Ice Palace

Switzerland

　　Tunnels of ice polished as smooth as cut glass lead through the so-called Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch, which offers a frosty reception at minus 3°C. Mountain guides wielding saws and pick axes carved the chambers out of solid ice in the 1930s. Now they are adorned with frozen sculptures of...

Swiss National Park Centre

Switzerland

　　At the hands-on Swiss National Park Centre, an audioguide gives you the low-down on conservation, wildlife and environmental change. Staff can provide details on hikes in the park, including the three-hour hike from S-chanf to Alp Trupchun (particularly popular in autumn, when you might spy rutting deer), and the less...

Fiesch & Eggishorn Cable Car

Switzerland

　　The Aletsch Glacier is a mind-boggling sight and riverside Fiesch on the valley floor is a top place to access it. From the village, ride the cable car up to Fiescheralp, change to the Eggishorn cable car and continue up to Eggishorn (2927m). Nothing can prepare you for what awaits...

Mönchsjochhütte

Switzerland

　　At Mönchsjochhütte, 3650m up into the mountains, you’ll share your dinner table and dorm with hardcore rock climbers, psyching themselves up to tackle Eiger or Mönch. It’s worth tumbling out of your bunk at dawn to catch sunrise. ...

Furka Pass

Switzerland

　　Marking the cantonal frontier with Uri is the vertiginous Furka Pass (2431m), the run up to which offers superlative views over the fissured Rhône glacier. From the tiny Valais village of Gletsch (1762m) the road climbs almost continuously for 10km to the pass. Generally opening about 1 June each year...

Rütli Meadow

Switzerland

　　Perched on hillside above Lake Uri's western shore, this meadow is the legendary cradle of Swiss democracy. It was here that the Oath of Eternal Allegiance was allegedly signed by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden (1291) and where General Guisan gathered the Swiss army during WWII in a...

Rheinfall

Switzerland

　　Ensnared in wispy spray, the thunderous Rheinfall might not give Niagara much competition in height (23m), width (150m) or even flow of water (700 cu metres per second in summer), but Europe's largest plain waterfall is stunning nonetheless. Trails thread up and along its shore, with viewpoints providing abundant photo...

Castelgrande

Switzerland

　　Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or take the lift, buried deep in the rocky hill in an extraordinary concrete bunker-style construction, from Piazza del Sole. After wandering the grounds and the museum, stroll...

Château de Chillon

Switzerland

　　If ever a castle could fit the fairy-tale bill, the dashingly handsome Château de Chillon would be it, with its moat, double ramparts and riot of turrets and towers, plus knockout views of Lake Geneva and the French Alps. Scenically plonked on a rocky, oval-shaped island near Montreux, this is...

Aletsch Glacier

Switzerland

　　If ever a view in Switzerland is going to leave you dumbstruck (and there are a few great ones to choose from!), it will surely be the infinite swoop of the Aletsch Glacier, the largest ice stream in the Alps. On cloudless days, great razor-like peaks poke 4000m above it,...

Swiss National Park

Switzerland

　　When an environmentally on-the-ball land like Switzerland has just one national park, you can bet it’s a good one. Huddled away in the far southeast of the country, where the snow-frosted Swiss Alps muscle their way into Italy, this 172-sq-km park is a nature-gone-wild spectacle of high moors, forests, wildflower-freckled...

Jungfraujoch

Switzerland

　　This is the big one. At 3454m above sea level, Jungfraujoch is Europe’s highest train station: a once-in-a-lifetime trip, with views of the deeply crevassed Aletsch Glacier and a never-ending ripple of sky-high Alpine peaks to make you gasp out loud. 　　A little underwhelmingly for train enthusiasts, the station itself...

Stiftsbibliothek

Switzerland

　　If the greatest masterpieces on earth are wrought for the glory of God, St Gallen’s Stiftsbibliothek (Abbey Library), is like a living prayer. Religious or not, you can’t help but look up to the heavens and fall silent as you step across its creaking wood floor, breathe in the scent...

Parco Botanico San Grato

Lago di Lugano

　　Footpaths thread through these hilltop botanical gardens, which afford sensational lake and mountain views. In May the park is ablaze with the colour of azaleas and rhododendrons in bloom. 　　To reach the park, take bus 434 from Lugano to Carona (Sfr6.40, 25 minutes). ...

Museo Hermann Hesse

Lago di Lugano

　　This museum showcases German-born Swiss poet, novelist and painter Herman Hesse's personal objects, including some of the thousands of watercolours he painted in Ticino, plus books and other odds and ends that help recreate something of his life. 　　From Lugano, take bus 436 (direction Agra, Roncone) to Montagnola, Bellevue (Sfr6.40,...

Monte San Salvatore

Lago di Lugano

　　Lugano's very own Sugarloaf Mountain, the 912m peak of Monte San Salvatore has riveting 360-degree views over Lago di Lugano and southern Ticino to the Alps beyond. A funicular hauls you up to Monte San Salvatore: the panorama at the top is tremendous, reaching over lakes, rippling mountains to Italy...

Schokoland

Lago di Lugano

　　Chomp into some cocoa culture at the Alprose chocolate museum, Schokoland – a sure-fire hit with kids. Whiz through chocolate history, watch the sugary substance being made and enjoy a free tasting. The shop, cunningly, stays open half an hour longer. Take the train to Caslano (Sfr6.60, 26 minutes). ...

Monte Brè

Lago di Lugano

　　Rising dramatically above Lago di Lugano, the conical peak of Monte Brè (925m) is the trailhead for hiking and mountain-biking trails that afford wide-reaching views of the lake and stretch all the way to the Bernese and Valais Alps. Mountain bikes can be hired near the summit for Sfr30/40 for...

Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana

Lago di Lugano

　　The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to the highly experimental, with exhibitions spread across three spaces. There is no permanent collection currently on display, but there is a high-calibre roster of rotating exhibitions....

Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli

Lago di Lugano

　　This simple Romanesque church contains two frescos by Bernardino Luini dating from 1529. Covering the entire wall that divides the church in two is a grand didactic illustration of the crucifixion of Christ. The power and vivacity of the colours are astounding. ...

Parco Ciani

Lago di Lugano

　　This lakefront promenade necklaces the shore of glassy Lago di Lugano, set against a backdrop of rugged mountains. Notice the distinctive profiles of cone-shaped twin peaks Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore. Linden and chestnut trees provide welcome shade in summer, while tulips, camellias and magnolias bloom in spring. ...

Sennhofturm

Graubünden

　　In the back of the Old Town, this is one of the few remains of the old defensive walls built in the 13th century. ...

Rätisches Museum

Graubünden

　　Housed in a baroque patrician residence, this museum spells out the canton's history in artefacts, with Bronze Age jewellery, Roman statuettes, weapons and agricultural tools, alongside displays on religion and power and politics. Children should ask for a special set of museum keys for a treasure hunt to discover the...

Kathedrale St Maria Himmelfahrt

Graubünden

　　Chur's 12th-century cathedral, which took over a century to build, conceals a late-1400s Jakob Russ high altar containing a splendid triptych. First signs of settlement on this site date from the Bronze Age (1300 to 800 BC). ...

Malteserturm

Graubünden

　　Once the munitions tower (its previous name was Pulverturm meaning Gunpowder Tower), this is one of the few parts of the Old Town walls that were erected in the 13th century and still remain. It was the southwest corner of the fortifications and now marks one of the corners of...

Obertor

Graubünden

　　Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt. This four-storey building with an archway at the bottom, a leftover of medieval fortifications, narrows towards the top and fits in physically with the surrounding buildings, though it stands out due to its light exterior colour. ...

Bündner Kunstmuseum

Graubünden

　　This superb gallery reflects the history of art in Graubünden as well as works by artists who are linked with the canton. It gives an insight into the artistic legacy of Graubünden-born Augusto Giacometti (1877–1947) and his talented contemporaries, including Giovanni Segantini and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Chur-born Angelika Kaufmann's enigmatic...

Martinskirche

Graubünden

　　The city's most iconic landmark is Martinskirche with its distinctive spire and clock face. The 8th-century church was rebuilt in the late-Gothic style in 1491 and is dramatically lit by a trio of Augusto Giacometti stained-glass windows. St Martin presides over a burbling stone fountain in front of the church....

Altstadt

Graubünden

　　Near the Plessur River, the Obertor marks the entrance to Chur's alley-woven Altstadt (Old Town). Along with the stout Malteserturm (once the munitions tower), and the Sennhofturm (nowadays the city's prison), it's all that remains of the old defensive walls. ...

Tourist Museum

Interlaken

　　This low-key museum sits on a cobbled, fountain-dotted square in Unterseen. The permanent exhibition presents a romp through tourism in the region with costumes, carriages and other curios. ...

Heimwehfluh

Interlaken

　　A nostalgic funicular trundles up to family-friendly Heimwehfluh for long views across Interlaken. Kids love the bob run down the hill – lay off the brakes to pick up speed. ...

St Beatus Caves

Interlaken

　　Sculpted over millennia, the St Beatus Caves are great for a wander through caverns of dramatically lit stalagmites, stalactites and underground lakes. Lore has it that in the 6th century the caves sheltered St Beatus, monk, hermit and first apostle of Switzerland, who apparently did battle with a dragon here....

Bernatone Alphornbau

Interlaken

　　It doesn't get more Swiss than the alpenhorn, that fabulous-looking instrument often played by bearded Alpine men with ruddy cheeks and a good set of lungs at summer folk festivals. Call ahead and you can visit the workshop of master alpenhorn maker Heinz Tschiemer. A genuine alpenhorn, which takes around...

Harder Kulm

Interlaken

　　For far-reaching views to the 4000m giants, take the eight-minute funicular ride to 1322m Harder Kulm. Many hiking paths begin here, and the vertigo-free can enjoy the panorama from the Zweiseensteg (Two Lake Bridge) jutting out above the valley. The wildlife park near the valley station is home to Alpine...

Chemin de Fer – Musée Blonay-Chamby

Vevey

　　This fun-for-the-whole-family steam-railway museum 6km east of Vevey has a fabulous permanent collection of locomotives and rolling stock, plus regular opportunities to take a ride. ...

Ascenseur Plein Ciel

Vevey

　　This glass elevator atop Mont Pélerin whisks you a further 65m higher to a viewing platform from where the panorama of Lavaux, Lake Geneva, the Jura and the Alps is out of this world. ...

Musée Jenisch

Vevey

　　This museum exhibits Swiss art from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as a broad collection of works on paper by international artists. Check out the special section on Oskar Kokoschka, the Viennese expressionist. Another section is dedicated to prints and engravings by artists ranging from Dürer and Rembrandt...

Musée Suisse du Jeu

Vevey

　　An amusing spot for kids, the Swiss Game Museum has games arranged by theme – educational, strategic, simulation, skill and chance – and there are several you can play, including outdoor ones in the elegant waterfront grounds. The museum is in a château on the lakeshore, a 1.6km walk east...

Mont Pélerin

Vevey

　　Ride the GoldenPass funicular from Vevey (Sfr14, 11 minutes, every 20 minutes) through vineyards to the village of Chardonne, and onwards to the foot of this, the Lavaux’s highest mountain (1080m). View not yet good enough? From the top funicular station, hike to the satellite-dish-encrusted communication tower near the top...

Villa Le Lac

Vevey

　　Declared a World Heritage Site in 2016, Villa Le Lac, built by world-renowned Swiss architect Le Corbusier between 1923 and 1924, is a must for architecture buffs. The little white lakefront house, with its functional rooftop sun deck and ribbon windows, is the perfect overture to the great modern architect's...

Alimentarium

Vevey

　　Nestlé’s headquarters have been in Vevey since 1814, hence its presence in the form of this museum dedicated to nutrition and all things edible, past and present. Boring it is not. Its displays are clearly meant to entertain as well as inform, starting with the gigantic silver fork that sticks...

Chaplin's World

Vevey

　　This engaging museum celebrates the life and work of iconic London-born film star Charlie Chaplin. Split between the neoclassical Manoir de Ban – the Corsier-sur-Vevey mansion where Chaplin spent his last quarter century – and a purpose-built interactive studio, the exhibits include multimedia displays, excerpts from Chaplin's films, recreations of...

Fontaine du Banneret

Neuchâtel

　　This elaborate, ornate fountain features a banner-wielding knight standing atop a pillar with lots of gold-leaf detail. The Fontaine de la Justice is of similar style. ...

Prison Tower

Neuchâtel

　　Heading uphill along Rue du Château, walk through the medieval city gate to view the Tour des Prisons, Neuchâtel's oldest structure, with foundations that go back to the 10th century. In years past you could climb the tower's steep steps for lake and Alpine views, but at time of writing...

Fontaine de la Justice

Neuchâtel

　　One of two fanciful fountains featuring gold-leaf galore that can be found in Neuchâtel's Old Town (the other is the Fontaine du Banneret). It features a decorative column topped by a woman representing Justice; see a copy on the street and the original in the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire. ...