Where to go in Switzerland to travel in style:

Although my home country is best known for the Alps, I start with its must-visit cities.

Premium Swiss cities

The three largest cities in Switzerland, Zurich, Geneva and Basel, are definitely premium cities.

Zurich,

by far the largest amongst them (about 420,000 inhabitants), is the country’s economical and financial hub. At the same time it ranks high on lists of the most livable cities in the world. Geneva

in the French-speaking part is the most international city of Switzerland. Many important organizations (for instance United Nations seat) are headquartered here. And it is strong in terms of urban nature! Basel

is a center of the pharmaceutical industry and Switzerland’s culture city.

From a tourist point of view, the much smaller Lucerne

is a major player. Thanks to its setting against a backdrop of lake and mountains it gained much popularity amongst travelers. Lugano

in the Italian speaking part must not be forgotten in this context. It is the largest town in the near-Mediterranean south of Switzerland. And it is business center and tourist magnet alike.

Now to Switzerland’s best asset, its mountains and the resorts you find in this Alpine area.

Premium Swiss mountain resorts

There is a great number of places in the Swiss Alps geared to tourism. Amongst them, you find some with that certain something. In this regard, I think of following three mountain resorts: Saint Moritz, Zermatt and Gstaad.

Saint Moritz,

in the Grison Alps in the country’s southeast, is perhaps the most known in this category. While I do not find the town itself especially attractive, the surroundings (Engadine) certainly are. It is considered as the birthplace of the Alpine winter tourism and is a hotspot when it comes to the international jetset.

Another playground for the same clientele is Gstaad

in the Bernese Alps in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Quite unique here is the number of ultra-luxurious chalets belonging to rich foreigners. Although it is an idyllic mountain resort, it has a big shortcoming. It is not really a high-altitude spot and therefore enough (natural) snow for skiing in winter is not guaranteed.

The last in this group is Zermatt,

in the Valais Alps in the country’s southwest. It is also chic but not too much so, which makes it my favorite among these top three! It boasts one of the best and biggest ski resorts worldwide. In addition, the town is picturesque and car-free. And above all, it is home of the probably most famous peak on Earth, the Matterhorn.

So far, I have only mentioned mountain resorts from the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Of course, you also find some with a sexy vibe in the country’s French-speaking area. Verbier and Crans-Montana might be such choices. Many years ago, I spent ski vacations in Verbier. While I liked skiing here, I found the town somewhat artificial (lots of newer buildings). As to Crans-Montana, I have never been there, so I cannot comment.

Other premium Swiss destinations

Apart from cities and mountains resorts, there are three regions to point out with a “premium status”.

First of all, the area around Lucerne (refer to cities too). It includes the Lake Lucerne region

as well as Interlaken with Jungfraujoch. Whereas the latter is certainly worth a visit (the mountain, not the town), it is overtouristed (package trips). However, a mountain tour to one of the mid-high peaks in the Lake Lucerne area is certainly a nice thing to do (Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn).

Another region I recommend to pay a visit is the French-speaking Lake Geneva Region.

I think of places just as Montreux with the Chillon Castle, Lausanne and its nearby Lavaux vineyards or smaller towns just as Morges.

Last but not least the Ticino,

the most southern part of Switzerland with its near-Mediterranean climate, is a great destination for some relaxation or hiking. I already mentioned Lugano under cities, other good choices are Locarno and Ascona along with the Verzasca and Maggia valleys.

Outlook

After a guide to visiting Switzerland in my latest blogpost, you found here an overview of premium Swiss destinations in my home country. Next will be a collection of hotels to stay in style on your Switzerland journey (part one and two). And the last post on my blog in this context will cover (Michelin) restaurants for gourmets in this Alpine nation (part one and two).

last revised: December 2023

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