Switzerland may be rich in five-star lakes and mountains, but it’s not always the first destination that springs to mind when considering a European city break . But this Alpine nation’s towns and cities have charm, buzz and beauty in abundance, and travellers are finally cottoning on. With quick flights from the UK (flights from London to Zurich take less than two hours), you could be exploring medieval cobbled streets and sipping a spritz at a lakeside restaurant before you know it.
From the prettiest small towns to bigger cities awash with culture and nightlife, we round up the best places for an urban break in Switzerland. You’d be hard-pressed not to fall in love at first sight with the Swiss capital. Inside the bend of the turquoise River Aare sits Bern’s medieval Altstadt (Old Town), a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its beautifully preserved cobbled streets and monuments, including the Zytglogge clock tower, Münster (cathedral) and colourful fountains.
Boutiques, bars and restaurants are tucked under the Lauben (covered walkways) or in the tiny cellars beneath, while numerous café terraces animate the streets and squares. One of the smartest joints in town is the five-star Schweizerhof Bern , the city’s oldest luxury hotel, which occupies a mid-19th-century building in the Old Town. Some 30 kilometres upriver from Bern but less well-known, Thun charms visitors with an Old Town filled with cobbled streets, flower-bedecked buildings and unusual raised walkways.
It’s all overlooked by the 12th century Schloss (castle) – a climb to the top of its towers offers the best viewpoint in town. Magical in all seasons, nearby Lake Thun is a playground for water sports enthusiasts, while passenger ferries offer trips to villages, castles and vineyards around its shores. The castle’s former prison wing is now boutique hotel, Schlossberg Thun .
Book a stay in the Tower Room for gorgeous mountain views and 16th-century wall frescoes. Lucerne is a microcosm of Switzerland itself. Bang in the centre of the country, on the shores of the sublime Lake Lucerne and overlooked by mountains, it exudes Swissness from every pore.
Alpine excursions abound, but there’s also plenty to keep you in the city itself: art by Picasso and Klee at the Sammlung Rosengart , world-class classical music at the KKL arts centre, the nine towers of the city’s medieval ramparts, and a fabulous Old Town where numerous bars and restaurants – from traditional to trendy – occupy frescoed buildings. On a mountain outside the city, accessed by boat and funicular, the Bürgenstock Resort is the ultimate in Swiss luxury, once beloved by stars including Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren. Tucked into Switzerland’s northwest corner near France and Germany , Basel’s location is reflected in its food, culture, dialect and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
The main draw, however, is art. Each June, aficionados flock here for Art Basel, but the city’s numerous galleries and museums tempt visitors year-round. Among its best are Fondation Beyeler , a private collection of Picasso, Klee, Modigliani and more; the Kunstmuseum , Switzerland’s largest public art gallery; and the Museum Tinguely , showcasing the curious mechanical creations of the late Basel kinetic artist Jean Tinguely.
The architecture in Basel is as varied as its art, from historic to cutting-edge. The design hotel Volkshaus Basel has an interior designed by local star architects Herzog & de Meuron. Switzerland’s biggest city (at a mere 400,000 people) has more than enough museums, restaurants and nightspots to fill a weekend.
It’s also the best place to shop; find high-end fashion and watch boutiques on Bahnhofstrasse, cutting-edge brands along the lively pedestrian boulevard Europaallee and independent shops in the pretty cobbled streets of Niederdorf. In recent years, the city has done a great job of repurposing former industrial spaces, such as Im Viadukt , where boutiques are tucked under the arches of a railway bridge. Nearby, the flagship store of Swiss truck tarp bag brand Freitag occupies a tower made of 19 stacked shipping containers.
The recently renovated Mandarin Oriental Savoy occupies a plum location in the Old Town, close to the River Limmat, the shore of Lake Zurich and the city’s cultural highlights. Geneva’s cooler little sister, Lausanne sprawls over a hill rising up from the shore of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva ). It’s the cultural capital of French-speaking Switzerland, with the new Plateforme 10 art district adding to its many theatres, music festivals, jazz clubs and museums, including the quirky Collection de l’Art Brut (literally, "raw art", meaning by self-taught, anti-establishment artists).
In summer, the lakeshore throngs with pop-up bars, pétanque players and paddleboarders, while hikers head to the nearby UNESCO-protected Lavaux vineyards, a glorious spot for a stroll and a dégustation of local wines. Among Lausanne’s many luxury hotels is Chateau d’Ouchy , a fairytale castle right on the lakeshore. Smaller than Lausanne, and less touristy than Montreux, Vevey is a place the locals are happy to keep to themselves.
Clutching the curve of Lake Geneva with top-notch views of the French Alps, it has arguably the best lakeside promenade in French-speaking Switzerland, which becomes a sunbathing and swimming hotspot on summer days. Protruding out of the lake is a giant fork, emblem of the Alimentarium , a food museum run by Nestlé, which is headquartered in Vevey. And on a hill overlooking the town is Chaplin’s World , an interactive exhibition about British film star Charlie Chaplin, tastefully staged in the manor house that was once his home.
Opt for lakeside glamour at the historic Trois Couronnes , one of the original Swiss palace hotels, which has been welcoming royalty and celebrities for nearly 200 years. In Ticino, the country’s sunniest canton, and clinging to the northern shore of Lake Maggiore, which straddles Switzerland and Italy, is a place that takes the best of both nations and creates a culture all of its own. Divided by the Maggia River, the twin towns of Ascona and Locarno have palm tree-lined lakeside promenades, colourful architecture with a Mediterranean feel and Italian-influenced gastronomy, with risotto, chestnuts and polenta on the menu at any local grotto (a typical Ticinese restaurant).
Swim in the lake, catch a ferry to the Brissago islands, or head into the wonderfully wild Valle Maggia to catch a glimpse of a bygone era. With a private beach right on the waterfront, the Eden Roc Ascona combines a Mediterranean vibe with Swiss luxury..
