Switzerland Travel Guide | Places to Visit in Switzerland

All the quaint stereotypes are true – cheese, chocolate, clocks, obsessive punctuality – but there’s much more to Switzerland than this. The major cities are cosmopolitan and vibrant, transport links are excellent, and the scenery takes your breath away. Switzerland is diverse and multilingual – almost everyone speaks some English along with at least one of the four official languages. What's more, with so much to see and do, it's not easy to ascertain the best time to visit Switzerland

Fact file Switzerland

Population 7.9 million
Area 41,293 sq km
Languages German, French, Italian, Romansch
Currency Swiss Franc (Fr.)
Capital Bern (population: 131,791)
International phone code t+41

Where to go in Switzerland

The most visited Alpine area is the picturesque Bernese Oberland

, and Jungfrau region

, but the loftiest Alps are further south, where the Toblerone-peaked Matterhorn

looms above Zermatt

, in the canton of Valais

Regions

Of the northern German-speaking cities, Zürich

has tons of sightseeing and nightlife and provides easy access to the tiny principality of Liechtenstein

. Basel

and the capital, Bern

, are quieter, each with an attractive historic core, while Luzern

lies in an appealing setting of lakes and mountains. In the French-speaking west, Geneva

and Lausanne

are at the heart of Suisse-Romande. South of the Alps, Italian-speaking Ticino

seems a world apart, particularly the palm-fringed lakeside resorts of Lugano

and Locarno

Switzerland has no big metropolises on the scale of Paris or London. Swiss towns and cities were preserved from bombing in World War II, and all of them retain medieval alleys, houses and churches at their centres. Geneva

is positioned at the tip of the idyllic Lake Geneva

in the southwest, a short distance from the graceful lakeside city of Lausanne

In the northeast, Zürich too is set on its own lake, within striking distance of the peaceful Bodensee

(Lake Constance). Though lesser-visited, there are plenty of reasons to visit the northeast and Liechtenstein

If its wild remoteness you're after, or swanky ski resorts, see what Graubünden

has to offer.

The diminutive Swiss capital Bern

has a fine cobbled Old Town, while equally attractive Lucerne

lies in the centre of the country on its own, famously beautiful, lake. Basel

is located on the Rhine at the point where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, while at the opposite end of the country, Lugano

basks on the shores of an azure lake a few kilometres from the Italian border.

Check here for some visual inspiration for things not to miss in Switzerland