Switzerland - Highlights
Switzerland's undulating scenery provides a dramatic backdrop for hikers, skiers and motorists. Major towns are rich in cultural pursuits and Zurich and Geneva are a shopper's paradise.
Focus on the contemporary art scene at the Kunsthalle Zurich and Geneva's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO). View significant art collections at the Kunsthaus Zurich and Kunstmuseum Bern and uncover Switzerland's complex history at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. Catch major exhibitions at Basel's Museum of Antiquities.
Stroll under the arcades of Bern's Marktgasse to the astronomical Zeitglocke. See the jet fountain and Palais des Nations in Geneva, and spot the different architectural styles of St-Pierre Cathedral in Geneva old town. Oberhofen Castle, balanced on the edge of Lake Thun, and the pretty village of Grindelwald harmonise with the natural landscape.
Kids will love the wild Rhine Fallsand Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes had his fatal encounter with Professor Moriarty. See Geneva's Flower Clock. Hike the Swiss National Park in Graubünden, and solve major world riddles at Interlaken's Mystery Park. Snowboard all summer at the Matterhorn Ski Paradise, or splash out at the Alpamare water park.
You can enter the St Gotthard Tunnel in a snowstorm and exit into Mediterranean sunshine, so plan your day with a pinch of serendipity. Alpine scenery is free, and every mountaintop has a warm restaurant.
Swizz sounds include cow bells, the alpenhorn, yodelling and hip-hop. Polka to Öbedroti am Alpstee with Appenzeller Echo; get ready for a rocking night to hard-core Gotthard's Mountain Mama; dip into a fondue to Heinweh by top Swiss band Pluesch.
