Summer

The fascinating city.

Encounter the best of modern art and architecture at every step. Savour cherries fresh from nearby orchards and asparagus from the Alsace.

Wave good-bye as ships leave the shore. Let this unique , young-at-heart city kindle a yearning for far away places within you, and revel in its rich history and natural surroundings. The lanes and alley of the older quarter. But art and culture alone do not define Basel. Fairs and congresses, scientific institutes and world commerce have also left their mark on the metropolis on the River Rhine, at the heart of Europe. Nearby hills, forests, peaceful valleys and the peaks of the Jura mountains invite you to make an excursion, on foot or by bike, by rail or by tram.

Winter

The winter ambience of Basel, art and culture metropolis on the Upper Rhine, meeting point of three nations, is truly unique.
At the open-air market, local specialities tempt the palate, while store windows in the lanes of the old part of the city and special shopping areas, decorated with art and originality, awaken long-held dreams and make you want to window shop.

Time seems to stand still in Basel's unique Christmas House on Spalenberg. The river Rhine mirrors endless chains of light. A cheery Christmas tram takes children through the centre of the city. Thirty museums offer encounters with art, Basel?s culture, antiquity and the future. Sociable people meet in cafés, bistros and excellent restaurants - also ideal places to start an evening at the theatre, a concert or a musical. Classical, gospel and Christmas music are featured at Münster Cathedral; or opera, dance, cabarets. Basel, it can truly be said, is a cultural city par excellence.

Bernese Oberland:

Summer

Where nature and holidays come together. Waterfalls crash down sheer cliff sides. Glacier-fed creeks force their way through th narrow Rosenlaui and Aare canyons.

Sail boats roll and excursion steamers leave their wakes on the turquoise waters of Lakes Thun and Brienz. And on the shores, in tributary valleys and on sunny ledges, you'll discover picturesque villages of richly decorated chalets and guest houses in what surely is the embodiment of Swiss-style comfort and serenity.

Delight in the best local art, in castles that are silent witnesses to wealth gone by, and in lovingly restored hotel palaces from the early days of tourism. Deep, dark forests end at the foot of rocky peaks, while cows graze under the ancient Alpine maple trees. Mountain lakes like jewels reflect towering white peaks, and above it all reigns the majestic chain of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Welcome to the Bernese Oberland.

Winter

Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau - famous and resounding names all. Kleine Scheidegg, Schilthorn, Lauberhorn and Männlichen have skiing on top-flight downhill runs in the higher reaches of the Alps.

More gentle skiing can be found in the Simmental, Saanenland and Frutigland regions and on the sun terraces of Hasliberg, Axalp and Beatenberg. High peaks briefly disappear behind a feathering of snow. Mountain railways afford spectacular panoramic views that, in his day, impressed even James Bond. Ice climbing in glacier crevices gets you in touch with your inner self. Ski sailing lets you leave the ground now and then, without danger. Ski tours take you to the untouched world of mountain peaks. Dreamy villages show their homely, friendly faces along the way. Famous holiday resorts and traditional destinations such as Interlaken or Gstaad entice you with their top-level entertainment, and children are always king in Europe's playground. The Bernese Oberland makes every one of your winter fairytales come true.

Central Switzerland:

Summer

Unlimited freedom. Switzerland was born when the good people of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed an alliance at the Rütli. Here, in Central Switzerland, is the Schöllenen Bridge which made north-south travel across the Gotthard range possible, and here, in 1871, Europe?s first cog railroad up to Rigi marked the beginning of tourism as we know it.

Historic sites and enchanting countryside abound, from the monument to William Tell to commanding mountain peaks, from cities to remote Alpine valleys, from baroque monasteries to deserted canyons. Surfers brave wind and waves, lake steamers leave majestic wakes, colourful paragliders dot the sky. Mountain trains and suspended cable cars mount the peaks. This is Central Switzerland, the Switzerland of freedom and holidays.

Winter

Favourable snow conditions right until spring. In the high-altitude regions up to 3,020 metres, no question – Central Switzerland has powder snow throughout the season.

Who wouldn't like to try it? Skiing and snowboarding on well-prepared pistes, runs in powder snow leaving white rooster trails in your wake, cross-country skiing against a romantic mountain background, going for walks in fascinating countryside, visiting cosy inns in rustic mountain villages and world-famous monastery churches plus special treats such as Lucerne's Chapel Bridge just about sum up winter in Central Switzerland – a holiday that leaves no wish unfulfilled.

Eastern Switzerland / Liechtenstein:

Summer

You're flying: with lovely blue-grey Lake Constance below, you can just see the town of Vaduz and its ducal castle in the distance.
The River Rhine a silver ribbon, bordered by small towns, majestically wending its way through the countryside.

Mist above the Rhine River Falls. The ancient Munot fortress towering over the city of Schaffhausen. You cross the Klettgau vineyards, the baroque towers of St. Gall monastery, green hills with houses, trees, small copses like pincushions - you're flying over the canton of Appenzell. The Sitter, Thur and Necker rivers reflecting the sunlight. Suddenly, the bright verticals of the Säntis range. Mountain climbers ascending sheer rock faces at Alpstein and in the Toggenburg region, hikers on the Churfirsten range waving at you. Lakes Walen and Klöntal sparkling between rock walls. Then, the Glarn valley to the south, and snow-covered Tödi and Clariden.

Winter

Picturesque lanes in the old part of town open onto the spacious Monastery Square, the baroque collegiate library dominating everything – that's St.Gall, metropolis of Eastern Switzerland.

Gentle hills scattered with farms and hamlets characterise the surrounding countryside – we're in Appenzell, where cross-country skiers traverse the winter landscape.
The Toggenburg region extends to the immediate south, on a fog-free plateau between the Säntis and Churfirsten mountains – an ideal family holiday region and the ultimate for snowboard junkies. Bad Ragaz, traditional fountain of youth and place of relaxation, awaits its guests on the far side of the first mountain crest over the Rhine valley. And in Glarnerland, on the hills surrounding Lake Walen at the foot of Tödi and Clariden mountains, winter magic and unspoiled holiday resorts invite you to their uncrowded ski runs.

Fribourg / Neuchâtel / Jura / Jura Bernois:

Summer

From the Jura range to the pre-Alpine hills. Vast elevated plains punctuated with fir trees in lush pastures, farm buildings of light-coloured Jura limestone. - the Jura region is a giant park created by Nature herself, bordering France to the north and crossed by deep canyons to the south.

On its southern slopes, terraces vineyards extend down to the shores of Lake Neuchâtel; Neuchâtel, elegant university town, is dominated by a castle and a splendid cathedral.

Take a trip through the flat Broye valley and, on a rocky outcropping high above the looping River Sarine, discover the city of Fribourg, the ancient bishopric with one of Europe's best-preserved medieval city centres. Towards the south the country changes from hilly to pre-Alpine. Historic towns abound - Bulle, Gruyères. The hills look as though covered in green velvet, interspersed with Alpine huts tiled in silvery shingles.

Winter

From the Jura plateaux to low country lakes and rivers and back to Alpine peaks – in a journey of discovery through remarkable and fascinating countryside.The Fribourg region, picturesque, mountainous, with many winter sports areas away from the crowds, quaint villages, room for families, is totally sincere, friendly and modest.

Close by are medieval Bulle, Estavayer-le-Lac, Fribourg, Gruyères, Morat, Romont, each with its own rich past. In Bern and Neuchâtel, in the Franches Montagnes and the Ajoie region, cross-country skiers, snow-shoe hikers and dog sledders encounter nature at its best in vast forests under endless horizons. The ancient cities of Neuchâtel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Delémont, Porrentruy and Moutier offer an active cultural life. There is outstanding hospitality and a unique regional cuisine with specialities ranging from Gruyère cheese and Crème de la Gruyère to Tête de Moine cheese, saucisson, fondue and fruity white wines.

Geneva Region:

Summer

The world's smallest metropolis. Cosmopolitan Geneva - a world of its own, a world for everyone, quite apart from the rest of Switzerland.

Capital of Peace is one of its names - the European headquarters of the United Nations is located here. Another well-deserved name for this city with a humanitarian tradition, international organisations and cosmopolitan flair, is The World's Smallest Metropolis. Quays, lakeside promenades, parks, elegant stores and lively streets and alleyways in the old part of town wait to be discovered. Boat trips beckon on the lake and the Rhone River. The Alps seem close enough to touch. Geneva - small metropolis surrounded by unspoiled nature and breathtaking scenery. On its limits lie magnificent country estates, hidden behind ancient stands of oak, and, to the north, peaceful villages, home of fruity Perlan wines. Yet more villages and towns huddle the shores of Lake Geneva itself.

Winter

Geneva, international meeting place, the smallest of the world's metropolises, peace capital of the world, situated between the Jura range and the Alps on the western end of Lake Geneva, is as lively in winter as it is any other time of the year.

Divide your time between walks in parks festooned with autumnal foliage along wintery shores and quays and museum visits, go shopping and attend top-quality cultural events. Choose from theatre, opera, ballet, the cinema, concerts, cabarets and thirty museums. Or would a gourmet meal in one of Geneva's many outstanding restaurants, five rated with Michelin Guide stars, strike your fancy? Perhaps you'd like to visit the nearby Jura or Alpine skiing areas? Geneva - the ideal combination of big-city ambience and country calm, elegant city life and open-air sports - has it all.

Graubünden:

Summer

Alpine valleys descending from high mountains. Rivers in every conceivable direction. German, Romansh and Italian in a single canton.

Graubünden has every colour: Red for the Rhätische Bahn railway, yellow for the postal buses, blue for its 615 lakes and the skies above 150 valleys, green for forests and pastures, golden brown for larch trees in autumn, grey for castles and rocks, and white for snow and ice.
Choose red to take the Rhätische Bahn to Klosters, Davos, Arosa, St. Moritz, the Surselva region, the Engadine and Valposchiavo.

Choose yellow and see Savognin and the Müstair valley, Lenzerheide, and the Mesolcina and Bregaglia valleys by postal bus. Pick grey for climbing a sheer rock face, and white for storming peaks and traversing glaciers. Or simply sit down on a patch of green and enjoy azure skies above.

Take a paraglider taxi through the air wearing skis, join high altitude ski tours that bring you closer to the heavens. Float quietly across snowed-in valleys in a hot-air balloon, discovering the many faces of nature in the different kinds of countryside.

Have a professional take you down the St. Moritz Olympic bobsled run. Toboggan from Preda to Bergün or brave a glacier downhill run on the Diavolez... Who doesn't dream of adventures such as these? Whether skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or taking a ride on a horse-drawn sleigh, everything is possible in Graubünden's winter sports areas with their guaranteed favourable snow conditions. Would you like to enjoy a gourmet treat away from the crowds? Learn about the rich culture of Switzerland's holiday corner and its capital of Chur or relax in a traditional spa? Try Telemark skiing, parabol skiing or snow golf – putting a red ball on a white 'green'? In Graubünden, it's yours for the asking. We promise to take excellent care of you and our most precious resource – the environment.

Lake Geneva Region:

Summer

One region, four worlds. They came, saw... and stayed. Courbet, Kokoschka, Charlie Chaplin and David Bowie are among those who settled at Lake Geneva, attracted, no doubt, by the Alpine panorama and almost Mediterranean vegetation.

Gently sloping vineyards border the shores of the lake, with the capital city of Lausanne across from the highest Alpine peaks. Lively towns and small wine-growing villages appear scattered at random. The region seems half dream and half reality, but the people in the farm villages who work the wheat fields on the plain above the lake, the inhabitants of the medieval towns and the original inhabitants of the castles have always had both feet planted firmly on the ground. In the quiet Vallé de Joux, nature remains unspoiled. The Jura mountains lie to the north and the Vaud Alps to the east, with lush pastures, chalet villages, mountain peaks and glaciers - as well as sunny ledges ready-made for a relaxed vacation and sporting adventures.

Winter

Downhill skiing on the Alpine glaciers of the canton of Vaud, cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing across the Jura range, city life and sophisticated dining - all three worlds come together in the Lake Geneva region to make for a perfect holiday. Extensive woods and plateaux entice you to explore the Vallée de Joux, St-Cergue or Ste-Croix/Les Rasses.

An active cultural life and outstanding shopping characterise the cities of Lausanne, Vevey-Montreux, Nyon, Rolle, Morges and Yverdon-les-Bains. Hospitable mountain villages present a wide range of winter sports: 500 km of downhill runs, more than 200 different modes of transport and special highlights such as igloo adventures and hot-air balloon rides. Few regions offer as wide a variety of holiday pursuits as does the area surrounding Lake Geneva.

Zurich Region:

Welcome to Zürich Downtown Switzerland

Zürich is top for leisure and pleasure. Gentle hills, peaceful woods, the unpolluted lakes and rivers, picturesque villages – and all just a stone’s throw from the Alps. Zürich is the ideal starting point for all kinds of varied excursions.

Zürich
Enjoy the pretty old town, the trendy new Zürich West district and the glorious lake.

With opera, ballet, theater premieres, shows, musicals, art exhibitions in over 50 museums and 100 galleries, time never drags in Zürich. The famous Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmatquai are a shopper’s paradise. Over 1,700 restaurants and bars serve both traditional Zürich and Swiss dishes as well as exotic specialties. The evenings will leave you spoilt for choice: indoors or outdoors, anything is possible as far as the nightlife in Zürich goes.

Winterthur
Winterthur has blossomed from a former industrial town to a lively venue for all ethnic groups and types of culture. Winterthur is an important museum town – it has 16 in all – and also offers a wide range of culture, sports and entertainment. Amongst the numerous night clubs and bars you will also find the only bar in Switzerland that opens 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Rhine Falls, the biggest waterfall in Europe, is just a 20 minute drive from Winterthur.

Rapperswil & Lake Zürich
Rapperswil, the riviera at the upper end of Lake Zürich, will charm you with its many attractions: the castle, the medieval old town, the historical wooden bridge and Knies Children’s Zoo. Equally, however, the Alpamare water park and Atzmännig slide & trampoline paradise are just as much part of this family-friendly destination. Summer or winter, the Lake Zürich region offers many opportunities for sport.

Baden
Baden, a historical city with a very lively present, is worth a visit, not just because of the Grand Casino Baden.

The Zürich region is unique, within everyone’s means and definitely worth a visit. Live it. Love it.