You are about to spend a holiday in Switzerland. The land of the Alps and lakes. The mountain on a postcard, that of Heidi, with its green pastures and blue horizons, that of wooden chalets and spotted cows.
Not forgetting the little trains that go up the most remote valleys and when they are not trains, they are postal buses.
This is certainly a large part of what you will see during your holidays in switzerland even if there are many nuances from one region to another.
If we travel through the landscapes of the Switzerland From North to South, we will start with the Swiss plateau, a sort of large plain with low hills, all located around 400-500 meters above sea level. It is both the country with foggy, melancholic landscapes, and the country of the big cities that have built the wealth and reputation of Switzerland, such as Basel, Zurich, Saint Gallen, and the capital Bern. It is also the region of the great pre-Alpine lakes. In the far North, Lake Constance, then Lake Zurich and the Obersee, and finally the Lake Lucerne, its coves and its mountains plunging into the blue waters. Further west at the foot of the Jura we will find Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Biel/Bienne and further south Lake Geneva on the French border.
In the centre of Switzerland, in the middle of the highest mountain ranges of theBernese Oberland we will find the Lakes Thun and Brienz which frame the town of Interlaken, and further east the canton of Grisons and its many interior valleys, more austere but very authentic.
Among the large inland valleys, we must not forget the Rhone Valley and its vineyards which cross the landscape of Valais, whose slopes and side valleys are home to large ski resorts and starting points for magnificent mountain hikes. Further east, the valley of Engadine, a furrow dug by the Inn which flows to Innsbruck in Austria before flowing into the Danube in Germany is a world apart, very sunny, which is worth a visit. Once past the barrier of the Alps, you will land gently in the canton of Tessin, , in Italian we would say Ticino, on Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano and their Rivieras tinged with Mediterranean nonchalance.
Switzerland, a small country, therefore, steeped in history and rich in mountain scenery.
If you are impatient and are dying to discover the different regions of the Swiss Alps immediately, then here is a small, non-exhaustive list of articles that I suggest you discover:
One last little detail before leaving: the languages. A country with four languages, which you will find on the banknotes. German, the official language, but especially Swiss German, spoken by the majority of the population, in the north and east (German-speaking Switzerland), French, spoken in French-speaking Switzerland, in the west, from the Jura to the Valais, Italian, spoken south of the Alps in the canton of Ticino, on the Italian border, and… Romansh, a regional language from the branch of Romance languages (Latin), spoken only in the canton of Grisons, like German, and which is very present in Engadine and Val Müstair. An Alemannic sound in the pronunciation and words close to Italian, a nice mix, pure product of a country like no other.
Let's discover each of the regions of Swiss alps separately.
From Jura to Valais: holidays in the Alps in French-speaking Switzerland.
Even if the Jura arc is not strictly speaking part of the Alps, it is omnipresent when you travel on holiday in French-speaking Switzerland, that is to say in this part of Switzerland where French is spoken.
Whether you are in Geneva, on the shores of Lake Geneva, or around Neuchâtel and its lake, the Jura forms a green or blue barrier – or even white in winter – which materializes the border with France. Very visible from the edges of the Lake Geneva from Geneva to Lausanne, and more lost in the horizon of the hills above the plains further north.
This region offers both cultural tourism with historic cities such as Geneva – the cradle of the Reformation – Lausanne and its University, Neuchâtel and Fribourg and their eventful pasts, and more hedonistic tourism such as Lake Geneva and its hillsides which produce excellent wines. But on the palate side, it is also the homeland of one of the most famous cheeses: Gruyère, produced around the city of the same name, a charming little medieval city that is absolutely worth a visit.
Le stay in Switzerland is therefore suitable for all hedonists as well because it is here that some major festivals are celebrated: the Jazz festival and the Comedy Festival, both in Montreux, the party capital.
When you climb the surrounding peaks, whether on the Jura side or on the Vaud Alps, we will always look for a panoramic view of the Lake GenevaCalled Lake Geneva by the Genevans who refer mainly to the small lake. The Lake Geneva is a real sea. Impressive dimensions, cruise ships or shipping lines that cross everywhere, pleasant beaches, banks suitable for walking or cycling. And in the background when you are on the Swiss side, the mountains of Haute Savoie and a fantastic view of Mont Blanc, especially from the Nyon side. Holidays on the shores of Lake Geneva are unforgettable!
Continuing your route after Montreux, leaving the shores of Lake Geneva and you will reach the ValaisYou will easily identify the profile of this wide valley at the bottom of which flows the Rhône, which crosses Lake Geneva further downstream before arriving in France.
On one side the mountains rise vertically, facing south: this is the domain of vines on the hillsides, and world-famous ski resorts like Crans Montana, or lesser-known ones like Bettmeralp which have the particularity of being on a balcony above the valley and enjoying the sun all day long while benefiting from an extensive panorama of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, or Mont Blanc! And yes, the Valais, it is the Swiss counterpart of the Aosta Valley, so the peaks are the same!
The kingdom of wooden chalets !
On the other side, it is the mountain of wooden chalets, forests, mountain pastures and glaciers. Several side valleys start at right angles from the Rhone Valley and climb steeply towards isolated villages (Val d'Hérens) or villages that have become large ski resorts: Zermatt, Saas Fee, Verbier. All these villages are at an altitude of over 1500 metres and benefit from optimal sunshine and snow cover. In summer, they are often bases for hikes in the mid and high mountains, sometimes to tickle your first 4000 metres (with local guides!) or even to try your hand at mythical mountains like the Matterhorn, whose profile will evoke for the most gourmands exquisite breaks with famous triangular blocks of chocolate that are very typical...
There are countless viewpoints that are affordable for a Sunday hiker on glaciers, among the longest in Europe, such as the Aletsch. A system of trains or ski lifts operating all year round allows you to discover the glacial world that fascinates writers, painters and historians so much.
We especially recommend all the ski lifts departing from the village of Zermatt, a real gem surrounded by photogenic mountains including the Matterhorn.
A land of passage, the Valais, although landlocked between high mountains, provides access through road passes – sometimes closed in winter – doubled by railway tunnels to other valleys to discover. From Martigny, you can return to Chamonix by going up along the slopes covered with vines and topped with glaciers, or go back down to the Aosta Valley via the Col du Grand Saint Bernard, from Brig you can go up the Rhone Valley to its sources and go back down towards central Switzerland, or go up the Simplon Pass and head towards the Lombard lakes in Italy, all the way to Milan, not to mention that you can also reach the Bernese Oberland and its high peaks by putting your car on a train and crossing the Lötschberg tunnel…
This is what we propose you to do.
Mountain holidays in a wooden chalet in the Bernese Oberland
For your holiday in Switzerland, you want to see lakes, mountains, glaciers and chalets? You are in the right place in theBernese Oberland !The mountain in all its splendor!
Accessible from Bern and the banks of the Lake Thun which one should not fail to visit in the city of Thun itself, or from Lucerne and the Lake Brienz, the southern shore of these lakes opens the door to a series of valleys, sometimes short, sometimes long, sometimes wide, sometimes dug deeply by glaciers, each of which has its own particularity to discover.
Simmental, Engstligental, Kandertal, Kiental, Haslital, Gadmental, Lütschinetal… names of exotic valleys that are sometimes unpronounceable for French speakers, but the villages nestled there are certainly more famous.
You can stroll through the charming villages and hamlets of the Simmental around Gstaad. The mountains are not very high and often peak below 2500m and seem easy to access with their wooded slopes dotted with wooden farms. Today many of these farms have been transformed into wooden chalets which were added to all the new constructions which kept the typical style of the region. You can easily find a place to stay in a wooden chalet for your vacation in Switzerland.
Certainly Gstaad has a reputation for luxury, and there are indeed luxury boutiques there, just like in Megève, Courchevel, Saint Moritz or Cortina d'Ampezzo, but the valley remains deeply agricultural and one cannot help but feel serene there.
Further east, the Engstligental valley is home to a very beautiful mountain resort: Adelboden. Very well snowed in, nestled at an altitude of 1350 metres in a large basin surrounded by peaks exceeding 3000 metres, this village resort offers all the activities for mountain lovers. The village, very typical with its large wooden chalets and their small vegetable gardens are very welcoming for families with young children as well as for sports enthusiasts, in summer and winter.
Then, in the central part of theBernese Oberland, departing from Interlaken, the magnificent spa town between two lakes (Thun and Brienz) is the gateway to Switzerland's most precious jewel of rock and ice: the massif of the three giants, the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. That is to say, the Ogre, the Monk and the Maiden, at an altitude of over 4000m.
Land of legends, but above all of mountaineering epics, with this north face of the Eiger that has made many mountaineers famous, but which was unfortunately the last home of many more. This north face that you can admire from a telescope near the Hotel Bellevue located at the train station of Little Scheidegg, on the Jungfraubahn line at the foot of the giant at an altitude of over 2000 meters, where you can relive the best moments of the many adventure films shot here.
Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren, belvederes and balconies on these peaks, will welcome you in green landscapes dotted with wooden chalets.
The valleys to the east of Lake Brienz are wilder and less touristy, and offer access routes to central Switzerland via passes popular with two-wheelers (with or without a motor) in the summer months from May to October, such as the Grimselpass, the Furkapass and the Sustenpass, passes over 2000m high which go around the glacial landscapes of the Dammastock massif and its glaciers, including the famous Rhone Glacier.
THEBernese Oberland, its valleys, its glaciers and its villages with wooden chalets are very easily accessible by a network of regular and punctual trains which serve Gstaad, Kandersteg, Wengen, Grindelwald, Meiringen and of course the two lakes from Bern, Zurich and Lausanne, which makes this region even more interesting to visit as a car is not necessary.
Stay on the shores of the great lakes of Northern and Central Switzerland
Spend holidays in switzerland on the edge of a magnificent lake, it is possible in a large number of Cantons. We have already described those of French-speaking Switzerland and the Bernese Oberland, let's go and meet the other lakes.
If there was a lake to recommend for holidays in the Swiss Alps, it would be Lake Lucerne. Whether from its shores or Lucerne, a small medieval gem, or from the mountain viewpoints of Riga, accessible by train, or from Pilate Accessible by cable car, this lake is extremely photogenic, and plunges you into a state of captivating serenity when, starting from the surface of the water, you follow the boats that blend into the blue vertical horizon of the wooded mountain slopes, before rising towards a cloudless sky.
The light of the lakes is always special, and if Lake Geneva or Lake Zurich are vast expanses of water where the eye struggles to see the details on the opposite shore, here, on the Lake of Four Cantons, you will always be able to have in front of you a slope, a forest, a village in which to lose yourself with your gaze.
If you are staying a few days in the region around Lucerne, don't forget to visit two mountain villages that can offer you a whole range of activities: Engelberg et Andermatt, (one of the best snow-covered villages in the Alps).
The region of central Switzerland and the northern Alps is dotted with glacial lakes that were formed when the glaciers retreated. They are all oriented more or less in the same direction following the slope: from southeast to northwest.
Among these are three large lakes that border important cities and cultural centers: Lake Zug, the lake of Zurich and the lake of Constance (Bodensee in German).
Zug is a crossing point between Lucerne and Zurich, two very pretty cities in the Central Switzerland which are worth a stop.
Zurich, the country's true economic capital, stretches around the Limmat which flows out of the lake in the city centre. The banks of the lake are lined with rows of beautiful residences, parks and places to relax and contemplate nature. After a visit to the city's main sites and museums, you can take a train to the top of the Uetliberg and enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake and the sparkling white Alps further south.
Finally, in the far north, we will stay on the shores of Lake Constance with a multinational approach.
A Swiss southern shore, but whose largest city which gave its name to the lake, Constance, is located in Germany, and represents a bit of the German Riviera, just like on the northern shore, Lindau - a small medieval jewel surrounded by water, and Friedrichshaven which is the main port for the north-south crossing of the lake. To the east, it is already Austria, with Bregenz, regional capital, which guards the entrance to the high valleys of Vorarlberg, first rampart before reaching the Tyrol.
It is a very large lake, vast, misty and romantic in winter, sunny and with southern scents (for the Germans!) in summer. A vast playground, nature is flatter than around the other lakes, but the pretty towns with the architecture of the German Belle Epoque will delight you very quickly during your walks during your holidays in switzerland.
The other lakes in the region can be discovered during train or car trips that will take you from the Rhine Falls (they are no longer the Alps) to Appenzell, whose picture-postcard green landscapes and decorated house facades will remind you how much Switzerland is an agricultural land.
Northern Switzerland no longer really presents an Alpine landscape, with high mountains, but due to its cultural, architectural and historical wealth it remains a must-see when planning a trip. stay in Switzerland.
Stay in the Swiss Alps: Grisons in the East of the country.
Grisons is the largest canton in Switzerland, and although it has given its name to a specialty based on dried beef (viande des Grisons), it is best known for its high-end ski resorts.
The Grisons are largely crossed by the Rhine, which conventionally rises not far from the Oberalppass, at Lake Toma, in the Surselva district – a valley that is home to the village resorts of Disentis-Muster and Flims-Laax, forming a large region in the south-east of Switzerland. Bordering Austria and Italy, the Grisons form a major crossroads to the east and south and is crossed by important roads such as the San Bernardino.
There are other well-known mountain resorts too: Arosa, suspended above Chur on a vast forested plateau; Davos, universally known for its economic summit and its ski slopes; its more refined and discreet neighbour Klosters; and Lenzerheide, in a small valley nestled around a lake and an easily accessible pass.
And above all, we will not forget Saint Moritz and the Engadine.
In fact, it must be understood that there are two very clearly defined parts making up the canton of Grisons:Engadine (the Inn Valley) and the rest of which the main stations have just been listed.
In fact, the north of Grisons, whose capital – Chur – nestles in a wide valley along the Rhine surrounded by high dark mountains exceeding 2500 meters, at the confluence of several tributary valleys, remains well connected to the rest of the country by a quality road or rail network. On the other hand, going to Engadine, to spend mountain vacation, is earned.
This high and long valley bordering Italy up to its end at the contact with Austria follows the course of the Inn, this river which can be found in Innsbruck, a hundred kilometers further.
Accessible from Switzerland, only by crossing high passes, the Julierpass at almost 2300 meters, which remains open all year round, or the Albulapass and the Flüelapass which are not cleared of snow between November and the end of May, or by rail with a shuttle service for cars also at the Albula tunnel, this valley is intended to remain isolated from the rest of the country. Accessible from Italy, through the Maloja pass, used by many Italians, or the Bernina, or the Mustair valley, finally, the easiest access is by going up the valley from Austria, whose border is eighty kilometers downstream from Saint Moritz.
En Engadine, the tourist capital is St. Moritz, its palaces and its splendors. The cultural capital could be Sils-Maria which houses Nietzsche's house, and the historical capitals could be Zernez, Zuoz and especially Scuol in the lowest part.
Mountain lakes, glaciers (the Bernina massif is a marvel), larch forests which give the valley reddish hues in autumn, lost valleys where silence reigns supreme like the Val Roseg near Pontresina or the Val da Spöl on the Ofenpass road.
And let's not even talk about the climate. Here the snow arrives at the end of October, leaves again in May, and covers everything - including the lakes - for six months a year. The temperatures are around -20 degrees due to the altitude (from 1800 meters at the Maloja pass, you descend very slowly to the 1200 meters of Scuol), but above all the clear sky, night and day, which allows you to benefit from a dry and very sunny climate that made it a place of stay and rest for patients with lung problems (tuberculosis, among others...).
But there is even more remote place to spend a holiday in the Alps, here in Grisons: The Val Mustair et Samnaun !
Samnaun is geographically an enclave in the Austrian country. That is to say that to go from Switzerland to Samnaun, for a very long time you were obliged to go through Austria, which made it a customs exception and you can still benefit from tax-free prices. It is also a pretty ski resort whose area is connected to that – very vast – of Ischgl, in the Tyrol, in Austria.
Le Val Mustair is a geographical anomaly. In fact, this valley is closed on the Swiss side by a pass at 2100 m (the Ofenpass), while it opens naturally towards the Italian Val Venosta, in the South Tyrol, which you can follow without interruption to Verona and the Po Valley along the Adige River. Besides, apart from the transition from German-Romansh bilingualism to German-Italian bilingualism, you don't really realise that you have changed countries.
In the Val Mustair Romansh is king. This is probably the place where you will see it the most on posters or signs along your way. This valley, whose house facades are systematically decorated, lives around a town that was the seat of a former large monastery (the "Müstair", in the village of the same name) which ensured its governance in the Middle Ages.
Southern Switzerland: travel in Ticino.
Ticino, which extends from the Alps to the Lombard lakes along the river of the same name, has a southern orientation which gives it that very southern charm that some say is lacking in northern Switzerland.
The landscapes are drier, the dwellings generally have less wood and more stone, often with painted or frescoed facades. Ticino already resembles Lombardy: Italy is getting closer, and so is its culture.
Ticino is linked to the history of the Gotthard. In the past, the pass was impassable for half the year, which explains why Ticino developed as a province "of the north of the north" of Italy.
Ticino joined the Helvetic Confederation (Switzerland!) late, in 1803. After a medieval period, until the Renaissance, shared with the Duchy of Milan, over the next three centuries, the canton decided to live its life, keeping the Italian language and culture, but autonomously, looking rather towards its northern neighbor, Switzerland, until its attachment. This history, ultimately far from German-speaking Switzerland, the cradle of the Helvetic Confederation, which shaped Switzerland, gives it this gentle way of life that is sought after by its northern neighbors especially since 1980, when the Gotthard tunnel was opened to car traffic. As you will have understood, holidays in switzerland in the canton Tessin, will take you out of your clichés about Switzerland!
Today, the canton of Ticino is too often seen as a canton of passage between Northern Europe and Italy, while it deserves a stopover to stay and discover the fortresses of its capital Bellinzona, or the charms of the Riviera of Locarno or Ascona at the end of Lake Maggiore, or the views offered by the heights of Lugano on the lake of the same name. The side valleys, very influenced by the Mediterranean climate, are often quite dry with deciduous vegetation that goes very high up the slopes and the small villages seem to cling to the mountains. The landscape looks more like that of the Maritime Alps, than the Swiss postcard that we all have in mind.
In short, your holidays in switzerland will take very different forms and leave you with specific memories depending on each of the places where you stay!
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