adventure

Top ten pursuits in Switzerland

Switzerland is a mesmerising place, bursting with breathtaking and contrasting scenery. Glistening lakes, majestic mountains, lush green forests, medieval castles, cathedrals and museums are just some of the sights that captivate travellers from around the world.

With so much to see and do, the challenge for travellers is deciding what makes the itinerary. So, to help travellers make sure the unmissable experiences aren't left off the list, Expedia.com.au has pulled together the top 10 must-do activities when in Switzerland.

Hike till your heart's content

No trip to Switzerland would be complete without heading to some of country's renowned mountain towns. Switzerland has more than 48,000 kilometres of marked trails and the scenery on offer is spectacular. Grindelwald, in the Bernese Alps, and Zermatt, located at the base of the infamous Matterhorn Mountain (the largest peak in the Swiss Alps), offer some of the best hiking experiences in all of Switzerland.

Dare to do Interlaken

Found at the foot of the famous trio of peaks — the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau — Interlaken is like one big outdoor adventure park. It offers a never-ending list of daredevil activities including skydiving over Swiss glaciers, white-water river rafting on the Lütschine, Simme and Saane rivers, canyoning in the Saxetet, Grimsel or Chli Schliere gorges, and canyon-jumping at the Gletscherschlucht near Grindelwald. The area is an adrenalin junkies' dream.

Love Lake Geneva

Geneva is a tourist's paradise with its museums, restaurants and festivals. Lake Geneva, not far from the town of Geneva, is hands down one of Switzerland's must-see lakes. It's unique, semi-circular sweep, overlooked by the majestic Savoy Alps and the French Dents-du-Midi mountains, make this lake a special sight and the best way to enjoy it is by steam boat.

Don't forget to also visit the Chateau de Chillon, the most popular castle in Switzerland, which is situated on the shore, at the eastern end of the lake.

Immerse yourself in Zurich

Switzerland is well-known for its beautiful natural wonders, but it also has some extraordinary cities, like Zurich. This edgy city is packed full of trendy clubs, bars and fashion boutiques. Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse (main street) is also home to some of the most upscale shopping in the country.

On the other side of town, travellers will enjoy losing themselves in the winding alleys of historic Old Town.

Day trip to the capital city of Bern

Travellers will need to dedicate a whole day to this stunning city which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beauty of Bern is that it has retained all of its glorious historic and medieval characteristics. The best way to explore it is by push bike. From June, travellers can also tour Bern by rubber dinghy on the rushing blue-green waters of the Aare River and in summer, Aare Marzili Lido becomes a hot spot for summer swimming.

Hit the slopes

Switzerland undoubtedly has some of the best ski fields in the world. So, for those who love the snow, heading to the Swiss Alps is a no-brainer. Travellers should get their skis, boards or even sledges and head straight to the "Hollywood of Switzerland", St Moritz. The resort is considered one of the best ski and social resorts in Switzerland.

All aboard the Chocolate Train

No other chocolate in the world can compare with Swiss chocolate, so when visiting a country that's serious about its chocolate, boarding The Chocolate Train is a must. This train ride takes travellers from Montreux to the town of Broc, home of the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory. Once here, visitors take a tour of the factory and, best of all, indulge in a sampling session.

Fall in love with The Rhine Falls

The town of Schaffhausen is where travellers can witness one of Europe's largest and most magnificent waterfalls. This natural wonder steals everyone's breath away and each year, on the first day of August, thousands of tourists come here to watch a fantastic display of fireworks. Not far from the falls is the medieval castle, Schloss Laufen, which is also definitely worth a look.

Discover the quaint and the ancient

Travellers who want an insight into life in the 13th century, should head to Graubünden. The preservation of this village is incredible. The houses and buildings feature an interesting and unique style of architecture, and the people of Graubünden still speak an ancient language called Romanch (an exotic-sounding descendant of Latin).

Park yourself

After a busy trip exploring Switzerland, there is no better place to park yourself than the Swiss National Park. So big that it literally covers half of Switzerland, travellers can take amazing photos of mountains and wildlife, including golden eagles, chamois, deer, and marmots. A beautiful and peaceful way to end an action-packed holiday.

What is your favourite part of Switzerland? Enter your thoughts below.

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Adventure Skiing and snowboarding Zurich Bern Switzerland Kanton Zurich Kanton Bern

User comments

Bern is the capital of Switzerland - it's not Zurich!!!!!

FYI - Zurich is NOT the Capital City of Swizterland. It is Bern. A travel writer should know this... It would be like saying Melbourne is the Capital of Australia! What about Basel?

Point 4 - Zurich is NOT the country's capital..................its Bern.........or at least it was last time I did geography

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