Swiss Alps attractions

Covering a total area of over 45 square miles (72 square kilometers, the Great Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacial landscape in Europe. It’s located in the eastern Swiss Alps flanked by the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains.

Towering 13,025 feet (3,970 meters) above the town of Grindelwald, Eiger (German for ogre) is one of Switzerland’s most recognizable and fearsome mountains. Scaling the near-vertical north face is a notoriously challenging feat, one that has claimed a number of lives since the first successful ascent in 1938.

A superb display of paintings from Giovanni Segantini (1858-1899) take center stage at St Moritz’s Segantini Museum, with examples exhibited from throughout his creative career. One of Europe’s most famous 19th-century artists, the Italian painter was best known for his large-scale landscape paintings of the Alps.The domed museum, which opened its doors back in 1908, is the handiwork of architect Nicolaus Hartmann and pays homage to the life and works of the eponymous artist. The small but artfully executed gallery serves up some of Segantini's most impressive works including the masterful alpine triptychla vita – la natura – la morte (life – nature – death), displayed in prize place in the ambient upper-floor gallery.

The Rhône Glacier in the Swiss Alps is the source of the Rhône River, which travels through Switzerland and France into the Mediterranean Sea, and contributes to Lake Geneva. It’s estimated to be more than 10,000 years old. Visitors can view it from the outside and also walk inside the glacier.

The Grimsel Pass route through the Swiss Alps reaches some 6,500 feet (1981 meters above sea level—linking the canton of Bern with the canton of Valais. Wild and often treacherous, the path was once used by traders and mules to transport Swiss cheese, and holds a sacred place in Switzerland’s history.

Soaring over the Bernina Pass and climbing to a dizzying 7,392 feet (2,253 meters) above sea level, the famous Bernina Express is one of Europe’s most beautiful railway routes. Running for 75 miles (122 kilometers) from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy, it’s the only railway that connects the North and South Alps, and offers dramatic mountain views.

A long winding valley cupped between the snow-capped mountains of the Swiss Alps and following the Inn River, the 50-mile-long (80-kilometer-long) Engadine (or Engadin) valley is one of Switzerland’s most desirable holiday destinations. A sunny climate, beautiful lakes, and a stunning alpine backdrop make Engadine, which encompasses star-studded destinations like St. Moritz, one of Europe’s most highly populated valleys.

Home to nine unique courses of varying difficulty level, this high ropes park in Interlaken is a nature lover and thrill seeker’s paradise. Adventurers can experience more than 120 unique physical challenges across the park’s treetop ziplines, bridges, and swings, while little ones can have a go on the family-friendly Butterfly Walk.

A series of suspended walkways and cave tunnels make this limestone gorge easily accessible for explorers after an intimate glimpse of the Alpine landscape. Formed by Ice Age glaciation, the mile-long Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht ranges in width from three to 100 feet and flanks the Aare all the way from the Grimsel Pass to Lake Brienz.

Home to the longest glacial downhill ski route in Switzerland, as well as a varied network of ski runs, it’s not hard to see why Diavolezza is a popular haunt for powder junkies. Standing over 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) proud, Diavolezza Mountain adds an impressive eight peaks to the Bernina skyline, and is accessible by gondola from the Diavolezza train station.

It might not be a household name, but with a panorama spanning some of Europe's most iconic peaks—including Jungfrau, the Eiger, and even the distant Mont Blanc—the Schilthorn summit offers one of Switzerland's most spectacular mountain views. The 9,744-foot (2,970-meter) mountain lies in the Bernese Alps and is famous for its revolving mountaintop restaurant, Piz Gloria, which was featured in the 1969 James Bond movieOn Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Lake Walen (Walensee is a lake in eastern Switzerland, separating the cantons Glarus and St. Gallen. It is part of a region known as Heidiland, which is named after the famous story by Johanna Spyri. The mountains rise almost vertically on all sides of the lake, and nestled on little plateaus and along the shores are several traditional Swiss towns.

The bright-red Glacier Express passes over glaciers, across gorges, and above river valleys through Switzerland’s spectacular mountain scenery. This narrow-gauge line is the only direct service between the exclusive ski resort of Zermatt and chic St. Moritz—and is considered among the most beautiful scenic trains in Europe.

This sunny peak on Mount Rothorn is one of the most popular in the Zermatt-Matterhorn resort, a haven for family-friendly skiing in the winter and scenic hiking up to Blauherd and Rothorn in the summer. Take the funicular from Zermatt to explore the gentle pistes, relax on the Leisee Alpine lake, or hit the trails on foot or wheels.

Seeming to defy gravity, the First Cliff Walk by Tissot is a metal walkway desperately clinging to the cliffside in Switzerland’s Jungfrau region. The suspension bridge and viewing platform offer adventurous travelers heart-racing views over the Alps and give the ethereal sensation of flying over the valleys below.

The Mönch is the middle peak of a mighty trio of mountains in the Swiss Alps—the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau—set in the Bernese Oberland. With a 1,347-foot (4,107-meter) summit altitude that’s more for mountaineers than everyday folk, the Mönch can still be viewed in all its glory from the nearby Jungfraujoch saddle or the Schilthorn summit.

At 4,547 feet (1,386 meters) tall, the mountain plateau of Pfingstegg is one of the best spots in the Swiss Alps to find a dramatic alpine view. The area boasts Grindelwald's only aerial cable car, and from the mountaintop vantage point, the panorama spans the rolling meadows and glacial peaks of the Grindelwald valley.

This luxury shopping mall, not far from the Swiss-Italian border, sells all sorts of designer names at cut prices. Drawing Swiss locals, Italian day trippers, and fashion-loving tourists, the center is home to more than 100 outlets, including Armani, Michael Kors, and Swarovski, and offers discounts of up to 70%.

Bird enthusiasts and nature lovers will enjoy the chance to get up close to birds of prey at Falconeria Locarno. Dressed in medieval-inspired costumes, trained handlers put on shows with majestic eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, marabous, and ibis. Visitors can view the aviaries after the show, and kids can take pony rides.

Step inside one of the wooden coaches of the historic cogwheel railway that trundles up to Switzerland’s Schynige Platte, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Then get out on the Alpine plateau, where sweeping views of the Eiger mountain and the Jungfrau countryside await you.

Made up of more than 100 historic buildings from across the country, this open-air museum is one of Switzerland’s top heritage sites. You can meet costumed characters, explore renovated houses and cultivated gardens, or enjoy a close encounter with farmyard animals as you learn more about traditional Swiss life at this 66-hectare museum.

Located in the Western Rhaetian Alps in the far eastern corner of Switzerland, the Swiss National Park (Parc Naziunal Svizzer) is Switzerland’s only national park and the country’s largest protected natural area. Virtually untouched by human development, the park offers a huge variety of hiking trails for all abilities and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

Europe’s highest aerial cableway leads to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, beneath the north face of the mighty triangular peak made famous by the Toblerone logo. At an altitude of 12,740 feet (3,883 meters), the glacial wonderland offers incredible views over the Alps and thrilling activities year-round.

On the shores of Lake Lugano, against a backdrop of the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Miniature Park (Swissminiatur) is the only one of its kind in Switzerland. Take a tour of Switzerland—recreated in 1:125 scale models—to see everything from historic landmarks to alpine vistas, and even a working miniature railway.

This dramatic mountain pass high in the Swiss Alps is widely considered one of Europe’s most exciting roads. Reaching an elevation of almost 8000 feet (2500 meters, the route is known for its dramatic bends and striking vistas, as well as its role in 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.

At an altitude of almost 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), the Zermatt-Matterhorn Ski Paradise ski slopes are among the highest in Europe. Unlike many ski resorts in the Alps, this one is accessible year-round. In the warmer months, skiers head high up to Theodul Glacier to enjoy miles of ski runs with spectacular mountain backdrops.

The Wengen Männlichen aerial cableway is a high-speed cable car situated in the Swiss Alps that offers unparalleled views of the surrounding landscape. It’s the perfect way to experience the scenic beauty of the region.

With a network of cable cars and cogwheel railways traversing the snow-clad slopes of the mighty Matterhorn mountain, Zermatt Mountain Railways (Zermatt Bergbahnen) provides the link between the car-free mountain resort of Zermatt and the iconic peak.

Rapperswil is a town on the east side of Lake Zürich in Switzerland’s canton of St. Gallen. The lakeside location and surrounding rolling hillsides create a picturesque riviera-like feel, while the town combines history and culture with a thriving outdoor lifestyle.

On the shores of Lake Geneva, Swiss Vapeur Parc is a railway-themed miniature park with 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) of train tracks, rideable steam trains, and a model-train landscape dotted with Swiss landmarks and alpine villages. It’s a must for train enthusiasts, as well as a fun destination for the whole family.