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Top things to do in Switzerland
Lunch on the serene Lake Lucerne, see the top of Europe and cross the Bernina Pass to some of the best views in Switzerland. Go on the famous Glacier Express through the mountains, or take the Golden Pass across the stunning lakes and luscious Swiss countryside.
Here are the top things to do on a Switzerland holiday, as chosen by our Europe specialists.
Lunch on Lake Lucerne
The William Tell express links central Switzerland with the canton of Ticino, which is also called the ‘Sun Parlour’. The journey starts with a boat trip on a historic paddle steamer across Lake Lucerne before joining the train to travel on the historic Gotthard route through the Reuss valley to Bellinzona, and on to Locarno or Lugano. There is the option of dining on a three-course lunch during the cruise on the lake.
Cross the Bernina Pass
The journey on the Bernina Express incorporates one of the steepest sections of railway in the world and is considered to feature some of the best views in Switzerland – some of which are now inscribed to the Unesco world heritage list. The duration of the journey is 2 hours and 15 minutes.
See the Top of Europe
Incorporating the highest railway station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch – also called the ‘Top of Europe’ at 3,454 metres – travels through the alpine regions of Switzerland; Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau. One of the many highlights is the view of the snow-capped peaks and the Aletsch glacier from the Sphinx observation terrace. Starting from Interlaken, the journey time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to the Jungfraujoch.
Go on the Glacier Express
Switzerland’s most famous rail journey, the train travels from Zermatt to St Moritz via some of the most iconic attractions, including the Matterhorn. The duration of the journey is just under eight hours, through 91 tunnels and over 291 bridges.
Take the Golden Pass
Crossing Switzerland’s language frontier linking the French-speaking Montreux with the German speaking Lucerne and its lake, this train crosses six lakes, six cantons and three passes. There is the opportunity to reserve a seat at the front of the train between Montreux to Zweisimmen, while travel on the Golden Pass Classic is an alternative journey that offers luxury in the style of the legendary Orient Express. The views around Lake Brienzer are not to be missed with castles dotted around the lakeshore and traditional paddle steamers sailing serenely.
