile merchant and art enthusiast Hermann…
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…
Graubünden
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…
Lago di Lugano
Rising in a pyramid above Lake Lugano, 1097m Monte San Giorgio has become Ticino’s mountain of myth thanks to its rich stash of Triassic marine-life…
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
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…
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…
