![]() ![]() Switzerland has just one national park? Yes, we know it’s a shocker, but trust us, it’s a good one. Otherwise, come to hike, ski and gaze over a sea of glaciers and 4000m (13,123ft) peaks at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Climbers have been rocking up here since the mid-19th-century, and it’s still a magnet for challenging summit ascents today. Zermatt is more than a one-mountain wonder. ![]() It's Switzerland’s mountain icon, so beloved by the nation that it inspired the pyramid shape of Toblerone chocolate. No peak has more pulling power than the 4478m (14,692ft) Matterhorn, a terrific gnarled fang of rock that flings up above the seductive, timber chalet-filled Alpine resort of Zermatt. ![]() The Matterhorn is an icon of Switzerland © wilpunt / Getty Images 4. Planning Tip: It’s a quick boat or train hop to Lausanne, which can culturally give Geneva a run for its money, especially with its Plateforme 10 arts district, the lovely terraced vineyards of Lavaux (a Unesco World Heritage site) and flower-draped Montreux, host to one of the world’s most famous jazz festivals, with the picture-perfect Château de Chillon right on its doorstep. The worldly city makes an excellent launchpad for exploring, with big-hitting museums and galleries to absorb, botanical gardens to stroll, lidos to swim at, Old Town cafes to hang out in and bright-yellow mouettes ferrying locals across the water – surely one of the world’s most scenic commutes. Marked by its rainbow-kissed Jet d’Eau fountain and Mont Blanc peeping up on the horizon, Geneva wraps around the lake’s southern shore. In Switzerland’s western crook, crescent-shaped Lake Geneva (Lac Léman to Francophones) is a joy to behold, with its mountain backdrop, spirit-lifting views, vineyards and shoreline necklaced with handsome cities and castle-crowned towns. But in summer, the action’s on the water, with swimming, tubing, rafting and paddleboarding along the Aare River. Sight-wise, you’ll be drawn to big-hitters like the Einstein-Haus (where the genius developed his theory of relativity), the Kunsthaus (with its outstanding fine arts collection) and Renzo Piano’s wavy Zentrum Paul Klee (Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim). It’s pure storybook stuff for kids, too, with its giant who snacks on children (the Kindlifresserbrunnen) and resident bears. Framed by wooded hills and split in two by the turquoise Aare River, this red-roofed city looks good from pretty much every angle. The cobbled, flag-bedecked medieval Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage treat, with 6km (3.7 miles) of covered arcades, cellar shops and bars, fantastical folk figures topping 16th-century fountains, and the eye-grabbing Zytglogge. Bernīern often pops up in those I-can’t-believe-it’s-the-capital trivia questions, but frankly, Switzerland’s first city deserves more love. Bern and its historic Old Town are beautiful from all angles © BAHDANOVICH ALENA / Shutterstock 2. ![]()
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