398 Best Sights in Switzerland

If the day is clear, grab the chance for a spectacular ride to the top of one of the lofty peaks that shadow the roadway by taking the Fiesch cable car up to Eggishorn (9,413 feet). The panoramic views of Alps and glaciers leave most breathless. As the cable car rotates 360 degrees, you can tick off famous Bernese and Valaisan peaks from your to-see list. The Jungfrau, Eiger, Matterhorn, and Dom are clearly visible, as are peaks that lie across the border in Italy and France.

Fishmongers once kept their catches market fresh on this square, whose fountain basin served as a sort of communal cooler. The fountain itself dates from 1390 and features figures of the Virgin Mary, St. Peter, and John the Baptist.

Storyboards and films at the Fondation Barry du Grand-St-Bernard praise the lifesaving work of a breed of dog that has come to symbolize the Alpine zone straddling Switzerland and Italy. Several St. Bernard dogs (and puppies) live year-round at the foundation, which is in a restored arsenal adjacent to Martigny's Roman amphitheater. Visitors may encounter the dogs at Barryland, a grassy outdoor enclosure. Cuddly toy St. Bernards and other dog-themed gifts are sold in the shop. The famous St. Bernard dogs helped the monks find travelers lost in the snow for centuries. They supposedly came to Switzerland with silk caravans from Central Asia and were used by Romans as war dogs; today they're kept more for sentimental than functional reasons. The foundation is named after the most famous St. Bernard of them all: Barry, who saved more than 40 people in the 19th century and today stands stuffed in Bern's Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History). Souvenir stands sell plush versions of St. Bernards, and there are a handful of dining options on either side of the pass.

Alfred Baur's lovingly preserved collection of Far Eastern art packs more than 10 centuries of Chinese ceramics and jade, Japanese smoking paraphernalia, prints, lacquerware, and sword fittings—some 9,000 objects in all—into a tranquil 19th-century town house on the edge of the Vieille Ville. Thematic temporary exhibits occupy the basement. English texts introduce each room.

This modern glass building highlighting contemporary Swiss art is just down the hill from Crans-Montana, in the village of Lens on Lake Louché. Exhibits, which rotate every four months, include such themes as surrealism and non-Western art, divisionism, and realism.

Since its construction in the 13th century, this church has been persistently remodeled. It still retains its 17th-century choir stalls and carved wooden pulpit. The barefoot Franciscans once held a prominent social and cultural position in Luzern, which took a firm stance against the Reformation and today remains approximately 70% Roman Catholic.

At Brienz you may want to try your hand at wood carving. From May to October, you can learn to carve the typical Brienzer cow during a two-hour lesson at the atelier of Paul and Mario Fuchs. Their workshop is in Hofstetten, between Brienz and Ballenberg.

This gallery houses scale models of Neuchâtel from the year 1000 to 2000.

From the edge of Iseltwald, an idyllic forest walk of about 1½ hours brings you to the falls of the Giessbach, which tumble in several stages down rocky cliffs to the lake. They are easy to find, being right next to the 19th-century extravaganza that is the Grandhotel Giessbach. You can also get to the falls via the Brienzersee steamer, which departs from Brienz or Interlaken Ost.

This museum houses the world's largest collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, and film designs by the enormously talented but equally tormented H.R. Giger. The Swiss surrealist, who died in 2014, won an Academy Award for his set design for the horror film Alien; he was not likely to win any prizes for his cheerful, healthy outlook on life (or women). That said, a few of his sculpture-furniture pieces are very good. Most people get enough of an idea about the artist just by sitting in the Giger Bar, opposite the museum. Here you can admire ceiling buttresses that look like elongated backbones with ribs, and his ingenious trademark chairs: yet more spines and ribs, with pelvises for headrests.

The ride on Glacier 3000, an aerial cableway strung from its station at Col du Pillon 7 km (4 miles) outside the resort village of Les Diablerets to a shelf at Scex-Rouge, is a thrill and well worth the steep fare. Vistas of Alpine peaks, vast meadows, and clusters of sloping-roof farmhouses extend to Lac Léman and the Jura Mountains. The 20-minute ascent is done in two segments, ending at the metallic, jewelry-box-shaped restaurant designed by world-famous architect Mario Botta.

This tourist attraction, excavated between 1872 and 1875, uses light effects to illuminate stones that have been dramatically pocked and polished by Ice Age glaciers. A private museum on the site, the Alpineum, contains impressive relief maps of Switzerland, and there’s an elaborate 19th-century hall of mirrors that seems oddly out of place but is delightfully fun. A panoramic expansion affords views across Luzern and Central Switzerland’s mountainscape.

Travel down into the valley below Grindelwald, and visit the Gletscherschlucht. You can either drive or take the bus to the hotel of the same name. From there you can walk a trail along the river and over bridges about 1 km (½ mile) into the gorge. Although you can't see the glacier itself while walking along the edges of the spectacular gorge it sculpted, you'll get a powerful sense of its slow-motion, inexorable force.

A train trip on the Gornergrat Bahn functions as an excursion, as well as a ski transport. Part of its rail system was completed in 1898, and it's one of the highest open-air rail systems in Europe. It departs from Zermatt's main train station and winds up the mountain, with great vistas along the way. Its stop at the Riffelberg, at 8,469 feet, presents killer views of the Matterhorn. Farther on, from Rotenboden, at 9,246 feet, a short downhill walk leads to the Riffelsee, a glassy alpine lake that offers postcard-perfect reflections of the famous peak. At the end of the 9-km (5½-mile) line, the train stops at the summit station of Gornergrat, at 10,266 feet, and passengers pour onto the observation terraces to take in the majestic views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gorner Glacier, and an expanse of peaks and glaciers. Atop there are vendors and the chance to pose with St. Bernard dogs with the Matterhorn in the background. It's touristy, yes, but memorable. Make sure to bring warm clothes, sunglasses, and sturdy shoes, especially if you're planning to ski or hike down as many do.

Connecting central Switzerland with the swaying palms of Ticino, this route takes you down the length of Lake Luzern, through the impressively precipitous inner Alps, and on to the Swiss-Italian hubs of Bellinzona and Lugano. A historic paddle steamer carries you past the Rütli meadow (the birthplace of the Swiss Confederation). At the end of the lake, you'll step aboard an SBB panorama train to continue your journey south through the newly inaugurated Gotthard Base Tunnel—the longest train tunnel in the world. The Luzern–Bellinzona route takes five hours; onward travel to Lugano or Locarno is an additional 15 minutes.

All of the slot machines and gaming tables at the Kursaal's Grand Casino Bern function until 4 am on Thursday, 5 am Friday and Saturday, and 2 am the rest of the week.

Some of the most elegant nightlife in Luzern is found in the Grand Casino Luzern, an early-20th-century building on the lake's northern shore near the grand hotels. You can play boule (a type of roulette) in the Gambling Room; dance in the Club; watch the cabaret in the Casineum; or have a meal in Olivo, a Mediterranean restaurant with views of the mountains and the lake. In summer, sit outside under the palm trees at the loungelike Seecafe.

The statues on the facade depict the biblical three wise men and are thought to date from 1754. The young general Napoléon Bonaparte lunched here in 1797, and an opulently decorated suite is named after him. Noteworthy guests have included Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Dickens, and Picasso. In 1897 the great Hungarian-born Jewish writer Theodor Herzl stayed here during the first Zionist Congress, which laid the groundwork for the founding of the state of Israel.

The impressive collection of the Federal Institute of Technology includes a vast library of woodcuts, etchings, and engravings by such European masters as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, and Pablo Picasso. Pieces from the permanent collection are often arranged in thematic exhibitions.

In summer, you can drive down a narrow forest road to Grimentz. With a population of 490, this ancient 13th-century village has preserved its weathered-wood houses and mazots in its tiny center. It is particularly known for its vin du glacier, or glacier wine, which is traditionally drunk directly from the barrel rather than bottled.

After a lovely 25-minute gondola ride on one of Europe's longest lifts, the peak called First (7,112 feet above sea level) is the launchpad for various adventures. For example, you can stroll along a rock walkway and peer over the mountain's edge on the First Cliff Walk, soar along the First Flyer zipline in summer, and sled down the world's longest toboggan run in winter. First is also the starting point for an easy 3-km (2-mile) walk to Lake Bachalp (Bachalpsee).

Bern's very own hill rises 1,000 feet above the city and presents a delightful alternative to the city on clear afternoons. The view moves from the Jura Mountains in the west to the Alps in the east by way of Bern itself; multiple lawns, terraces, and restaurants allow for picnics, cafeteria service, or formal dining as you gaze. The funicular to the top takes three minutes; head left to the east for a diagram labeling more than 200 distant peaks or right for a 360-degree view from the top of the Gurtenturm. The playground---the largest in Bern---includes bumper cars and a kiddie train; there's also a toboggan run open from March to October. You can also walk up from Wabern, or in winter, whiz down on a rented sled.

From the bustling main concourse of this immaculate 19th-century edifice you can watch crowds rushing to their famously on-time trains. Beneath lies a shopping mall, open daily (an exception to the closed-on-Sunday rule), with everything from grocery stores to clothing boutiques and bookstores.

Fans of Heidi can visit the area that inspired the legend along the circular Heidiweg (Heidi Path). Here you can find the house that was used as a model for the illustrations in the original Heidi books. It now houses Heidi-appropriate furnishings and life-size models of Heidi, Grandfather, and Peter. You can also take a somewhat-challenging hike up to Heidi's Alp Hut, get a Heidi stamp at the Heidi post office, and meet Heidi and Peter's goats at the petting zoo.

From Maienfeld you can hike along the Heidiweg (Heidi Path), either on the short circular route or, for more energetic hikers, continuing across steep open meadows and through thick forests to what now have been designated Peter the Goatherd's Hut, the Alm-Uncle's Hut, and Heidi's Alp Hut. The short version of the route begins at the train station and passes through the cobblestone alleyways of Maienfeld's Old Town. It continues up to the enclave of Rofels, where the Heididorf (Heidi's Village) is situated. After passing through most of the attractions there, the trail leads back to Maienfeld through picturesque vineyards. You might meet today's versions of the characters, who can answer Heidi-related questions in English. Along the way, you'll take in awe-inspiring Rhine Valley views from flowered meadows that would have suited Heidi beautifully.

Built in the shadow of the huge Christoffelturm on the site of a disused monastery hospital, this baroque church, laid out like a Huguenot temple, turned out to be a survivor as town walls, houses, gates, and fountains crashed down around it to create today's busy transportation hub. Serenity does still reign within, where natural light floods the green sandstone supporting a magnificent vaulted stucco ceiling.

An old-fashioned funicular railway chugs to the top of this 2,194-foot mountain, where you get views of both lakes as well as a peek at the Jungfrau, the Eiger, and the Mönch. There's the usual terrace restaurant at the top, along with a children's playground and a model-train show with music and lights. On the way down you can opt for a ride on the 985-foot-long bobsled run. The funicular station is a five-minute walk from the Interlaken West station down Rugenparkstrasse, with departures every 15 minutes between 10 and 5.