Switzerland Travelers Recommend

Day 1: Art and the Old Town Zurich is home to a number of museums, of which the Landesmuseum , the biggest in Switzerland, is by far the most visited, with a permanent exhibition on the History of Switzerland and a beautiful park out the back. Art lovers should head to the Kunsthaus gallery to marvel at works by Giacometti and works by Monet, Fuseli and Dada. Day 2: Relax by day, party by night One of Zurich’s biggest attractions is its vast lake, and the best way to experience it is by taking a boat trip, many of which head up the river and afford some great views of the riverside sights. If the cool, still waters don’t pack enough of a punch, it’s an easy 45-minute train ride to the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe. Day 3: Shopping in the city Zurich’s main shopping street, Bahnhofstrasse, is renowned throughout Europe, and it would be rude to leave the city without indulging in at least some window-shopping.

With high-speed trains that will take you from lakeside Zurich into the mountains in mere minutes, there’s nothing stopping you from escaping the city to explore the dramatic Swiss Alps. Winter ski resorts like Engelberg, Andermatt and Davos are all easily reached from the city center, but the best way to take in the sights is to book on a day or multi-day tour from Zurich. Visit the ‘Queen of the Swiss Mountains’, Mount Rigi on a day trip to the Lake Lucerne region, where you can ride Europe’s oldest cogwheel railway to the 1,800-meter summit, or head to nearby Mount Pilatus, where the world’s steepest cog railway climbs to the 2,132-meter peak. An even more thrilling way to scale the Alps is on the famous CabriO – a unique double-decker cable car, which offers unbeatable panoramas from its open-air top deck as you scale the peak of Mount Stanserhorn.

Sitting on the shore of Europe's largest alpine lake, with views of Europe's highest mountain, Geneva is tolerant, cosmopolitan and stylish. It's the perfect place for sailing, skiing or sampling great cheese, chocolate and wines in the beautiful countryside. Begin with a walk beside the river to the 13th-century Tour d'Ile. Then head for Lake Geneva and its Jet d'Eau, 7 tonnes of water shooting into the air at 200 km/h. Geneva's Cathédrale de St Pierre is a mélange of styles from the 11th to the 18th centuries. Also on the site are archeological digs dating back 16 centuries. Geneva's oldest house, 14th-century Maison Tavel, is a Geneva history museum. The philosopher Rousseau's birthplace is around the corner. You can visit the Palais des Nations, once home to the League of Nations, now the European HQ of the United Nations (bring your passport). Visit the Red Cross Museum or CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research, located just outside Geneva.

Geneva is a fine base to explore the nearby Alps, whether they're in Switzerland, France or even Italy. There's public transport access by train and bus to nearby mountain destinations where the hiking in summer is as tantalizing as the skiing in winter. Snow-topped mountains and glaciers are even accessible as day trips from the city. Spend the day in the Swiss mountains on a day trip from Geneva to Chamonix, one of Switzerland's most famous villages. Just 90 minutes' drive through the picturesque Arve Valley from Geneva, Chamonix is at the foot of majestic Mont-Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe. After lunch, take a trip in a cable car to the Aiguille du Midi, with snow year-round, for breathtaking views of Mont-Blanc and the surrounding Alps. Then board the charming red 1908 train to Montenvers, a vantage point with fine views of the magnificent Mer de Glace glacier.

The lakeside medieval town of Lucerne is a cozy base for trips to Switzerland’s snow-capped Alps and mountain landscapes of the Bernese Oberland. The picture-perfect, orderly town takes to the streets for the March Fasnacht carnival, with lantern parades, costumed revelers, strolling musicians, and fireworks. Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s prettiest destinations, well deserving a day’s exploration of its historic sites. Then head to the hills of the Bernese Oberland and soaring Swiss Alps. Lucerne’s proud symbol is the 14th-century Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) spanning the lake. Seventeenth-century paintings line the interior, and the bridge leads to an eight-sided water tower. The half-timbered medieval buildings of Lucerne’s Old Town are surrounded by rampart walls and watchtowers. The town’s poignant sculpture of a dying lion is unforgettable, and its Picasso Museum is another must-see.