Places to visit in Switzerland

This charming alpine village lies at the foot of one of the most mystical and majestic mountains of Switzerland- The Matterhorn. Zermatt.One of the most impressive places to visit on a Switzerland tour, Zermatt is famous for its rugged untouched beauty that’s so peaceful and calm that it will take you away from all your worldly problems. This is mostly because Zermatt is a car-free village and its beauty can be savoured leisurely on foot, horse-driven carriages, electric cars, and gondolas. 

In the old village area, there are as many as 30 ancient buildings including granaries that depict the traditional way of living of mountain communities. This area also has a beautiful ancient church, Mountaineer’s cemetery, and a museum dedicated to mountaineering. The village streets are dotted with cafes with flower-lined walls in typical Swiss style. It is an amazing experience as you tuck into delicate pastries, cheese, and coffee while looking onto the Matterhorn, looming just miles away. 

Travellers from all over the world visit Gornergrat, the sun-drenched observation deck that offers one of the finest views of over 38 thirteen-thousanders and 14 glaciers including Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, and the Gorner Glacier. The ride to this deck, in a glass cable car, is as exciting as the destination itself. This is where Europe’s highest hotel, the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, is located. No visit to Zermatt is complete without venturing into the breathtaking mountainside. Zermatt is one of the few places in Switzerland where you can get up close with wild Ibex and visit a village consisting entirely of igloos. This is the place where you can get direct access to miles of pristine skiing pistes and paragliding points. Zermatt is also one of the places that offer unforgettable dining experiences.

Whether it is authentic Swiss mountainside cuisine in rustic cafes, or award-winning restaurants serving hearty meals with the most exquisite of ingredients, or having a meal in a sky-high gondola ride while enjoying the sunrise or the moonlight, the choices here are endless. Zermatt, due to its location, enjoys extremely pleasant weather throughout the year. In summers, the days are cloudy and the temperatures average at around 22°C. The winters are long and harsh, with snowfall almost daily. 

A gorgeous resort town, Montreux is located on Lake Geneva in the south-western part of Switzerland. The town is burrowed between Lake Geneva, hills, wooded forests, and vineyards that allure people from all over the world to escape the humdrum of their lives amidst its beauty. Though it’s a small place, it has so much action packed in it that can keep you engaged for days. Lake Geneva, a centrepiece in any Switzerland itinerary, takes the spotlight with its picturesque promenade shaded by fig, mulberry, almond, and palm trees.

Enjoy boating in the lake or tuck in delectable Swiss food and wines near the riverside cafes. The gardens at the beaches are adorned with statues made of flowers and vines depicting the wildlife of Switzerland and other quirky silhouettes. The city’s most famous resident, Freddie Mercury, has been immortalised in the form of a statue. This statue stands in front of the Covered Market and is a must-see. Another must-visit attraction to see is the 12th- century Chillon Castle built by Savoy rulers. The castle is famous for its imposing architecture and old-world charm.

Montreux hosts several international jazz festivals that allure people from all over the world. The most famous is the Montreux Jazz Festival (held in July each year), September Musical Concert, and the International Choral Festival (the week after Easter). Montreux experiences a balmy and temperate climate. It gets a significant amount of rainfall during the entire year. The winters are freezing with temperatures going down below zero quite frequently. The summer months are pleasant with temperatures averaging around 15°C. 

Lugano, nicknamed as the Monte Carlo of Switzerland, is a popular tourist's destination in Switzerland known for its laid-back lifestyle and lovely scenic beauty, which entices tourists and wanderlust travellers from all over the world to its shorelines. A number of mountains, parks, Mediterranean style squares and arcades, and mountainous viewpoints surround the city that is a traffic-free historic township. In this city, you will surely fall for the amazing Italianate architecture, promenades by the side of the lakes, parks on the waterfront, shopping streets and full of life squares with arcades and restaurants.

It is also famous for being the residence of the Nobel Prize winner, Hermann Hesse. The city of Lugano has also got a deeper connection with artworks and artisans. There are a number of centres, which promote the ancient artwork and architectural styles. You will also find countless museums like Museum of Cultures, Gabinetto di storia naturale, Swiss Customs Museum, Fondazione Gabriele e Anna Braglia Lugano, etc in the city where many popular artworks by some of the famous artists are on display starting from Klee, Jawlensky, and Renoir to Degas. With Switzerland trip packages you can explore an array of experiences in Lugano, allowing you to indulge in the city's diverse offerings and create memories that last a lifetime.

Thanks to the amazing climatic condition of the place, that makes tourism a bliss. The climatic conditions remain moderate all through the year with temperature lying in the range of 5 degree celsius to 25 degree celsius. The hottest month of the year is July and the coldest month of the year is January. If you haven’t been to this amazing place, then it is surely the time to pack your bags and head out in search of liberty in this surreal beauty of Switzerland.

Schaffhausen is located on the northernmost edge of the country on the German border. Schaffhausen came into being due to the Rhine Falls. This was where the earliest inhabitants, the shippers, worked and later settled down. Schaffhausen enjoys unmatched natural beauty with its flowering trails, waterfalls, jaw-dropping views of the Alps, and lush meadows. This is one of the few cities where the Old Town area is free of cars. Considered to be the most beautiful of the old town areas on the whole of Switzerland tour, its buildings have huge bay windows and painted facades.

There are granaries and merchant houses dating back to the Baroque times. The shops here have a painting-like charm to them with their flower-laden window sills. You will find charming chocolatiers, cafes, cheese shops, perfumeries, and dressmakers. Listening to the Munot Bell here is a very surreal experience. The bell is rung by the guard of the 15th-century Munot fortress every day at 9:00 pm as a beautiful tradition that’s still followed from ancient times signalling the closing of gates.

For those who love the outdoors, can spend hours along the beaches of River Rhine. One can enjoy soaking in the sun, boating, cycling, or simply strolling as you see the world pass by. The houses in this area are colourful with intricately painted facades, which make for a picture-postcard like backdrop to the river. Schaffhausen has distinct cold and warm periods. In the summers, the temperatures rise to around 25°C. Winters are pretty harsh with sub-zero temperatures, snowfall, and sleety rains.

Lausanne, the capital city of the canton of Vaud, lies on the edge of Lake Geneva. It extends from Lavaux to La Cote. Ranked amongst the most beautiful cities not only in Switzerland but also around the world, Lausanne’s landscape is stunning, to say the least. One of the first things that you will notice is its pristine natural beauty of snow-coated mountains and lush meadows beautifully interspersed by Lake Geneva.  As you explore with a Switzerland tour package, anywhere you go in the city, the views of snow-drifted French Alps searing through clear blue skies accompany you.

One of the major landmarks here is the 12th-century Cathedral of Notre Dame, which is famous for not only its imposing arches and facades but also for housing a 12 million dollar organ gifted by the city of Boston. When in Lausanne, don’t miss visiting the vineyards of Lavaux. Stretching up till Vevey-Montreux, these stairlike vineyards are a haven of tranquillity and beauty. Since they are considered to have universal importance, they were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can walk for miles amidst these lush plantations and some of the most delicate wines on earth. 

The city was established by Romans and their imprints can be seen everywhere- in its culture, monuments, and food. Lausanne is inhabited mostly by students and young people, and that’s reflected in the verve of the city. The streets come alive with community markets, that are held here often, with hundreds of local street vendors selling amazing Swiss foods, beer sellers, souvenir shops, and street musicians lending a beautiful vibe to the city. When you’ve done too much sightseeing and want to spend time in solitude that only nature can provide, head over to the Sauvabelin Forest area.

It is a stunning sight to see the crystal clear waters of Lake Sauvabelin reflect in its waters the dark silhouettes of tall trees and the golden setting sun behind them. Helicopter rides are available for you to soak in panoramic views of the city as you cruise high up in the skies.Lausanne cloudy weather adds to the romantic Swiss atmosphere. It rains intermittently all through the year. The coldest month is January with temperatures falling to around 1°C. Summers are warm yet pleasant with temperatures hovering around 20°C. 

Enjoy an enthralling vacation in St Moritz that is a scenic paradise for the visitors. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, alpine forests and twenty-five crystal clear mountain lakes and glaciers, this scenic city offers an unadulterated view of nature. It is dotted with quaint villages and cobbled streets layered by crystal sheets of snow. The tall pine trees and the stone castles present imagery of living in a dreamland. St.Moritz is dotted with a number of tourist attractions that lure visitors with their magnetizing combination of unrivaled luxury and natural wizards.

It has contemporary art centers showcasing the notable work of the artists and museums that take you into the glorious past of this town. You can also find here exclusive clubs and shopping joints for ultimate relaxation and leisure. It is home to mountain restaurants and hotels that offer an otherworldly experience. For all those craving for solitude and enlightenment, the churches in St.Moritz, a prime destination for a trip to Switzerland, should be a must-visit. This alpine town is considered to be the prime territory for lovers of snow sports.

It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice in the past and boasts of running the oldest bobsleigh in the world. You can hike on the snowy glaciers, or you can have an unforgettable mountain biking experience on the hilly tracks here. Snowboarding, windsurfing, skiing, and paragliding are the other popular activities here. You can also take a carriage ride through the Alpine villages and have an enthralling night at the nightclubs. St.Moritz experiences pleasant weather all year around. You can primarily witness winter and summer over here. During summers, the average maximum temperature is 16 degrees Celsius, and the average minimum temperature is 3 degrees Celsius. During winters, it experiences snowfall of around 71 mm. It has around 322 sunny days in a year.

Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, lies on the northern side of the Bernese Alps on the plateau in the canton of Bern. One of the most photographed cities in the world, Bern is a place that looks straight out of your dreams. The city, one of the best places to visit in Switzerland, is known as one of the most well-preserved cities in the world and this is evident in the way it has lovingly maintained its heritage, culture, and architecture for centuries. One of the best attractions of Bern is its hundreds of fountains dating back to the 13th-century, and each of them is a unique artwork.

The most unusual of them all, and a must-visit on your Switzerland trip, is Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre Fountain) depicting a scary medieval ogre devouring children. Now that’s a sight you will not see anywhere in the world! Bern’s Old Town area due to its stunning medieval-era beauty finds a place amongst UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cobbled streets here are dotted with the majestic Parliament building, offices of some major Swiss banks, and grand hotels. In the nearby Kramgasse (market alley) you will pass century-old buildings that were wine cellars and granaries in ancient times.

This is where you can see the residence of Albert Einstein as well. Another famous Bernese attraction is the 11th-century Clock Tower that allows visitors to tour inside and see the still working mechanisms. The viewing platform atop the tower looks onto panoramic vistas of the Bernese peaks. The Bern Cathedral is a must-visit for not only its magnificent Gothic architecture and a huge façade depicting the ‘Last Judgement’, but also for seeing stunning views as far as Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau from its watchtower. 

Bern is one of the few cities in the world that allows one to sightsee not only on foot but also from its waters as you swim across its famed River Aare. The long winding river passes through all the major attractions like the Botanical Gardens and Old Matte District. The culinary landscape of Bern is famous as well! Try authentic Swiss delicacies at Restaurant Rosengarten that edges along with the famous rose garden or the magnificently decorated Kornhauskeller with its humongous chandeliers and fresco ceiling. Bern is mostly rainy throughout the year. The summers are warm, yet pleasant with temperatures averaging at around 20°C. The winters are short but cold with snowfall.

Basel, sharing its borders with France and Germany, lies on the banks of the River Rhine in the northwest region of Switzerland. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, especially known for the diversity of its flora and fauna. It has miles and miles of lilac flowers edging along the stunning Rhine River. Like all the major Swiss cities, Basel also has its own charming Old Town area, which takes one back in the luxurious and slow pace of life as it was in the medieval era. It has stone houses with tiled roofs, beautiful cafes, well-kept boutiques, and vantage points to see stunning views of River Rhine. There are numerous cruises available for you to see the pristine beauty of the river its promenades. Explore this enchanting city on your Switzerland tour, and witness the captivating blend of history, natural beauty, and leisurely charm that Basel has to offer.

The most famous attraction here is the 10th-century Basel Minster known for its architecture heavily influenced by Roman and Gothic architecture. Almost as a symbol of its diversity, near the church, stands the striking 18th-century Jewish synagogue. The city is a haven for those who love nature and the outdoors. Basel Zoo, the oldest and the largest in Switzerland, houses over 600 species of rare animals like Indian Rhino, Flamingo, African elephants, and panthers. The sun-drenched city of Basel is the cultural epicentre of Switzerland. This is the most vibrant of places in the country famed for its festivals, art events, concerts, and open-air cinemas. Due to its location on the French and German borders, it is a melting pot of people, languages, and cuisines. It is known as the ‘city of museums’ and has over 40 museums that house world-famous galleries, collections of paintings and artworks.

Some of the best museums to visit are the Basel Toy World Museum, Antiques Museum for Egyptian artefacts, and Basel Museum of Ancient Art. The people of Basel love to celebrate and welcome everybody to the amazing carnivals held here throughout the year. These carnivals are an absolute riot of music, satirical performances, hand-painted lantern processions, and parades by pipers & drummers in colourful costumes. Basel remains rainy throughout the year with overcast skies. The summers are comfortable with July being the hottest month. The winters are freezing with January being the coldest month. The temperatures fall below zero often accompanied by snowfall.