Skiing in the Alps. Swimming in crystal clear lakes. Modern cities with medieval old towns. All that chocolate and cheese. Spring: Hike along low-elevation trails through forests, past gorges, waterfalls, and lakes. Take the Glacier Express panoramic train across the Alps. Basel is a party city during its three-day carnival, Basler Fasnacht. Summer: Most mountain areas are open from July. Many resorts close between the skiing and summer seasons, usually April-June. Swiss National Day August 1 is celebrated nationwide with bonfires and fireworks.
The Food Zurich festival features food tours, markets, and culinary events. Watch international artists carving huge blocks of snow at the Grindelwald Snow Festival. Enjoy mulled wine and twinkling lights at Christmas markets. Stylish Zurich offers a flourishing food scene and vibrant nightlife. Cultural hotspot Basel is the gateway for Alpine skiing. Geneva is the cosmopolitan capital of high-end watchmaking.
Head to Lugano for Mediterranean-style squares and sub-tropical gardens. Central: Surrounded by mountains, lakeside Lucerne is famous for its 14th-century wooden bridge. Lake Zug is a picturesque spot for swimming and watersports in summer. Ice melt and a new cableway are reshaping the Eiger experience.
Northeast: Head to family-friendly Thurgau to camp on the shores of Lake Constance and cycle or hike through its meadows, orchards, and forests. The magnificent Carolingian Abbey of St. The exclusive St. Moritz is renowned for its world-class pistes, luxury shopping, and high-end restaurants. Take the cable car to the Eggishorn viewpoint for magnificent views of the Great Aletsch Glacier.
High-altitude Alpine resorts, including Zermatt and Verbier , offer guaranteed snow. The Vaud wine region is known for its diverse range of wines. The subalpine Jura Mountains straddle the Swiss-French border. Art Basel, the prestigious contemporary art fair, features artists from five continents. The idyllic Aargau-Solothurn region is off the radar for international tourists: indulge in some me time at one of its numerous thermal baths.
