First time to Switzerland - Which city is best for us?
 

Hi all - My wife and I are planning a trip next year to Switzerland and were wondering which city best fits our lifestyle. We have looked at Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Lucerne but was curious if someone could give a brief overview of what makes each of those cities unique. We are in our early 30s and enjoy exploring cities on foot and taking in the old world charm. We enjoy pubs and having a few drinks and consider ourselves foodies. I would say we are looking for natural beauty in a city but it seems everywhere in Switzerland has that! For reference, some of our favorite cities in Europe include Rome, Barcelona and Ghent.

Thanks for all your input!

How long is your trip, Jonescm128? Are you interested in exploring the lakes and mountains as well as the cities you mention? It would be a shame to go to Switzerland and not see some of the outstanding landscape. And what time of year are we talking about? Do you want to stay in one place or move around at all? And would you be prepared to fly into one airport and out of another [multi-city rather than round trip]?

Browse the myswitzerland.com site for tons of info.

We enjoyed visiting all of those cities but my first choice would be Lucerne. Charming old town, set on beautiful lake, interesting buildings, art galleries and museums. It's easy to get to Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus for great day trips.

I'd second Lucerne. I just spent an enjoyable evening there last night. The city is coming out of its Covid-shocked shell and tourists are slowly coming back. I work near the "Aufschötti", a beautiful park located on the lake where children can run in the grass, men play boccia and locals meet up. It's located behind the train station and the KKL. It's similar to the beautiful walk between Lucerne and the Verkehrshaus but has a more local feel. For the views, however, I'd still choose the Verkehrshaus path.

Also, if you have time, do the foxtrail. It's a fee-based scavenger hunt that takes you through the city and its suburbs and offers information and surprises you might not otherwise see.