Switzerland

Places in Switzerland

• Aarau

  Aarau, the capital of the canton of Aargau, offers a mix of history and chocolate. Visit the Stadtmuseum to learn about local history and the Frey chocolate factory for a chocolate-making exhibition.

  Atlas entry

• Andermatt

  Andermatt sits at a historic crossroads in the Swiss Alps where north-south traffic through the Gotthard corridor has passed for centuries. Before the opening of the Gotthard car and train tunnels, this was the bottleneck for all travel between northern and southern Europe.

  Atlas entry

• Ascona

  Ascona preserves its artistic heritage and bohemian charm that developed when Locarno grew into a major tourist destination. The car-free old town and pedestrian lanes create a calming atmosphere distinct from the busier lakeside resorts.

  Atlas entry

• Basel

  Basel combines a medieval old town with a strong art-museum scene. Its position beside France and Germany gives onward travel a cross-border character.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$188

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Bellinzona

  Bellinzona is the capital of Ticino, at the foot of the Alps, preserving a medieval atmosphere with three UNESCO-listed castles. It offers a mix of history and modern Swiss efficiency, ideal for budget travelers exploring the Italian-speaking region.

  Atlas entry

• Berne

  Berne's UNESCO-listed old town is threaded with arcades and fountains. The medieval Zytglogge clock tower gives a central walk a distinctive landmark.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$190

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Biel

  Biel/Bienne is Switzerland's 10th largest city and one of its most distinctive as the only fully genuinely bilingual city in the country, with German as the majority language and French as the minority. The city is world-renowned as a watchmaking center, home to Rolex, Omega, Swatch, and numerous other prestigious manufacturers, making it essential for watch enthusiasts.

  Atlas entry

• Brienz

  Brienz is a small village of roughly 3000 residents at the quieter end of Brienzersee, opposite the busy resort of Interlaken. It is Switzerland's recognized center for woodcarving, with shops and a museum dedicated to the craft, and its lakeside setting offers spectacular blue waters framed by the surrounding Alps.

  Atlas entry

• Brig

  Brig is a quiet but historically significant Swiss alpine town of 13,000 people that served as the region's most important transport hub until the new Lötschberg base tunnel diverted much traffic to nearby Visp. The town is notable as the birthplace of Cordon bleu (schnitzel filled with cheese and ham) and features the 17th-century Stockalper Palace built by merchant Kaspar Stockalper.

  Atlas entry

• Château-d'Œx

  Château-d'Œx offers an authentic Swiss alpine experience away from the crowds of major resort towns. The village of approximately 3,500 inhabitants is world-renowned for its hot-air balloon activities, hosting the International Balloon Festival each January.

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• Chur

  Chur is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in Switzerland, with roots dating back to prehistoric times. The car-free old town offers medieval architecture, winding lanes, and a relaxed Alpine atmosphere without big-city chaos.

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• Fribourg

  Fribourg is a uniquely positioned Swiss city that sits on the linguistic boundary between French and German-speaking Switzerland, offering visitors a rare blend of both cultures. The Old Town (Basse Ville) is one of Switzerland's best-preserved medieval cores, with over 200 Gothic-style facades dating from the 15th century and the country's finest fortified walls.

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• Gimmelwald

  Gimmelwald is a tiny car-free hamlet perched on a cliff edge with awe-inspiring views down into the Weisse Lütschine valley toward Lauterbrunnen. With only 130 residents, it offers a genuinely tranquil alpine experience unlike the larger resort of Mürren above it.

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• Goldau

  Goldau is a key railway junction connecting Basel, Zurich, Lucerne, and Milan/Venice/Genoa routes, making it an essential transit stop in Central Switzerland. The town serves as one of two main access points for Mount Rigi via the Rigibahn, and is home to the regionally famous Nature and Animal Park Goldau.

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• Grindelwald

  Grindelwald is a traditional Alpine resort village at the foot of the Eiger, with population 3801 (2018). It offers direct views of the great north face, access to world-class skiing on Männlichen and First, and summer hiking trails including the path to Kleine Scheidegg.

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• Gstaad

  Gstaad is a prestigious Alpine resort in the Bernese Highlands at 1,050 m altitude, famous for celebrity visitors and luxury chalets. The village itself is relatively compact, but the ski area spanning Gstaad to Zweisimmen offers 220 km of trails served by 53 lifts, with skiing up to 2,200 m and links to the higher terrain at Les Diablerets.

  Atlas entry

• Interlaken

  Interlaken lies between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun in the Bernese Highlands. It serves as a base for outdoor adventures in the surrounding Alps.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$202

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Kandersteg

  Kandersteg is a small Alpine farming village of 1,200 residents nestled in the Bernese Highlands. It sits on the edge of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage site, making it a base for accessing pristine mountain scenery.

  Atlas entry

• Kleine Scheidegg

  Kleine Scheidegg sits at 2061 m on a pass between the Lauberhorn ridge and the dramatic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The village is little more than a railway station and two hotels, but it offers access to Europe's highest railway station at Jungfraujoch (3454 m) and spectacular alpine hiking through meadows and past glaciers.

  Atlas entry

• Laax

  Laax is a rural municipality of 1,900 residents in the Surselva valley of Graubünden, Switzerland. It is best known as a snowboarding mecca, hosting the world's largest half-pipe at Crap Sogn Gion.

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• Lausanne

  Lausanne is home to the International Olympic Committee and major universities. Its Olympic identity offers a distinctive focus for a visit to the capital of Vaud.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$246

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Lauterbrunnen

  Lauterbrunnen is a dramatic U-shaped valley in the Bernese Oberland with 72 waterfalls cascading down sheer cliff walls—the village name means "clear springs" but visitors hear only their roar. Tolkien hiked through here in 1911 at age 19 and later used the landscape as inspiration for Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings.

  Atlas entry

• Lenzerheide

  Lenzerheide is a year-round Alpine destination in the canton of Graubünden with ski slopes from 1,230 to 2,865 m elevation and over 170 km of marked hiking routes. The Heidsee lake sits at 1,500 m with water temperatures reaching 17-22°C in summer, offering windsurfing, sailing, and fishing.

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• Leukerbad

  Leukerbad is a high-altitude spa and ski resort in Valais, Switzerland, best known for its thermal springs reaching up to 51°C. The village sits at 1411m elevation surrounded by near-vertical alpine chalk cliffs, offering a unique combination of mountain scenery and thermal relaxation.

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• Leysin

  Leysin is a non-posh, non-pretentious mountain village in the Vaud Alps above Montreux, offering spectacular Alpine panoramas including Mont Blanc to the Eiger at more competitive prices than resorts further into Valais. It combines a ski resort with awesome off-piste possibilities, five international schools (making English widely spoken), bohemian galleries on Rue du Commerce, and the iconic Kuklos revolving restaurant at the Berneuse.

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• Locarno

  Locarno sits at the northern tip of Lake Maggiore, offering Swiss scenery with Italian flair. The city hosts the third-oldest major film festival in the world (after Venice and Cannes), drawing international attention each August.

  Atlas entry

• Lucerne

  Lucerne is a compact, pedestrian-friendly city on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Its lakeside setting makes exploring on foot a natural focus for a visit.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$200

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Lugano

  Lugano combines Italian-speaking city life with lakeside boulevards and Alpine views. Palm trees give the waterfront a Mediterranean feel.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$158

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Martigny

  Martigny sits at a crossroads between Geneva and the Simplon Pass, making it a practical stop for travelers heading toward Italy or the Mont Blanc region. The town preserves Roman heritage from Forum Claudii Vallensium (45 CE) when it was a regional capital of the Roman Empire, alongside modern cultural offerings like the Fondation Pierre Gianadda art galleries.

  Atlas entry

• Meiringen

  Meiringen is a small Alpine town famous for a fictional event: the 1892 death of Sherlock Holmes at Reichenbach Falls, which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle staged here at the suggestion of ski pioneer Henry Lunn. The town has fully embraced this literary connection with a Sherlock Holmes museum and annual pilgrimages by fans.

  Atlas entry

• Montreux

  Montreux sits on the shores of Lake Geneva framed by the Alps, best known for its world-famous two-week Jazz Festival each July, but equally rewarding for its scenic lakeside promenade, Belle Epoque architecture, and proximity to the iconic Château de Chillon. The city serves as a gateway to the Lavaux wine terraces and makes an ideal base for exploring the Swiss Riviera between Lausanne and Vevey.

  Atlas entry

• Mürren

  Mürren is a charming traffic-free alpine village in Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, with just 155 permanent residents but capacity for 2000 hotel guests. The resort grew since the 1890s when the railway and cable car first made downhill skiing accessible without hiking up first.

  Atlas entry

• Neuchatel

  Neuchâtel is a compact French-speaking Swiss town where you can travel from mountain trails to lakeside beaches in minutes. The old town features centuries-old yellow sandstone buildings and narrow cobblestone streets around a medieval castle that now houses the cantonal parliament.

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• Nyon

  Nyon is a small historic town on the western shore of Lake Geneva, founded by Romans in the 1st century BC as Noviodunum. The town offers Roman ruins, a medieval castle with panoramic lake views, and access to two major festivals—Paléo (Europe's largest music festival in July) and Visions du Réel (international film festival in April).

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• Rapperswil

  Rapperswil is a picturesque town at the end of Lake Zurich and Obersee, merged with Jona municipality. Known for its rose gardens, medieval old town, and lakeside promenade, it's a popular weekend destination for hikers, bikers, and families from Zurich.

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• Saas-Fee

  Saas-Fee is the largest town in the Saas Valley and serves as a quieter alternative to nearby Zermatt, offering nearly equal skiing and hiking at a fraction of the crowds. The valley is home to some of Switzerland's tallest mountains including the Dom (4,545m), the tallest massif entirely within Switzerland, and the Weissmies group (4,017m).

  Atlas entry

• Saint Gallen

  Saint Gallen is the main city of eastern Switzerland, anchored by the centuries-old Abbey of Saint Gall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a world-famous historic library. The compact old town is packed with listed heritage buildings and well-maintained museums, offering baroque architecture and cultural depth without the crowds of larger Swiss cities.

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• Saint-Maurice

  Saint-Maurice is a compact, walkable town where 2,000 years of history converge in a narrow Rhone canyon. The star attraction is the Abbey, claimed to be the world's longest-running Catholic monastery, which celebrated its 1500th anniversary in 2015.

  Atlas entry

• Schaffhausen

  Schaffhausen is a compact Swiss city-canton on the Rhine River, famous for hosting Europe's largest waterfall, the Rheinfall. The car-free old town showcases well-preserved Renaissance architecture, including the ornately decorated House Zum Ritter.

  Atlas entry

• Sion

  Sion is the capital of Switzerland's Valais canton with a population of 35,000, making it the largest city in the region. The town sits beneath two striking hills crowned by the fortified Basilique de Valère and the ruined Château de Tourbillon, which are visible from throughout the valley.

  Atlas entry

• Solothurn

  Solothurn brings baroque architecture to a compact riverside setting. The River Aare is a natural focus for a leisurely stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$176

  Best months

  May–Sep

• St. Moritz

  St. Moritz is one of Europe's most legendary alpine resorts, perched at 1,856 metres in the Upper Engadin valley of canton Graubünden.

  Atlas entry

• Stans

  Stans is the capital of Nidwalden, a small half-canton in Central Switzerland bounded by Lake Lucerne and surrounding mountains. The town has about 8,000 inhabitants and a modest historic core, making it a quiet base for exploring the region.

  Atlas entry

• Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch

  Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting one of the Alps' most dramatic mountain landscapes, centered on the Aletsch Glacier—the largest in Europe at over 22 km long and 900 m thick. The region offers world-class trekking through high-alpine terrain, with marked trails connecting remote mountain huts where hikers can experience pristine wilderness between Valais and Bernese Highlands.

  Atlas entry

• Thun

  Thun (population 44,000) sits at the gateway to the Bernese Highlands, dominated by its 12th-century Zähringen castle above the Aare River outflow from Lake Thun. The city combines medieval architecture with easy access to Alpine peaks including Niesen, Stockhorn, and Jungfrau.

  Atlas entry

• Verbier

  Verbier is a resort town in the Swiss canton of Valais near Martigny, best known as a ski destination within the Les 4 Vallées network. The ski area is one of the largest in Switzerland, extending to Thyon and up to the Mont Fort glacier, with terrain particularly suited to intermediate and advanced skiers.

  Atlas entry

• Vevey

  Vevey sits on the north shore of Lake Geneva with Mont Pelerin rising behind it. It's the town where Charlie Chaplin spent his final decades and where Nestlé built its food empire—evidenced by the Alimentarium, the world's first food museum.

  Atlas entry

• Visp

  Visp is a German-speaking Swiss town in the canton of Valais, serving as a major regional transport hub at the intersection of three train lines and a big bus interchange. Despite its modest population of around 7,500 inhabitants, it functions as the gateway to popular mountain destinations like Zermatt and Saas-Fee.

  Atlas entry

• Wengen

  Wengen is a car-free Alpine resort perched at 1274m in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, with no road access—visitors arrive exclusively by cog railway. The village sits beneath the dramatic trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, offering direct views of these iconic peaks.

  Atlas entry

• Winterthur

  Winterthur is a Swiss cultural city with 17 museums packed into a compact city center. The highlight is the Oskar Reinhart Museum am Römerholz with its world-class European art collection, plus the interactive Technorama science centre with over 500 hands-on exhibits.

  Atlas entry

• Yverdon

  Yverdon-les-Bains is a spa town with a surprisingly rich historical pedigree. The town offers dolmens more than 6,000 years old, Roman ruins, a 13th-century castle, and an 18th-century church and city hall.

  Atlas entry

• Zermatt

  Zermatt is one of the world's most famous alpine resorts, dominated by the iconic Matterhorn pyramid that rises dramatically above the car-free town. While busier and pricier than nearby alternatives like Saas-Fee, Zermatt offers unparalleled mountain access: 200 km of ski runs in winter, extensive summer hiking networks, and the legendary Gornergrat railway climbing to 3,089m.

  Atlas entry

• Zug

  Zug offers a compact, postcard-perfect Swiss experience without the crowds of Zurich. Its old town features cobblestone streets and historic squares, while Zugerberg mountain provides sweeping views over Lake Zug.

  Atlas entry

• Zurich

  Zurich combines an old town and lakefront with a lively nightlife scene. It also serves as a gateway for onward trips into the Swiss Alps.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$205

  Best months

  May–Sep