Hospitality as legendary as our landscape. Warm hospitality. Friendly service. Fine cuisine. It’s easy to fall in love with Switzerland – before you even catch a glimpse of the Alps. For daily nonstop ights to Switzerland, with short connections to other European destinations, contact your travel agent or visit swiss.com Best of Switzerland. 10 reasons to visit Switzerland. MySwitzerland.com 050_300_WengenA340_185x245_Best_of_en 1 03.10.14 11:32 Grüezi. Chillon Castle, Montreux, Lake Geneva Region Grüezi, bonjour, buongiorno, allegra. Switzerland is a unique holiday, travel and and lakes – and experience natural highs that you’ll conference destination in the heart of the Alps. never forget. Our motto “get natural.” applies everywhere: unspoilt nature and majestic mountains, genuine Welcome to Switzerland: we look forward to your visit! people and thrilling adventures all present end- less holiday possibilities. Switzerland’s magnificent natural landscapes thrill and inspire countless visitors. Discover for your- Jürg Schmid self the magic of our mountains, glaciers, forests CEO Switzerland Tourism The regions. Partners. D A Aargau Recommended by Switzerland Tourism. Bodensee B Basel Region Thur MySwitzerland.com / strategicpartners BASEL C Bern Region Rhein WINTERTHUR D Bernese Oberland Töss E Fribourg Region Limmat Birs ZÜRICH F Geneva B ST.GALLEN Strategic premium partners N G Lake Geneva Region H A Reuss Graubünden K I Jura & Three-Lakes I Zürichsee J Rhein FL Lucerne-Lake Lucerne Region Swiss Chocolate The trade association of the Swiss hotel industry Switzerland by train, bus and boat e BIEL/BIENNE ar Z chocolatfrey.com hotelleriesuisse.ch SwissTravelSystem.com K A u Eastern Switzerland / Liechtenstein Doubs 4 g e r s Walensee e L Ticino F 6 e e e rs le M ie Valais B LUZERN A Vierwald- N Zurich Region e J Aar stättersee l te The airline of Switzerland Financial services châ 2 swiss.com ubs.com eu E N BERN mme de c 7 C La Reuss Inn Strategic partners e rse E T e H h nz u rie ne B errhein rs A rd ee a Vo Schwarzsee re D Simme 5 American Express Watches Jewelry Retail and wholesale trade Car rental G LAUSANNE Kander in Switzerland Gems coop.ch europcar.ch Hinterrhein americanexpress.ch bucherer.com 3 r - e h h man c c é s c L s La t t e l le A g Gateway to the Alps Exquisite Swiss biscuit Interest group for Swiss Switzerland Cheese Marketing L zurich-airport.com specialities non-hotel accommodation switzerland-cheese.com Ti cino kambly.ch stnet.ch/parahotellerie Ve rzasca F Maggia Rhône M GENÈVE SWISS ARMY KNIVES | TIMEPIECES | TRAVEL GEAR victorinox.com 1 02040 80 km LUGANO o e i Lugan r o d io g g La g a M 01020 40 miles o Official partners g I La Motorway Scenic routes. Road www.swisstravelcenter.ch Railway Car transport by rail appenzellerbier.ch axpo.com flyer.ch gastrosuisse.ch swisstravelcenter.ch intersportrent.ch 1 Glacier Express: Zermatt–Brig–Andermatt–Disentis–Chur–Davos/St. Moritz Airport 2 Bernina Express: Chur/Davos/St. Moritz–Bernina Pass–Tirano–Lugano (by bus, only in summer) 3 GoldenPass Line: Montreux–Zweisimmen–Interlaken–Brünig Pass–Lucerne 4 Wilhelm Tell Express: Lucerne–Flüelen (by boat)–St. Gotthard–Bellinzona–Locarno/Lugano grimselstrom.ch mammut.ch snowsports.ch swisscom.com swissinfo.ch swissrent.com 5 Palm Express: St. Moritz–Maloja Pass–Chiavenna–Lugano (by bus) 6 Pre-Alpine Express: Lucerne–Rapperswil–St.Gallen–Romanshorn 7 RegioExpress Lötschberger: Bern–Kandersteg–Brig topevents.ch visana.ch partnerseite_alle_sprachen_ab_2015.indd 1 06.11.14 14:07 Contents. Reason 1: Reason 7: Nature. Events. 4 16 Reason 2: Reason 8: Public transport. Wellbeing. 6 18 Reason 9: Reason 3: Cities. Perfect location. 20 8 Reason 4: Reason 10: Four cultures. Hospitality. 10 22 Reason 5: Traditions. Grand Tour of Switzerland 12 24 Reason 6: Information for holidays The outdoors. in Switzerland 14 26 Webcode: 12345 Switzerland Tourism, Tödistrasse 7, CH-8027 Zürich, How to use the Webcodes phone 00800 100 200 30 (freephone*), Wherever you see a Webcode in this brochure, you can [email protected], MySwitzerland.com find out more online: simply go to MySwitzerland.com * Local charges may apply and enter the number in the search field. Reason 1: N a t u r e . The moorland Glaubenberg, Entlebuch, Lucerne-Lake Lucerne Region An unspoilt natural paradise. Basel Mountains and valleys, glaciers and forests, lakes and rivers – Zurich an amazing variety in such a small space. For an active vacation, 4 Bern or perfect relaxation, Switzerland has something for everyone. The Alps need no introduction and never disappoint. Nature parks 2 are home to rare plants and animals, or feature unusual geology. 1 Everywhere there are cable cars or cog railways to carry visitors Geneva 3 Lugano effortlessly up the steepest slope to enjoy superb views from the top. Webcode: A70191 4 Best of Switzerland. Nature. 3 The Matterhorn. The most famous peak of all Star of many a chocolate box and calendar, the mountain with the crooked peak is a symbol of Switzerland. A chal- lenge to mountaineers, but less energetic visitors can en- joy its tranquil beauty from afar. You know it from photos, but can you leave without seeing the real thing? Winter or summer, a ride in the Gornergrat railway from the village of Zermatt takes you to the starting points of unforget- table tours focussed on the mythical mountain. Webcode: 45830 1 Aletsch area. A magnificent heritage site The Alps can take your breath away when you look down, as well as when you look up: the Aletsch Glacier is the longest in Europe and you can get a stunning view by taking a cable car up from the Rhône valley and getting out at the top station. It is no wonder that the area is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Property, covering the glacier, the Jungfrau and the Bietschhorn. It was chosen for its variety, its scientific interest – and its sheer beauty. Webcode: 36512 2 Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. An attraction inside and out The famous trio of the Bernese Oberland have plenty for everyone. Numerous hiking routes offer panoramic views of the snow-capped peaks, or for a closer view of the famous Eiger North Face, try the Eiger Trail at its base. For a more relaxing visit, take the Jungfrau railway which winds its way nine kilometres inside the three moun- tains up to Europe’s highest railway station – stopping on the way to let you look out over the valleys below. Webcode: 28417 4 Lake Lucerne / Pilatus. Heart of Switzerland Magical Lake Lucerne is the cradle of Switzerland, offering countless attractions from historic castles and monasteries to traditional festivities. Daring pioneers have given the region some of its biggest draws, such as the world’s steepest cog railway, which climbs Mount Pilatus. Relax aboard superbly restored paddle steamers, the pride of Lake Lucerne’s elegant fleet, as they glide past a glorious natural backdrop of lush meadows and towering cliffs. Webcode: 28286 Nature. Best of Switzerland. 5 Reason 2: P u b l i c t r a n s p o r t . Glacier Express, Landwasser viaduct, Filisur, Graubünden Schaffhausen Basel The Swiss style of travel. Zürich St. Gallen Appenzell Swiss public transport is pure seduction of the senses. Where else in Luzern Rigi Neuchâtel Bern Pilatus Stanserhorn Chur the world can you discover so many delightful destinations, simply Brienzer Engelberg Rothorn Davos Fribourg/ Titlis Freiburg by stepping aboard a train, bus or boat? Almost no village is too Interlaken Jungfraujoch Lausanne Schilthorn St. Moritz Gstaad remote, no corner too concealed and no mountain too mighty to be Montreux Rochers-de-Naye Glacier 3000 Brig reached by public transport. Whether touring Switzerland by train, Locarno Tirano Genève Domodossola Martigny bus or boat, you will always find the right connection. At your arrival Zermatt Chamonix-Mont Blanc Gornergrat Lugano Matterhorn Glacier border railway station. Your arrival airport. Or up to towering Paradise 3,800-metre snow-capped summit. Webcode: 9868 All over Switzerland: 5 6 7 8 6 Best of Switzerland. Public transport. 5 Swiss Travel Pass. Travel like royalty The Swiss Travel Pass gives free travel on the entire Swiss Travel System: no less than 26,000 kilo metres of rail, bus and boat routes. The Pass also includes rides on buses and trams in 75 towns and cities, trips on our famous scenic routes including the Glacier Express and the GoldenPass Line, and free entry to more than 480 museums. Accompanied children up to 16 go free. The Swiss Travel Pass is valid for durations of four days up to one month. SwissTravelSystem.com Webcode: 51772 7 Our scenic routes. Small land, big adventures Ride the trains, buses and boats of our scenic routes, and you will spend hour after hour marvelling at the glorious landscapes. Or discover the very best of Swiss public transport on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. It combines the most scenic routes to one seamless travel experience and can be enjoyed all year round. Highlights include the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, the Wilhelm Tell Express, and the GoldenPass Line. Webcode: 67715 6 Mountain adventures. Ride high for a low price You can access many of Switzerland’s most beautiful mountain peaks by cable car or cog railway. With the Swiss Travel Pass, you benefit from a 50% discount off the price of most of these rides. Take this opportunity to enjoy some unforgettable experiences on Switzer- land’s spectacular mountaintops. Special: travel on the cog railways and cable cars on the Rigi is free of charge with your Swiss Travel Pass.