Switzerland, the country of chocolate, cheese, watches and skiing slopes, is also: medieval old villages, castles, adventure, great food and wine. The breathtaking Swiss Alps leave a lasting impression, with mountain peaks that soar more than 4,000 meters into the sky. There are awe-inspiring glaciers and gigantic rock-formations abound. Frothy streams rush down mountains creating waterfalls that thunder into the valleys. And the reflections of windswept pines and larch trees shimmer on the mirror like surface of mountain lakes.
Switzerland has long been one of the world's great tourist destinations. It contins an extraordinary abundance of natural beauties and interesting tourist attractions, and at the same time, in spite of the country's varied geographical pattern and the differences in language, religion and way of life among its inhabitants, offers an admirable

Top ten attractions in Switzerland

Scenic train routes

Travel by train through stunning Alpine scenery on the Glacier Express, one of Europe's greatest rail journeys from St. Moritz to the ski resort Zermatt at the very heart of Switzerland

Fasnacht, Lucerne

A six-day boisterous carnival in Lucerne in early March. The festivities start on 'Dirty Thursday' with the emergence of the character 'Fritschi’ from a window in the town hall. Then bands, musicians and partygoers take to the streets.

Chateau de Chillon

This historical building on the shore of Lake Geneva is one of the most visited in Switzerland. Building started in the 11th century and dungeons, courtyards make it a fairytale castle.

Lake Thun

The 3 beautiful castles, Schloss Thun, Schloss Oberhofen and Schloss Hunegg stand on the shores of Lake Thun. You can visit them all by boat in just one day.

Swiss chocolate

Swiss chocolate is the finest in the world and to leave the country without tasting it is not done. The famous chocolate factory Lindt is located just outside Zurich and offers unlimited tasting at the end of the tour.

Montreux Jazz Festival

Europe’s most famous jazz festival attracts each summer world famous musicians from BB King to The Black Eyed Peas.

Trummelbach Falls

These are the world’s largest subterranean waterfalls. The ten falls are created by the melting water of three glaciers and 20,000 liters of water come falling down per second. The falls are located in the Lauterbrunnen Valley near Interlaken.

The highest cablecar route in Europe

Take Europe's highest aerial cablecar up the Little Matterhorn at Zermatt. Then ski back to the village of Zermatt on one of the longest ski runs in Europe.

Gimmelwald

Incredible views and great hiking trails: that's Gimmelwald and it's magical. It's a small mountain village in Bernese Highlands. This a car-free resort is accessible only by cable car.

Verkehrshaus Lucerne

Europe's largest museum about transport by rail, road and water as well as in the air and outer space.

When to go

When you visit Switzerland you will, at least in part, be dictated by where you want to go and what you intend to do, but there are good reasons for exploring at least parts of the country at any time of year.
Summer lasts roughly from June to September and offers the most pleasant climate for outdoor pursuits (apart from exclusively winter sports). In fact, many adventure sports, such as canyoning, are only offered during this time. The peak period is July and August, when prices are high, accommodation often fully booked and the sights packed. You'll find better deals, and fewer people, in the shoulder seasons either side of summer: in April, May and October. With the exception of the busy Easter break, spring is a beautiful time of year to explore the blooming countryside. In Ticino, flowers are in bloom as early as March. Hikers wanting to walk at high altitudes, however, should be equipped for snow and ice until well into June (and, in some tricky spots, all year).
The winter season in Alpine resorts kicks off in mid-December and moves into full swing around Christmas, closing down again when the snows begin to melt around mid-April. Between the summer and winter seasons, Alpine resorts all but close down (except where year-round glacier skiing is on offer). At the very best, they go into snooze mode and can even be a little depressing.
At any time, as you travel around the country you'll hit many different climatic conditions. The continental climate in the Alps tends to show the greatest extremes between summer and winter. Mid-August to late October generally has fairly settled weather, and is a good period for hiking trips.