Discover 50 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Switzerland. Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Zytglogge (Berne), Jet d'Eau (Geneva) or Grossmünster (Zurich).
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Switzerland.
Table of Contents
Zytglogge, Berne
Mechanical clock tower and astrolabe. The Zytglogge is a landmark medieval tower in Bern, Switzerland. Built in the early 13th century, it has served the city as guard tower, prison, clock tower, centre of urban life and civic memorial.
Despite the many redecorations and renovations it has undergone in its 800 years of existence, the Zytglogge is one of Bern's most recognisable symbols and the oldest monument of the city, and with its 15th-century astronomical clock, a major tourist attraction. It is a heritage site of national significance, and part of the Old City of Bern, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.[1]
Address: Bim Zytglogge 3, 3011 Bern (Innere Stadt)
Jet d'Eau, Geneva
Also known as: Jet d’eau
Dramatic landmark water jet on the lake. The Jet d'Eau is a large fountain in Geneva, Switzerland and is one of the city's most famous landmarks, being featured on the city's official tourism web site and on the official logo for Geneva's hosting of group stage matches at UEFA Euro 2008. Situated where Lake Geneva exits as the Rhône, it is visible throughout the city and from the air, even when flying over Geneva at an altitude of ten kilometres.
Five hundred litres (130 US gal) of water per second are jetted to an altitude of 140 metres (460 ft) by two 500 kW pumps, operating at 2,400 V, consuming one megawatt of electricity (3,000,000 KWh and costing 510,000 CHF per year). The water leaves the ten-centimetre (4 in) nozzle at a speed of 200 km/h (55 m/s). At any given moment, there are about 7,000 L (1,800 US gal) of water in the air. Unsuspecting visitors to the fountain—which can be reached via a stone jetty from the left bank of the lake—may be surprised to find themselves drenched after a slight change in wind direction.[2]
Address: Quai Gustave-Ador, 1207 Genève
Grossmünster, Zurich
Landmark 12th-century cathedral. The Grossmünster is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city. Its congregation forms part of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich. The core of the present building near the banks of the Limmat was constructed on the site of a Carolingian church, which was, according to legend, originally commissioned by Charlemagne. Construction of the present structure commenced around 1100 and it was inaugurated around 1220.
The Grossmünster was a monastery church, vying for precedence with the Fraumünster across the Limmat throughout the Middle Ages. According to legend, the Grossmünster was founded by Charlemagne, whose horse fell to its knees over the tombs of Felix and Regula, Zürich's patron saints. The legend helps support a claim of seniority over the Fraumünster, which was founded by Louis the German, Charlemagne's grandson. Recent archaeological evidence confirms the presence of a Roman burial ground at the site.[3]
Address: Grossmünsterplatz, 8001 Zurich, Zurich (Kreis 1)
Bern Minster, Berne
Also known as: Berner Münster
Towering 1400s edifice with iconic spire. Bern Minster is a Swiss Reformed cathedral, in the old city of Bern, Switzerland. Built in the Gothic style, its construction started in 1421. Its tower, with a height of 100.6 m, was only completed in 1893. It is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland and is a Cultural Property of National Significance.[4]
Address: Münsterplatz 1, 3000 Bern (Innere Stadt)
Palace of Nations, Geneva
Also known as: Palais des Nations
United Nations building with park. The Palace of Nations is the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva, located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was built between 1929 and 1938 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. It has served as the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva since 1946 when the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed a Headquarters Agreement with the Swiss authorities, although Switzerland did not become a member of the United Nations until 2002.
In 2012 alone, the Palace of Nations hosted more than 10,000 intergovernmental meetings.[5]
Address: 14, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva (Pâquis-Nations)
Basel Zoo, Basel
Also known as: Zoo Basel
Switzerland's oldest and largest zoo. Zoo Basel is a non-profit zoo in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents affectionately call it Zolli. Its main entrance is just outside Basel's downtown strip of Steinen-Vorstadt and extends in the Birsig stream valley to Basel's city border with Binningen, Basel-Country.
Zoo Basel is Switzerland's oldest (1874) and largest zoo (by number of animals). With over 1.8 million visitors per year, it is the most visited tourist attraction in Switzerland with an entrance fee.
Zoo Basel was ranked as one of the fifteen best zoos in the world by Forbes Traveler in 2008 and in 2009 as the seventh best in Europe by Anthony Sheridan from the Zoological Society of London.
The zoo had the first Indian rhinoceros birth in a zoo, as well as the first greater flamingo hatch. It has had repeated breeding success with animals including cheetahs (18 births), okapi (22), pygmy hippopotamuses (53), and flamingos (over 400 hatches). Every Somali wild ass (a donkey) in zoos worldwide is related to the population in Basel, where this species' zoological breeding program was started.
Zoo Basel is undergoing the most expensive expansion in its history. These include the indoor and outdoor renovation of the monkeyhouse (2011-2012 / Fr. 30 millions), the zoo restaurant renovation/expansion (2015 / Fr. 16 millions), a new elephant house and outdoor exhibit (2016 / Fr. 28 millions), and a new large-scale aquarium (2019 / Fr. 60-80 millions).[6]
Address: Binningerstrasse 40, 4054 Basel
St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva
Also known as: Kathedrale St. Peter
12th-century cathedral in mix of styles. St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland, was built as a Roman Catholic cathedral, but became a Reformed Protestant Church of Geneva church during the Reformation. It is known as the adopted home church of John Calvin, one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. Inside the church is a wooden chair used by Calvin.[7]
Address: Place du Bourg-de-Four 24, 1204 Genève (Centre-Plainpalais-Acacias)
Bärengraben, Berne
Also known as: Bärenpark Bern
Park for brown bears, the city's symbol. The Bärengraben, or Bear Pit, is a tourist attraction in the Swiss capital city of Bern. It is a bear pit, or enclosure housing bears, situated at the eastern edge of the old city of Bern, next to the Nydeggbrücke and the River Aar. Although still in use, the Bärengraben has been supplemented since 2009 by the adjacent BärenPark, a larger and more natural enclosure alongside the River Aar.
The Bärengraben and BärenPark are administered as a geographically discrete part of the city's Dählhölzli Zoo. The Bärengraben is a Swiss heritage site of national significance, and is of particular significance in Bern because the bear is a symbol of both the city and surrounding canton, and is featured in their coat of arms.[8]
Address: Grosser Muristalden 6, 3006 Bern (Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde)
Olympic Museum, Lausanne
Also known as: Olympisches Museum
Displays on the modern Olympic movement. The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic movement. With more than 10,000 artifacts, the museum is the largest archive of Olympic Games in the world and one of Lausanne's prime tourist site draws attracting more than 250,000 visitors each year.
The Olympic Museum and the Olympic Park (sculpture garden between the museum and Lake Léman) are located at Ouchy, south of Lausanne. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are located at Vidy, to the west of Ouchy.[9]
Address: Quai d'Ouchy 1, 1006 Lausanne
Basel Minster, Basel
Also known as: Basler Münster
Gothic cathedral with twin spires. Basel Minster is a religious building in the Swiss city of Basel, originally a Catholic cathedral and today a Reformed Protestant church.
The original cathedral was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles. The late Romanesque building, destroyed by the 1356 Basel earthquake, was rebuilt by Johannes Gmünd, who was at the same time employed for building the Freiburg Münster. Ulrich von Ensingen, architect of the towers at the Ulm Minster and the Strasbourg Cathedral, extended the building from 1421. Hans von Nußdorf completed the southern tower in 1500.
One of the main landmarks and tourist attractions of Basel, it adds definition to the cityscape with its red sandstone architecture and coloured roof tiles, its two slim towers and the cross-shaped intersection of the main roof. The Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance lists the Münster as a heritage site of national significance.[10]
Address: Münsterpl. 9, 4051 Basel
Zunfthaus zur Meisen, Zurich
Building in Zürich, Switzerland. The Zunfthaus zur Meisen is the guild house of the Zunft zur Meisen. It is one of the many historically valuable buildings in the Lindenhof quarter in Zürich, Switzerland, and also housed the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum by April 2018. It is situated at the Münsterhof and the Münsterbrücke, a bridge over the river Limmat, opposite the upper Limmatquai with the Constaffel, Zimmerleuten, Kämbel and Saffran guild houses.[11]
Address: Münsterhof 20, 8001 Zürich (Kreis 1)
Voliere Zürich, Zurich
Zoo in Zürich, Switzerland. The Voliere Zürich is an aviary and veterinary hospital situated in the Arboretum in the Swiss city of Zürich. It also houses the so-called Vogelpflegestation, a unique sanatory for birds.[12]
Address: Mythenquai, 1, Zurich (Kreis 2)
Gornergrat, Zermatt
Ridge with a cog railway and scenic views. The Gornergrat is a rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps, overlooking the Gorner Glacier south-east of Zermatt in Switzerland. It can be reached from Zermatt by the Gornergrat rack railway, the highest open-air railway in Europe. Between the Gornergrat railway station and the summit is the Kulm Hotel. In the late 1960s two astronomical observatories were installed in the two towers of the Kulmhotel Gornergrat. The project “Stellarium Gornergrat” is hosted in the Gornergrat South Observatory.[13]
Address: Bahnhof Gornergrat 1, 3920 Zermatt
Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, Lucerne
Museum in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Swiss Museum of Transport or Verkehrshaus der Schweiz in Lucerne opened in July 1959 and exhibits all forms of transport including trains, automobiles, ships and aircraft as well as communication technology. It is Switzerland's most popular museum. The museum also maintains a large collection of work by Hans Erni, a local painter and sculptor.
There are several other attractions in the museum besides the collection, including a planetarium, a large-format cinema and a 1:20,000 scale aerial photograph of Switzerland.[14]
Address: Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern
Hörnli Hut, Zermatt
Also known as: Hörnlihütte
Mountain cabin in Zermatt, Switzerland. The Hörnli Hut is a mountain hut located at the foot of the north-eastern ridge of the Matterhorn. It is situated at 3,260 metres above sea level, a few kilometres south-west of the town of Zermatt in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is also known as Berghaus Matterhorn.
The first Hörnli hut was built by the Swiss Alpine Club in 1880 and had 17 beds. It has since been expanded and rebuilt several times. In 1911, the municipality of Zermatt built a hut directly next to the Hotel Belvédère (also Berghaus Matterhorn). Both were merged in 1987 and managed by the municipality and offered since its last renovation in 1982 a number of 170 beds. From 2013 to 2015, the Belvédère was renovated and a new extension built. The original Hörnli hut was demolished.
The new hut was inaugurated on 14 July 2015, the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the mountain. It offers 130 beds (in a total of 34 8-,6-,4- and 2-person rooms) and an enlarged kitchen, modernized sanitation with showers and electricity from solar energy. Camping around the hut is prohibited and there is a winter room with limited provisions. Overcrowding on the several routes have become an issue and guides and local authorities have struggled with how to regulate the numbers. The new Hörnli hut became the first mountain shelter in Europe to purposely limit the number of beds.
The hut is accessible to hikers. From the cable car station of Schwarzsee (or from Zermatt) a marked trail leads to the ridge and then to the hut. It is used to climb the Matterhorn on the normal route. The Solvay Hut lies also higher on the same ridge, but can be only used in case of emergency.[15]
Lausanne Cathedral, Lausanne
Also known as: Kathedrale Notre-Dame
12th-century Gothic religious edifice. The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Lausanne is a church located in the city of Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It belongs to the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud.[16]
Address: Place de la Cathédrale, 1005 Lausanne
Kunstmuseum Basel, Basel
Regional art including works by Holbein. The Kunstmuseum Basel houses the oldest public art collection in the world and is generally considered to be the most important museum of art in Switzerland. It is listed as a heritage site of national significance.
Its lineage extends back to the Amerbach Cabinet, which included a collection of works by Hans Holbein purchased by the city of Basel and the University of Basel in 1661, which made it the first municipally owned and therefore open to the public museum in the world. Its collection is distinguished by an impressively wide historic span, from the early 15th century up to the immediate present. Its various areas of emphasis give it international standing as one of the most significant museums of its kind. These encompass: paintings and drawings by artists active in the Upper Rhine region between 1400 and 1600, and on the art of the 19th to 21st centuries.[17]
Address: St. Alban-Graben 16, 4051 Basel
Schwarzsee, Zermatt
Lake in Switzerland. The Schwarzsee is a small lake near Zermatt in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is located below the Matterhorn next to the mountain ridge and to the cable car station of the same name at an elevation of 2,552 m.
Its surface area is 0.5 ha. A chapel dedicated to Mary of the Snows – the chapel Maria zum Schnee – lies on the edge of the lake.
It can be reached by cable car from Zermatt.[18]
Address: Hotel Schwarzsee, 3920 Zermatt
Lake St. Moritz, St. Moritz
Also known as: St. Moritzersee
Scenic lake known for winter polo. Lake St. Moritz is a lake at St. Moritz, Switzerland. With a surface of 0.78 km², it is smaller than the main lakes of the Upper Engadin valley.
Every January or early February, Polo matches are held on the lake. Compared to polo played in the summer, a slightly larger and lighter red ball is used that is easily visible in the snow.
For three weekends every February, horse races are held on the frozen lake. These races called "White Turf" have been held since 1907 and brings the wealthy tourists to the lake for champagne and betting. This is also the location, where sports enthusiasts invented the sport of skijoring. In this type of race, thoroughbred horses compete without riders on their backs, but instead skiers in tow. While the sport is also played in other alpine countries, it still is mainly found in the region in which it as originated. The sport has evolved since the first race in 1906; the race as held on the road from St. Moritz to Champfer and as won by the President of Alpina Ski Club Philip Mark and his horse Blitz (German for lightning). Today, the race is run similar to other horse races, with all horses starting at the same time and running around the track. Steering is very difficult complicating the race significantly requiring great strength and skill on behalf of the athletes. The skier with the most points after the three races on consecutive Sundays is crowned the "King of the Engadin Valley". In addition to skijoring, traditional flat and trotting races over different distances are held. Until recently visitor parking was also located on the lake, but this practice has since been prohibited.
The first cricket tournament on the frozen lake took place in 1990. English cricketer David Gower parked his rental car on the ice in January 1990; overnight it broke through the ice and sank.[19]
Nature Museum, Lucerne
Museum in Lucerne, Switzerland. Natur-Museum Luzern or Lucerne Nature Museum is a museum in the Swiss city of Lucerne. It is situated on Kasernenplatz, beside the river Reuss and the Spreuerbrücke. Exhibits in the museum include stuffed animals, minerals/crystals, and insects. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and there is a fee for entry.
The stated goals of the museum translate as 'presenting natural history information to the public, maintaining and presenting collections and increasing awareness of nature and the environment'.
There are three floors and three permanent exhibitions: "Erdwissenschaften" (earth sciences), "Biologie" (biology) and "Wunderwelt Insekten" (the amazing world of insects).
Temporary exhibitions have included nature photography and live animals.[20]
Address: Kasernenplatz 6, Lucerne
Monte San Salvatore, Lugano
Scenic lake views, hiking and cable car. The Monte San Salvatore is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps above Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano in Switzerland. The Monte San Salvatore funicular links the city with the summit of the mountain. The village on top of its peaks, Carona, is a popular destination to enjoy views over Lake Lugano and to walk through the exotic plants and flowers of Parco San Grato.[21]
Address: vetta San Salvatore 1, 6912 Pazzallo
Château d'Ouchy, Lausanne
Also known as: Schloss Ouchy
Hotel. The Château d'Ouchy is a hotel built on the site of an old medieval castle in Lausanne, Switzerland by fr:Jean-Jacques Mercier between 1889 and 1893.
It belongs to hotel division of the Sandoz Family Foundation.[22]
Address: Place du Port 2, 1006 Lausanne
Lion Monument, Lucerne
Also known as: Löwendenkmal Luzern
Lion monument carved from the rock. The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by about 1.4 million tourists. In 2006 it was placed under Swiss monument protection.
Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."[23]
Address: Löwen-Terrasse 1, 6006 Luzern
Bachalpsee, Grindelwald
Scenic mountain lake with hiking trails. Bachalpsee or Bachsee is a lake with an area of 8.06 ha close to the First above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. The lake, located at an elevation of 2,265 m, is split by a natural dam, the smaller part of the lake being 6 m lower.
The lake is featured in Gmail as part of its mountain theme background (as of 2013).[24]
Piz Nair, St. Moritz
Mountain in Switzerland. Piz Nair is a mountain of the Albula Alps in Switzerland, overlooking St. Moritz in the canton of Graubünden. The peak is easily accessible from the village with a funicular and a cable car; the upper station unloads 30 metres below the summit. Below the summit to the east is the Corviglia ski area.
The mountain hosted the alpine skiing events for the 1948 Winter Olympics in neighboring St. Moritz. It also hosted the World Championships in 1934, 1974, 2003, and 2017.[25]
Address: Piz Nair, 7500 St. Moritz
Technorama, Winterthur
Museum in Winterthur, Switzerland. The Swiss Science Center Technorama is a science museum in the municipality of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland.[26]
Address: Technoramastrasse 1, 8404 Winterthur
Lej da Staz, St. Moritz
Also known as: Stazerwald
Lake in Switzerland. Lej da Staz is a lake in the Engadin valley, Grisons, Switzerland. Close to Lake St. Moritz, it is surrounded by the forest of Staz.[27]
Abbey of Saint Gall, Saint Gallen
Also known as: Fürstabtei St. Gallen
Baroque abbey founded in the 8th century. The Abbey of Saint Gall is a dissolved abbey in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery has existed since 719 and became an independent principality between 9th and 13th centuries, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was founded by Saint Othmar on the spot where Saint Gall had erected his hermitage. The library of the Abbey is one of the oldest monastic libraries in the world. The city of St. Gallen originated as an adjoining settlement of the abbey. Following the secularization of the abbey around 1800, the former Abbey church became a Cathedral in 1848. Since 1983 the abbey precinct has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[28]
Address: Klosterhof 6, 9000 St. Gallen
Männlichen, Grindelwald
Gondola lift station in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. The Wengen–Männlichen aerial cableway is a cable car linking Wengen with the Männlichen in Switzerland. It is owned and operated by the Luftseilbahn Wengen–Männlichen AG.[29]
Monte Brè, Lugano
Sunny peak with funicular railways. Monte Brè is a small mountain east of Lugano on the flank of Monte Boglia with a view of the bay of Lugano and the Pennine Alps and the Bernese Alps. It is considered one of the sunniest points in Switzerland.
Since 1912, the Monte Brè funicular has led from Lugano Cassarate to Monte Brè.[30]
Address: Via alla Vetta, 6979 Lugano
Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona, Rapperswil
Museum in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona is a museum of local history and art in Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.[31]
Address: Herrenberg 40, 8640 Rapperswil-Jona
Queen: The Studio Experience, Montreux
Queen: The Studio Experience is a museum in Montreux, Switzerland, dedicated to the British rock group Queen. It is located in the former Mountain Studios in the Casino Barrière de Montreux. Queen made recordings in the studio from 1978 to 1995. The museum was opened December 2, 2013 by band member Brian May.[32]
Casinò Lugano, Lugano
Also known as: Teatro Kursaal
Casino with table games and a restaurant. Casinò Lugano is a casino and theatre designed by Italian architect Achille Sfondrini in 1804. It is located in the city of Lugano, Switzerland. A restaurant and café called Elementi Ristorante is located within the building. The theatre was the host venue of the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956.[33]
Address: Via Stauffacher 1, 6900 Lugano
Munot, Schaffhausen
Landmark 16th-century circular fortress. The Munot is a circular 16th century fortification in the center of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. It is surrounded by vineyards and serves as the city's symbol. The ring-shaped fortress was built in the 16th century. Today, it is a tourist attraction and hosts various events.
Earliest presence of a castle dates to 1379.
The current complex was built between 1564 and 1589 under the city master builder Heinrich Schwarz (1526–1593), probably to the knowledge of Albrecht Dürer's work of a circular fortification.
It is one of the few examples of the transition from a castle to a modern Fortress. The Munot was part of the city fortifications. The construction cost the city 47,528 guilders, which corresponded to the construction costs of around 800 townhouses.[34]
Address: Munotstieg 17, 8200 Schaffhausen
First, Grindelwald
Summit with cable cars and dramatic views. First is a mountain location and minor summit on the slopes of the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Oberland. It is mostly known as a cable car station above Grindelwald and as a popular hiking area with the Bachalpsee in proximity. It is also the destination of the classic hike: Schynige Platte-Faulhorn-First.[35]
Fribourg Cathedral, Fribourg
Also known as: St. Nikolaus
Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral. Fribourg Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fribourg, Switzerland, built in the Gothic style, on a rocky outcrop 50 metres above the river Sarine, dominating the medieval town below. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.[36]
Address: rue des Chanoines 3, 1700 Fribourg
Abbey Library, Saint Gallen
Also known as: Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen
Abbey with Switzerland's oldest library. The Abbey Library of Saint Gall is a significant medieval monastic library located in St. Gallen, Switzerland. In 1983, the library, as well as the Abbey of St. Gall, were designated a World Heritage Site, as “an outstanding example of a large Carolingian monastery and was, since the 8th century until its secularisation in 1805, one of the most important cultural centres in Europe”.[37]
Address: Klosterhof 6D, 9004 St. Gallen
Laténium, Neuchatel
Archaeology museum and discovery park. The Laténium is an archeology museum located in Hauterive, a suburb of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Its name refers to the famous nearby site of La Tène which gave its name to the Second European Iron age. The Laténium is composed of a 2,500 m2 park and a museum building which also harbours the archaeological section of the Heritage Offices of the State of Neuchâtel, as well as the chair of prehistory of the University of Neuchâtel. The museum and its park are built on what used to be three archaeological sites that were excavated during the construction of the A5 motorway. Theses sites date from the Upper Paleolithic, Bronze Age and Neolithic. The park features dolmens and glacial erratics, reconstitutions of prehistoric and antique devices, and modern works of art. The museum displays the Bevaix boat, a 20 m Gallo-Roman ship found in Bevaix. Items from periods comprised between the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages are on display, including the remains of a Magdalenian hunting camp.[38]
Address: Espace Paul Vouga, 2068 Hauterive
Rochers de Naye, Montreux
Towering peak with a railway to the top. The Rochers de Naye is a mountain of the Swiss Alps, overlooking Lake Geneva near Montreux and Villeneuve, in the canton of Vaud. They lie on the range separating the basin of Lake Geneva from the valley of the Sarine, on the watershed between the Rhone and the Rhine. The mountain is partially located in the canton of Fribourg, the border between the two cantons culminating on a lower summit named Grande Chaux de Naye.
The Rochers de Naye are easily accessible from Montreux, where the highest railway in the canton, the Montreux–Glion–Rochers-de-Naye, starts. From the summit station (1,968 metres (6,457 ft)), only a short walk is necessary to reach the summit. In addition, it is also possible to access the summit by driving to Col de Jaman and then making the 2-3 hr hike to the peak.
The Rochers de Naye are also known for the Rochers de Naye Via Ferrata considered to be extremely difficult (ED), the Grottes de Naye (caves which are accessible via the trail between Col de Jaman and Rochers de Naye), and a few enclosures hosting marmots from around the world.[39]
Address: Rochers de Naye, 1844 Montreux
Montreux Casino, Montreux
Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. Montreux Casino is a casino located in Montreux, Switzerland, on the shoreline of Lake Geneva. It has served as the venue for the Montreux Jazz Festival and was rebuilt following a 1971 fire memorialized in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water". It is a property of Groupe Lucien Barrière.[40]
Address: Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux
Centre Dürrenmatt, Neuchatel
Archive in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel exhibits Friedrich Dürrenmatt's paintings and drawings. It is a part of Swiss National Library, just like Swiss Literary Archives, which has a close cooperation with CDN.
The Centre Dürrenmatt, which was opened in the September 2000 above Neuchâtel, is located in the first Dürrenmatt's residential place in 1952. The Swiss architect Mario Botta was assigned to rebuild the house.
As a place for discussion and research, CDN supports critical debates about Dürrenmatt's artistic and literary works. Beside the temporary exhibition, the permanent exhibition "Friedrich Dürrenmatt, writer and painter" is open for public visit. Readings, concerts, colloquiums and debates take place regularly in the CDN. Apart from numerous exhibits of his literary works (manuscript drafts and notes) and rare exhibited paintings, the CDN offers a wide view over the Lake Neuchâtel and also the Bernese Alps.[41]
Address: Chemin du Pertuis-du-Sault 74, 2000 Neuchâtel
Zytturm, Zug
Monument in Zug, Switzerland. The Zytturm is a 13th-century tower in Zug, Switzerland, which houses an astronomical clock. The tower, which is 52 metres high, is located on Kolinplatz in the old town centre.
The tower was constructed in the 13th century, then heightened between 1478 and 1480, taking its current form in 1557. The tower's last major renovation was in 1952. It is listed as being of National and Regional Significance, along with the city walls and other towers.[42]
Address: Am Kolinplatz, 6300 Zug
Thun Castle, Thun
Also known as: Schloss Thun
Museum in Thun, Switzerland. Thun Castle is a castle in the city of Thun, in the Swiss canton of Bern. It was built in the 12th century, today houses the Thun Castle museum, and is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[43]
Address: Schlossberg 1, 3600 Thun
Museum zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen
Also known as: Kloster Allerheiligen
Museum in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Kloster Allerheiligen is a former Benedictine monastery in the Swiss municipality of Schaffhausen in the Canton of Schaffhausen. The church Münster Allerheiligen is the oldest building in Schaffhausen, and houses also the Museum zu Allerheiligen.[44]
Address: Klosterstrasse 16, 8200 Schaffhausen
Knie's Kinderzoo, Rapperswil
Also known as: Knies Kinderzoo
Zoo dedicated to kids with animal rides. Knie's Kinderzoo is a zoo aimed for children. It is located in the Swiss municipality of Rapperswil.[45]
Address: Oberseestrasse 32, 8640 Rapperswil-Jona
Kyburg, Winterthur
11th-century castle with history museum. Kyburg Castle is a castle in Switzerland, overlooking the Töss river some 3 km south-east of Winterthur, in Kyburg municipality, canton of Zürich. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[46]
Address: Schloss 1, 8314 Kyburg
Castles of Bellinzona, Bellinzona
Also known as: Burgen von Bellinzona
Historical place in Bellinzona, Switzerland. The Castles of Bellinzona are a group of fortifications located around the town of Bellinzona, the capital of the Swiss canton of Ticino. Situated on the Alpine foothills, the group is composed of fortified walls and three castles named Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. Castelgrande is located on a rocky peak overlooking the valley, with a series of walls that protect the old city and connect to Montebello. Sasso Corbaro, the highest of the three castles, is located on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other two. The Castles of Bellinzona with their defensive walls have been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.[47]
Lake Davos, Davos
Also known as: Davosersee
Outdoor activity at a mountain lake. Lake Davos is a small natural lake at Davos, Switzerland. Its surface area is 0.59 km² and the maximum depth is 54 m. Fed by sources of the Rhine, Flüelabach and Totalpbach, among other mountain creeks, the lake is used as a hydropower reservoir; its water no longer flows to the river Landwasser but is channeled into the river Landquart at Klosters.[48]
Château, Neuchatel
Also known as: Schloss Neuenburg
Castle in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Neuchâtel Castle is a castle in the municipality of Neuchâtel of the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[49]
Address: The Old Town, 2010 Neuchatel
Polish Museum, Rapperswil
Also known as: Polenmuseum Rapperswil
Museum in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. The Polish Museum, Rapperswil, was founded in Rapperswil, Switzerland, on 23 October 1870, by Polish Count Władysław Broel-Plater, at the urging of Agaton Giller, as "a refuge for Poland's historic memorabilia dishonored and plundered in the homeland" and for the promotion of Polish interests.
Except for two hiatuses (1927–36, 1952–75), the Museum has existed to the present day—an outpost of Polish culture in Switzerland, a country which, over the past two centuries, has given refuge to generations of Poles.[50]