Location: Switzerland

Founded in 1914, the Swiss National Park in the Engadin is the oldest national park in the Alps and a strict total reserve: nature is left entirely to itself and visitors may not leave the marked trails. Across some 170 km² live ibex, chamois, red deer, marmots and bearded vultures. The visitor centre in Zernez introduces the idea and…

Saas-Fee lies at 1,800 m at the head of the Saas valley, surrounded by thirteen four-thousand-metre peaks, among them the Dom (4,545 m), the highest mountain lying entirely on Swiss soil. The car-free village is regarded as the Pearl of the Alps and is known for its year-round glacier ski area and the world's highest revolving-restaurant view, reached by the Metro Alpin…

The Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m is home to the highest railway station in Europe, reached by the Jungfrau Railway, which since 1912 climbs largely through a tunnel inside the Eiger and Mönch. At the top await the Sphinx viewpoint, the Ice Palace and the view of the Aletsch Glacier. The Top of Europe is one of the most visited high-mountain destinations in the Alps.HighlightsHighest railway station…

Lake Maggiore stretches from Ticino into Italy; its Swiss northern end around Locarno and Ascona is known for its mild, almost Mediterranean climate, palm-lined promenades and camellia blossom. At the lake’s surface, Locarno holds the lowest point in Switzerland at around 197 m. Above the town towers the pilgrimage church Madonna del Sasso, reachable by…

The Eiger (3,967 m) is famous above all for its roughly 1,800 m high north face, one of the largest and most storied rock walls in the Alps. Its first ascent in 1938 and numerous dramas made it the epitome of extreme alpinism. From the valley near Grindelwald and from Kleine Scheidegg the wall can be admired comfortably…

The Verzasca valley north of Locarno is famous for the exceptionally clear, emerald-green water of the Verzasca river. Its landmark is the double-arched stone bridge Ponte dei Salti near Lavertezzo, often called the “Roman bridge”. At the valley exit, the 220 m high Verzasca dam holds back the lake, known for the bungee jump in the James Bond opening of “GoldenEye”.HighlightsCrystal-clear, emerald-green river waterPonte…