A trip to Switzerland has to be on everyone’s list. There is a wide variety of places to see in this alpine country including mountains, lakes, cities, rivers, museums, castles and more. If you are planning to visit Switzerland, be sure to read on for tips on the best places to visit in Switzerland for mountain lovers.
5 best places to visit in Switzerland for mountain lovers:
1) Zermatt (Matterhorn)
Zermatt is a tiny mountain village situated 1620m above sea level. Arguably one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland, the entire town is a car-free zone in order to prevent air pollution. Zermatt is now a famous ski destination and holiday getaway for many to see the iconic Matterhorn which is the logo for the Toblerone chocolate.
Be sure to take the Gornergratbahn (the highest open-air railway in Europe) up to the summit of Gornergrat which is situated at an altitude of 1089m above sea level, making it the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau. A return ticket from Zermatt costs CHF 114.
See if you can spot the blacknose sheep of Valais if you are doing the Five Lakes Walk from Sunegga, a short cable car ride up from Zermatt. This is a medium difficulty trail which is 9.3 km long and takes about 2.5 hours. The superb views of the mountain lakes is incredibly special as you get the reflection of the Matterhorn in 3 of the 5 lakes.
2) Jungfraujoch (highest train station in Europe)
If you are looking to experience the best of Switzerland, a train ride up to Europe’s highest railway station may be just the thing to do. The 9km railway track from Kleine Scheidegg takes you up to Jungfraujoch which is 3’454m above sea level, making it the highlight of any trip to Switzerland.
The train will make two stops as it snakes its way up the mountain. The first stop called Eigerwand offers an eight meter long and a meter high window. The second stop is at a window looking out on the Eismeer (Sea of Ice) for views of the surrounding 4000 meter peaks.
I giggled like a child when the train conductor gave me a free Swiss chocolate after checking my ticket – not a bad service seeing one has to pay almost CHF 200 for this train ride. Be sure to take one of the first two trains up the mountain to get a special discounted price.
If you have never seen snow and have always wanted to try winter sports, the Snow Fun Park allows you to try sledging, snow tubing, skiing, snowboarding and even a Flying Fox rope slide within a small space. Be sure to layer up as it can easily be below zero Celsius at the top.
The Sphinx Observatory which provides an additional viewing platform is located at a height of 3’572m. There is also an ice palace and a Lindt Swiss Chocolate shop where you can learn all about how chocolate is made.
For the more adventurous at heart, why not take the 45 minute marked footpath to the highest-altitude serviced hut in Switzerland? The trail to the Mönchsjochhütte leads you through the alpine glacier world amidst the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. If you are curious to find out what daily life is like at 3’650m above sea level, you can even spend a night there.
We visited Jungfraujoch on the day that the annual Jungfrau Marathon was held. It was a gorgeous time to visit with lots of music, On the train ride down, we heard one of the marathon runners sharing a story about how he once fell asleep while doing a 100km run and accidentally ran into an electrified cow fence. He was awoken by the shock from it.
3) Schilthorn Piz Gloria (James Bond mountain)
No Switzerland travel is complete without a trip up an iconic mountain and I must say that Schilthorn may very well be my favourite. The cable car ride from Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen valley takes you to the top in four stages. At 2970m high, you will be rewarded with breathtaking and unforgettable views of the 3 famous Bernese peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau alongside over 200 other mountain summits.
You can follow James Bond’s footsteps by visiting the interactive adventure exhibition “Bond World 007” or the “007 Walk of Fame” where cast and crew members leave their traces at the legendary Bond movie location. If you are a thrill seeker, be sure to take advantage of the “Skyline Walk” and the “Thrill Walk” at the intermediate stop Birg. The Skyline Walk is essentially a glass platform situated over a vertical precipice while the Thrill walk clings to the side of the mountain– not something for one afraid of heights.
For a unique dining experience, why not dine at the revolving restaurant at the top? If you have the time, be sure to take a walk around the car-free zone village of Mürren on your way back down.
A return ticket from Stechelberg to Schilthorn costs CHF 105.
4) Stanserhorn (CabriO-Bahn world’s first open-air cable car)
Mt Stanserhorn was officially appointed as the ‘lazy mountain’ since 2006. It is also one of the special places of power or natural energy zones detected by the world-famous geobiologist, Blanche Merz.
Take a short train ride from Luzern to Stans and a special experience awaits you. After a funicular ride up, you will take the “CabriO” cable car – the world’s first cable car with a roofless upper deck. Being able to enjoy 360° panoramic views with the wind blowing in your hair is truly a special experience.
At only 1900m high, this is an easy mountain trip with small kids as there is less of an issue with altitude sickness. There are many trails you can hike around when at the top. A return ticket from Stans to Stanserhorn costs just CHF 74.
For those looking to celebrate a special occasion or have a romantic dinner for two, don’t miss out the special offer they have between May and November where the mountain ride and 4-course-dinner costs only CHF 99 per person.
5) Scex Rouge (Peak Walk, world’s only suspension bridge linking two mountain peaks)
If you are looking for a unique thing to do in Switzerland, why not visit The Peak Walk – the first and only suspension bridge to connect two mountain peaks at a height of 3000m above sea level.
We were told that once or twice a year, an explosion is made to create an artificial avalanche. One of the explosions left 1.2m of snow at the bottom of the mountain and the powder from the snow went all the way to the village across causing roads to be closed for 3 days.
A return ticket from Col du Pillon to Scex Rouge costs CHF 79. What is great is that includes the Ice Express Chairlift, Fun Park and Glacier Walk.
After crossing the Peak Walk, take the advantage of walking around Gstaad, known to be the most exclusive Alpine town where the rich and famous go to for Christmas. It is reported that the area swells from 7’445 residents to more than 30’000 as 17’000 temporary workers are brought in to cater to around 6’000 of the world’s most famous VIPs and billionaires during the festive season.
If you have more time in Switzerland, some other places I can recommend include Leukerbad and Mount Titlis.
