Discover Switzerland

Experience the best of Switzerland

This edition written and researched by Nicola Williams, Kerry Christiani, Gregor Clark, Sally O’Brien

000-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd0-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd 1 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:032:12:03 PMPM Zürich, p189 Lake Constance Bern, Basel & & the Northeast the Northwest p91 Bernese Oberland p119 & Central p231 p49 Switzerland St Moritz, Geneva & Graubünden the West p161 & the Southeast Valais & Zermatt

GGenevaeneva & thethe BBern,ern, BaselBasel & BBerneseernese WWestest tthehe NorthwestNorthwest OOberlandberland & Highlights...... 52 Highlights...... 94 CCentralentral SSwitzerlandwitzerland  Geneva  Bern Highlights ...... 122

 Lausanne  Basel  Interlaken Region

 Lavaux Vineyards  Murten  Lucerne Outdoors

 Château de Chillon  Gruyères  Grindelwald

 Montreux  Fribourg  Mürren & Gimmelwald

 Gstaad

VValaisalais & ZZürich,ürich, LakeLake SStt MMoritz,oritz, ZZermattermatt Constance Constance & GGraubündenraubünden & tthehe Highlights...... 164 tthehe NortheastNortheast SSoutheastoutheast  Zermatt Highlights...... 192 Highlights...... 234  Aletsch Glacier  Zürich  Graubünden Outdoors

 Verbier  Schaff hausen’s Swiss Food  Lugano Region

 Leukerbad  Thundering Rheinfall  Lago Maggiore

 Sion  St Gallen’s Stiftsbibliothek  Winter Davos

 Appenzell  Skiing St Moritz

000-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd0-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd 2 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:062:12:06 PMPM CContentsontents

PPlanlan YYourour TTriprip DDiscoveriscover

This Is Switzerland ...... 6 Switzerland Map ...... 8 GGenevaeneva & Switzerland’s Top Highlights ...... 10 tthehe WestWest 4949 Highlights ...... 52 Switzerland’s Top Itineraries ...... 32 Best… ...... 54 Itineraries ...... 56 Switzerland Month by Month ...... 42 Geneva ...... 58 Lausanne ...... 73 What’s New ...... 44 Around Lausanne ...... 81 Get Inspired ...... 45 La Côte ...... 81 Need to Know ...... 46 Coppet ...... 81 Lavaux Wine Region.... 83 Rivaz to Chardonne ..... 85 Swiss Rivera ...... 85 Vevey ...... 85 Aigle ...... 86 Montreux ...... 87

BBern,ern, BaselBasel & tthehe NorthwestNorthwest 9191 Highlights ...... 94 Best… ...... 96 Itineraries ...... 98 Bern ...... 100 Basel...... 105 Canton de Fribourg .... 111 Fribourg ...... 111 Augusta Raurica ...... 111 Murten ...... 114 Gruyères ...... 114 Canton de Neuchâtel ...... 116 Neuchâtel ...... 117

000-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd0-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd 3 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:062:12:06 PMPM CContentsontents

OOnn tthehe RRoadoad In Focus Survival Guide

Itineraries ...... 168 Säntis ...... 226 Lower Valais ...... 170 Around Appenzell ...... 226 BBerneseernese Martigny ...... 170 Walensee ...... 227 OOberlandberland & Verbier ...... 172 Braunwald ...... 229 CCentralentral Mt Fort at Sunrise ...... 173 Glarus Canton ...... 229 SSwitzerlandwitzerland 119119 Salgesch & Sierre ...... 174 Highlights ...... 122 Sion ...... 175 Val d’Héremance ...... 177 Best… ...... 124 SStt Moritz,Moritz, Itineraries ...... 126 Leukerbad ...... 178 Interlaken ...... 128 Upper Valais ...... 178 GGraubündenraubünden & Around Interlaken...... 134 Zermatt ...... 178 tthehe SoutheastSoutheast 231231 Schynige Platte ...... 134 Saas Fee ...... 183 Highlights ...... 234 Jungfrau Region...... 134 Aletsch Glacier ...... 186 Best… ...... 236 Spiez ...... 135 Itineraries ...... 238 Grindelwald ...... 135 St Moritz...... 240 Bernina Pass Road .... 243 Around Grindelwald ...140 ZZürich,ürich, LakeLake The Lakes ...... 145 Pontresina & Around ...... 243 Thun ...... 146 Constance Constance & The Engadine ...... 244 Brienz ...... 148 tthehe NortheastNortheast 189189 Zernez ...... 244 West Bernese Highlights ...... 192 Oberland ...... 149 Best… ...... 194 Swiss National Park ...245 Kandersteg ...... 149 Itineraries ...... 196 Chur ...... 246 Gstaad ...... 149 Zürich ...... 198 Klosters & Davos ...... 249 Lucerne ...... 151 Around Zürich ...... 212 Klosters ...... 250 Mt Titlis ...... 156 Winterthur ...... 212 Bad Ragaz ...... 251 Lake Lucerne ...... 158 Schaff hausen Davos ...... 251 Mt Pilatus ...... 158 Canton ...... 214 Ticino ...... 254 Mt Rigi ...... 159 Schaffhausen ...... 214 Bellinzona ...... 254 Brunnen ...... 159 Rheinfall ...... 217 Lugano ...... 257 Stein am Rhein ...... 217 Lago di Lugano ...... 261 Lake Constance ...... 219 Lago Maggiore ...... 261 Kreuzlingen ...... 221 Locarno ...... 262 VValaisalais & St Gallen & ZZermattermatt 116161 Appenzell Cantons ....221 St Gallen ...... 221 Highlights ...... 164 Appenzell ...... 225 Best… ...... 166

000-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd0-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd 4 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:062:12:06 PMPM IInn FFocusocus SSurvivalurvival GGuideuide

Switzerland Today .... 266 Directory ...... 298 History ...... 268 Accommodation ...... 298 Climate ...... 299 Family Travel ...... 276 Customs Winter Sports ...... 279 Regulations ...... 299 Summer Sports ...... 283 Discount Cards ...... 299 Electricity ...... 299 Scenic Transport ...... 287 Embassies & The Swiss Table ...... 290 Consulates ...... 300 Spa Resorts & Food ...... 300 Treatments ...... 295 Gay & Lesbian Travellers ...... 300 Health ...... 300 Insurance ...... 301 Internet Access ...... 302 Legal Matters...... 302 Money ...... 302 Opening Hours ...... 302 Public Holidays ...... 303 Safe Travel ...... 303 Telephone ...... 303 Time ...... 304 Tourist Information ...304 Travellers with Disabilities...... 304 Visas ...... 304 Transport ...... 305 Getting There & Away ...... 305 Getting Around ...... 306 Language ...... 310 Behind the Scenes..... 311 Index ...... 312 How to Use This Book ...... 319 Our Writers ...... 320

000-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd0-title-page-contents-dc-swi2.indd 5 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:062:12:06 PMPM TThishis IsIs SwitzerlandSwitzerland No one has a hard time conjuring images of Switzerland: Alps, chocolate, cows with bells, cable cars, mountain meadow hikes, tidy old villages, yodelling, lake steamers, cheese (lots of tasty cheese!) and much more. And the reality lives up to the iconography. This orderly nation – where a train is officially late if it’s three minutes off – is a splendid place to explore winter or summer, whether you’re cliché-hunting or ready for a surprising adventure. What giddy romance Zermatt, St Mor- itz and other legendary names evoke. From the intoxicating chink of Verbier glitterati hobnobbing over champagne in ice-carved flutes to the reassuring bell jangle of cows coming home in Kandersteg, Switzerland is a harmonious tableau of beautiful images. This small, land- locked country is so darn easy to step into and experience. Switzerland begs outdoor escapades with its larger-than-life canvas of hallu- cinatory landscapes. Skiing and snowboarding in the winter wonderlands of Graubünden, Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland are obvious choices. Or you can hop on an engineering marvel of a train and travel to the crevassed ice on Jungfraujoch (3454m), at what seems like the top of the world. The perfect antidote to this rich Alpine This land is a surprise set of cities. There’s the small, capital Bern, with its Old Town and world-class modern art; Germanic Basel and its bold architecture; shopping- landlocked chic Geneva astraddle Europe’s largest lake; and ubercool country Zürich with its rooftop bars and atypical Swiss street grit. is so darn Smaller but equally beguiling are Lucerne, St Gallen, Chur and Laus- easy to step anne. Here medieval wooden structures complement into and ancient stones, and old towns beg exploration. You may be experience charmed by a castle or simply a scrumptious slice of cake. Either way, Switzerland never fails to reward.

Twilight over Zermatt and the Matterhorn (p178)

DANITA DELIMONT / GETTY IMAGES ©

6

001-this-is-switzerland-dc-swi2.indd1-this-is-switzerland-dc-swi2.indd 6 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:542:12:54 PMPM 001-this-is-switzerland-dc-swi2.indd1-this-is-switzerland-dc-swi2.indd 7 226/03/20156/03/2015 2:12:582:12:58 PMPM Switzerland Switzerland

G E R M A N Y

Mulhouse Schaffhausen Basel-Mulhouse- Rheinfall 1212 Freiburg Airport Waldshut Vesoul (Euro Airport) Basel 1313 Montbéliard Baden Winterthur F R A N C E Zürich Airport Jura Aarau St Ursanne Delémont Olten 1111 Zürich Lake Zürich Moutier (Zürichsee) Besançon Solothurn La Chaux- Zug de-Fonds Biel-Bienne Lake 4 Biel Lucerne Schwyz Neuchâtel Mt Pilatus 2121 Lake Lucerne 6 BERN (Vierwaldstättersee) Lac de Altdorf Neuchâtel Murten 2222 Mt Titlis (3239m) Yverdon- Fribourg Thun Brienz Engelberg les-Bains 1616 Lake Thun (Thunersee) Oberalp Spiez Pass 2525 Interlaken Andermatt Grindelwald 3 7 Mürren Wengen 1717 2323 Gruyères 1818 Château- 2020 Jungfraujoch St Gotthard Lausanne Kandersteg (3454m) Pass Lake Geneva Vevey d'Œx 1 1010 Gstaad Gimmelwald (Lac Léman) Leukerbad Aletsch 9 Montreux Glacier V Montana alle Geneva Visp Brig International Aigle Crans Airport Sion Simplon Geneva 1414 Pass

Verbier 5 Saas Fee Martigny Matterhorn Täsch (4478m) Zermatt 2 Dufourspitze Verbania (4634m)

Mont Blanc Lago Maggiore (4807m) Great Courmayeur St Bernard Pass F R A N C E I T A L Y

002-switzerland-map-dc-swi2.indd2-switzerland-map-dc-swi2.indd 8 225/03/20155/03/2015 2:55:232:55:23 PMPM 0 40 km 0 20 miles ELEVATION

4500m 4000m 3000m 2000m 1000m G E R M A N Y 0

Konstanz Lake Constance 1 Lake Geneva (Bodensee) 2424 Frauenfeld 2 Matterhorn 1919 3 Grindelwald’s Jungfrau St Gallen Region 4 Lakeside Lucerne Appenzell Skiing Verbier Rapperswil A U S T R I A 5 6 Bern Buchs VADUZ 7 Glacier Express to St LIECHTENSTEIN Moritz 8 Hiking in the Swiss Landquart National Park

Klosters 9 Aletsch Glacier Chur a Romance in Montreux Davos Arosa Swiss National b Zürich Lifestyle Park Rhine 8 c Splash of the Rheinfall Engadine d Art & Architecture in San Basel Bernardino St Moritz Pass e Sion & Valaisian Wine Bernina Pass f Lago di Lugano g Fribourg Café Life M Lausanne ag h g ia Sondrio Bellinzona Tirano i Vie Ferrate in Kandersteg Locarno Gravedona j St Gallen Lago di Como I T A L Y k Mürren & Gimmelwald Lugano 1515 Lago di l Mt Pilatus Circle Lugano m Murten Como n Fondue in Gruyères o Lake Constance p Interlaken Adventures

Milan

002-switzerland-map-dc-swi2.indd2-switzerland-map-dc-swi2.indd 9 225/03/20155/03/2015 2:55:272:55:27 PMPM