Destinations

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…

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…

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…

The Bernina Express links Graubünden in Switzerland with Tirano in Italy over the most spectacular route of the Rhaetian Railway. The Albula and Bernina lines have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Without a rack, the narrow-gauge railway climbs over 2,250 m at the Bernina Pass on the tightest curves and passes the famous Landwasser Viaduct and the Brusio spiral viaduct.HighlightsUNESCO World Heritage…

At 4,049 m, the Piz Bernina is the highest peak in the Eastern Alps and the only four-thousander east of Monte Rosa. It lies in the glaciated Bernina group on the border between the Engadin and the Italian Valtellina. Famous is the Biancograt, an elegant firn ridge regarded as one of the most beautiful high-altitude tours in the…

St. Moritz in the Upper Engadin is regarded as the cradle of alpine winter tourism, which began here in 1864, and twice hosted the Winter Olympics (1928 and 1948). The fashionable high-altitude resort at 1,822 m lies on a chain of turquoise-blue Engadin lakes before the Bernina massif and is known for its exceptionally sunny, dry climate.HighlightsEngadin lake plateau…

At 2,970 m, the Schilthorn carries the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant on its summit, which became world-famous through the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). From the viewing terrace the view stretches over around 200 peaks to Mont Blanc and into the Black Forest. The cable car leads from Stechelberg via Mürren and Birg…

The Lauterbrunnen valley is a deeply incised trough valley with almost vertical rock faces over which around 72 waterfalls plunge. The best known is the Staubbach Falls, which drop almost 300 m freely into the depths. The valley is considered one of the most beautiful in the Alps and inspired Goethe; the car-free mountain villages of Wengen and Mürren lie…

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 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…

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 Great Aletsch Glacier is, at around 20 km long, the longest and largest glacier in the Alps and the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. From the Aletsch Forest and the viewpoints Eggishorn, Bettmerhorn and Moosfluh you look out over the mighty stream of ice, fed by the firn fields of the Jungfrau region. Like all Alpine glaciers…