INSIDE THIS BOOK START YOUR JOURNEY WITH ROUGH GUIDES INTRODUCTION What to see, what not to miss, author picks, itineraries and more – everything you need to get started BASICS Pre-departure tips and practical information THE GUIDE Comprehensive, in-depth guide to the country, with regional highlights and full-colour maps throughout CONTEXTS History, Alpine flora and fauna, books, and a handy language section We’ve fl agged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special TRUSTED TRAVEL GUIDES Since 1982, our books have helped over 35 million restaurant – throughout the Guide with the symbol travellers explore the world with accurate, honest and informed travel writing. ★ Switzerland chapters N FRANCE GERMANY Basel 4 9 Zürich St Gallen 10 POCKET ROUGH GUIDES “Best of” section, essential itineraries and a unique 3 pull-out map featuring every sight and listing in the guide. Hip, handy and perfect for short trips and weekend breaks. 5 AUSTRIA Neuchâtel Lucerne Bern 8 11 Interlaken 2 6 Lausanne St Moritz 12 Geneva 7 1 Lugano Zermatt ITALY 0 50 kilometres DIGITAL Choose from our easy- 1 Geneva 5 Bern and around 9 Zürich to-use ebooks and great-value 2 Lausanne and Lake Geneva 6 The Bernese Oberland G Northeast Switzerland Snapshots to read on your tablet, 3 The Arc Jurassien 7 Valais H Graubünden phone or e-reader. 4 Basel and around 8 Lucerne and Central Switzerland I Ticino RROOUUGGHHGGUUIIDDEESS..CCOOMM Buy all our llaatteesstt eebbooookkss aanndd ggeett iinnssppiirreedd wwiitthh ttrraavveell ffeeaattuurreess,, qquuiizzzzeess aanndd mmoorree.. Make the Most of Your Time on Earth at roughguides.com This fifth edition published June 2017 Switzerland_inside_cover.indd 1 10/01/17 12:04 pm THE ROUGH GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND This fifth edition updated by Andrew Beatie, Alice Park and Rich Woodruff based on original text by Matthew Teller 000011--002211__SSwwiittzzeerrllaanndd__55__IInnttrroo..iinndddd 11 2200//0033//1177 44::4410 ppmm 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 2 15/12/16 5:00 pm INTRODUCTION 3 Contents INTRODUCTION 4 Where to go 6 Things not to miss 10 When to go 9 Itineraries 20 BASICS 22 Getting there 23 Festivals 37 Getting around 26 Sports and outdoor activities 39 Accommodation 30 Travelling with children 42 Food and drink 33 Travel essentials 43 THE GUIDE 48 1 Geneva 48 7 Valais 232 2 Lausanne and Lake Geneva 74 8 Lucerne and Central Switzerland 270 3 The Arc Jurassien 112 9 Zürich 308 4 Basel and around 138 10 Northeast Switzerland 340 5 Bern and around 160 11 Graubünden 372 6 The Bernese Oberland 196 12 Ticino 410 CONTEXTS 444 History 445 Books 456 Alpine flora and fauna 455 Languages 458 SMALL PRINT & INDEX 469 OPPOSITE SOGLIO, VAL BREGAGLIA PREVIOUS PAGE SWIMMERS AT CRESTASEE, NEAR FLIMS 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 3 15/12/16 5:00 pm 4 INTRODUCTION Munich Innsbruck Landeck 25 sfscoIDraAowcwtmcMlSCLiltaisohouehnorianro flnaetreau rpmumotobtergcmtmyogssettelnrnhatur el-mhuc epurnanl-eeiotabiirh r w gnhoarvsdiiptot le nttarynthovhitgghaieir riceetpe hldE c aaiseaolo setShvda s sanit ohsdr b.no waondrsi e, nki s kde Culri see catlns d io,o i pioereC ntuowigrdsitna orezfieuone Piefficy mfeghh innla nknautslgariiroc rlrhgtngoedaecllne ctileo a yfeoni nis toloi,te oicnnudlt re e yft tdfePhin fu (usisgnd.hoa ntodi Gtoia zhist,aewn’Thdladoesr g cus iubia sneu n i tfiynoafMh’pnnrln yol tn leesae m ita l,ef tKso ssi s iahapt raaeomeattw mtui y anlyftiryrpoeshrrtpevh dn, hnamy aitt nlsp atoeeceiip,iehiwcn kcrnl talu e l, sGFmae iagmretr ymlh .hirHn esodrae lndir reMieaa ct ed ecrdtabog–erorinshgaioseegrtie. ecf rosrnawc, s i nleas iu mWemeo,tuhsrtooitt t n l trfishw nerf,winnvls oaa taotvovidcpeeI tadyitsoietfire ent shrru, tvli l ih a n yo oiynaHahtlvtniacenltlinhetmos.ii nnhdd-eo aatsEts eoSH mu adinnnddt.apindi–ttu htnrrr ’aIoe rio r aalaarsd tanicueolslrdiosyrsu c ny onssoehcHe drnsi ptn,hrd t bfftu be rueaatueiti gott eeohssedonrha.haR sgnift l larcdeflesi Sreobenigoeo intb tont eytd eirnS rmfeetiml hnber dcvagrdiawlcah eoia ecesvs eceenaLni yaeis en,osoAu snosrr aevnel,, d. gumse otn sig nleusaJa vhimnNbeh ra snemotaioh i taes r)r .wpteoacyaEsllg e f ,ote sIce tioa rtl , in ubnenonc e faonf dtrrogpooou ehmo- e rnurccpseftJnnoce torl ikhhene –alo vrewnGdltnpacl eaety en acshoity torih rait iteolsfthqciyaeapn tmfe,ai ,tlef,e d ir cy calu ugi heisoncneSyhe,sms oo t koe enmaal tt cw ts’ dncluhr sysmmi hucsdh,pietgeio i iei’ naeneaten rnrRtrfimo tetarimoeolczig gxheneanomtwcatofuue iu rs teoerndo–eufoufnonrihid.o busr q ,ellansuritdes o uaatonbdh eiasustntgysmamrtnhrdnleie ruh aedeiv yfsao n ddsn aopoeirtlp p ffihndi ta ol aru lu tcdiooiaty esrnltoos,t,gchei ti t vtt,iidra t eh antiehtn n hlre t e s o e e . StrasbourgStuttgartKemptenRLANDSchaffhausenMulhouseKonstanzFriedrichshafenBelfortBodKreuzlingenensee ihnRe RomanshornWinterthurBregenzBaselRorschachBadenLiestalSt GallenSt MargrethenLimtmaRePorrentruyZÜRICHusOSTSCHWEIZsDelémont Olten eDNAppenzellnAiLh RSäntis-FRANCEL FeldkirchZE(2502m)SaignelégierüriAUSTRIATchseSolothurnTe AIMZugVaduzeRWralenseae AEinsiedelnLIECHTENSTEINLa Chaux-de-FondsUBiel/BienneLucerne sJSchwyzbNapfVierwualoE(1408m) deNeuchâteleDssretttBERNäGlärnisch M M(2914m)leVereina tâEEhtunnelcKlostersuAltdorfNEeNZENTRAL SCHWEIZmT ChurScuoleHmdKlausenpassRFlimsA cee aDavosFlüelapassPayerne(1948m)uLL BrünigpassTitlissFribourgT(2383m)s(1008m)nGotthard nYverdon(3238m)IlanzIPass dal FuornBrienznBase tunnelGRAUBÜNDENiThunTeh(Ofenpass)rhreud ereosn rEVee(2149m)zrISustenpassnseeFilisur eDThusisirDisentis/BSpiez(2224m)NInterlakenAlbulapassJaunpassMustérOberalppassMüstairFurkapassA(2312m)Grindelwald(1509m)Andermatt(2044m)Wengen n(2431m)iGruyèresLukmanierpasseMhrretGrimselpassnMürren(1914m)i HSplügenpassePso. delPasso deln(2165m)St MoritzKi( 2113m)raS. GottardoS. BernardinoJungfrauaBERNESEJulierpassnKandersteg LausanneS(2108m)dNufenenpass(2065m)Vevey(4158m)(2284m)Pso. del BerninaeGotthard r(2478m)GstaadChâteau-(2328m)OBERLAND aMalojapassvtunnelsLötschbergeneG d’OexeEvian-Montreuxk(1815m)aBase tunnelLCrans-les-BainsBiascaCol du PillonPoschiavoSimplonBrigTICINOMontana(1546m)TunnelChiavennaAigleLesTihRôSierrenceDiablerets iSionTiranonSimplonpasso A(2006m)NLocarnoILBellinzonaLETLADents du MidiNV o(3257m)moVerbierSaas FeeDomodóssolaC SMartigny iIdAL oAITALYDomVZermattgLuganoa(4545m) iGrandedLMatterhornr oo goaLCombininga(4478m)Chamonix-gguL(4314m)aDufourspitzeMMont-Blanc o(4634m)ga0LCol du Gd.Mont BlancLeccoComometresVareseTurinMilanSt-Bernard (2469m)(4807m) rtKlahuanemng otubölaudngs liteisig oobeluoaissrtntdi oe(en“srsl ib.ot Tetf ltoetwi gtcehhaenetn- t wkoFnenreisattnl mlcsihpeos-iu rstipnhte”tea)a ,kRi naiön sscgtto uiSgmbwrbmaiobtuzreennnr il,pta iaane rscdo ol,ci mnwhgihiaceelarirssle mno tna hlm eeianyev dSegnowivneied’stns eb Gtayote dtrthhmoeewa itnnnr- avtdoisi-itebioalernt ahl SWITZE Metres 3000 2000 1500 1000 500 200 0 Pontarlier Frasne Vallorbe Le BrassusORNyon GENEVA enôhR ABOVE THE MATTERHORN AT SUNRISE nojiD noyL 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 4 15/12/16 5:00 pm Munich Innsbruck Landeck 25 StrasbourgStuttgartKemptenRLANDSchaffhausenMulhouseKonstanzFriedrichshafenBelfortBodKreuzlingenensee ihnRe RomanshornWinterthurBregenzBaselRorschachBadenLiestalSt GallenSt MargrethenLimtmaRePorrentruyZÜRICHusOSTSCHWEIZsDelémont Olten eDNAppenzellnAiLh RSäntis-FRANCEL FeldkirchZE(2502m)SaignelégierüriAUSTRIATchseSolothurnTe AIMZugVaduzeRWralenseae AEinsiedelnLIECHTENSTEINLa Chaux-de-FondsUBiel/BienneLucerne sJSchwyzbNapfVierwualoE(1408m) deNeuchâteleDssretttBERNäGlärnisch M M(2914m)leVereina tâEEhtunnelcKlostersuAltdorfNEeNZENTRAL SCHWEIZmT ChurScuoleHmdKlausenpassRFlimsA cee aDavosFlüelapassPayerne(1948m)uLL BrünigpassTitlissFribourgT(2383m)s(1008m)nGotthard nYverdon(3238m)IlanzIPass dal FuornBrienznBase tunnelGRAUBÜNDENiThunTeh(Ofenpass)rhreud ereosn rEVee(2149m)zrISustenpassnseeFilisur eDThusisirDisentis/BSpiez(2224m)NInterlakenAlbulapassJaunpassMustérOberalppassMüstairFurkapassA(2312m)Grindelwald(1509m)Andermatt(2044m)Wengen n(2431m)iGruyèresLukmanierpasseMhrretGrimselpassnMürren(1914m)i HSplügenpassePso. delPasso deln(2165m)St MoritzKi( 2113m)raS. GottardoS. BernardinoJungfrauaBERNESEJulierpassnKandersteg LausanneS(2108m)dNufenenpass(2065m)Vevey(4158m)(2284m)Pso. del BerninaeGotthard r(2478m)GstaadChâteau-(2328m)OBERLAND aMalojapassvtunnelsLötschbergeneG d’OexeEvian-Montreuxk(1815m)aBase tunnelLCrans-les-BainsBiascaCol du PillonPoschiavoSimplonBrigTICINOMontana(1546m)TunnelChiavennaAigleLesTihRôSierrenceDiablerets iSionTiranonSimplonpasso A(2006m)NLocarnoILBellinzonaLETLADents du MidiNV o(3257m)moVerbierSaas FeeDomodóssolaC SMartigny iIdAL oAITALYDomVZermattgLuganoa(4545m) iGrandedLMatterhornr oo goaLCombininga(4478m)Chamonix-gguL(4314m)aDufourspitzeMMont-Blanc o(4634m)ga0LCol du Gd.Mont BlancLeccoComometresVareseTurinMilanSt-Bernard (2469m)(4807m) SWITZE Metres 3000 2000 1500 1000 500 200 0 Pontarlier Frasne Vallorbe Le BrassusORNyon GENEVA enôhR nojiD noyL 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 5 15/12/16 5:00 pm 6 INTRODUCTION potato dish Rösti, and German-speaking FACT FILE Switzerland, where they do. • Switzerland covers an area of These different communities are held 41,285 sq km. The highest point is the together through a unique style of Dufourspitze at 4634m above sea level, the lowest is Lake Maggiore at 193m. “bottom-up” democracy, which ensures real • The total population is around power still rests with the people. Switzerland 8.2 million, of whom a quarter are not may be small, but this variety means it has Swiss citizens. plenty more to offer than most visitors • Switzerland has a long tradition of would initially expect. direct democracy. At every level of government – commune, cantonal or national level – the Swiss frequently vote Where to go on issues affecting all aspects of life, from local recycling projects to national immigration policy. Though small by global standards, Swiss • There are four official languages. cities often punch above their weight in About two-thirds of the population have terms of international importance and German as their first language, though cultural cachet. Having escaped bombing in the Swiss-German that is spoken is a very different dialect to High German, World War II, they retain beautifully which is written. A fifth speak French and preserved Old Town centres of cobbled six percent speak Italian, while Romansh, medieval alleys, picturesque buildings and a direct descendant of Latin, has clung on in pockets of the mountainous churches, with several offering the most southeast. Around one in ten people use stunning of natural settings. Geneva, Zürich English every day, and many Swiss are and Basel are crammed with world-class comfortably tri- or quadrilingual. museums and galleries, while in both Zürich • For over fifty years, Switzerland has been one of the top locations for and Lausanne there’s a humming arts scene shooting Bollywood films. Hundreds and underground club culture that feeds have been filmed here: Sangam was the nightlife as vibrant as anything you’ll find in first, in 1964, while one of the most famous is the 1995 classic Dilwale much larger European cities. Geneva, home Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring Shah Rukh to such illustrious global institutions as the Khan and Kajol. Scenes were shot in UN, the Red Cross and CERN, sits at the Gstaad, Saanen and Jungfraujoch. tip of the idyllic Lake Geneva. The diminutive Swiss capital Bern has a fine cobbled Old Town, while equally attractive Lucerne, spanned by wooden bridges and with a beautiful lakeside location, draws in visitors throughout the year, particularly for its summer classical music festival and springtime carnival. The other great carnival city is Basel, located on the Rhine at the point where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. At the opposite end of the country, Lugano basks on the shores of an azure lake a few kilometres from the Italian border. Any of these – or smaller but no less charming regional towns and cities such as Winterthur, St Gallen, Schaffhausen, Neuchâtel, Chur, Fribourg, Sion or Bellinzona – could serve as a base for a relaxing short break, or as a starting point from which to venture out into the country’s epic landscapes. Switzerland is, of course, best known for its mountain scenery, and there are countless possibilities for exploring the great outdoors. The Alps run in a band across the centre and OPPOSITE FROM TOP COLLECTION DE L’ART BRUT, LAUSANNE; FONDUE; ÄSCHER GASTHAUS, EBENALP 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 6 15/12/16 5:00 pm Author picks Our three authors travelled hundreds of miles by road and rail (and boat and cable car) to research this Guide. Along the way they swam and hiked, saw a lot of cows and ate a tonne of cheese. These were some of their favourite experiences. Take the plunge Switzerland’s clear waters are very tempting for a swim – and every waterside town and city has its own favourite spot. Cool off floating down the river in Basel (p.148); swim in Lake Lucerne (p.284) and Lake Zug (p.296); or splash around in Zürich’s riverside badis (p.327) and St Gallen’s three lakes (p.360). Public transport adventures Sometimes it’s all about the journey. Spectacular routes include: travelling by train up to Andermatt (p.304); taking the postbus over the Klausen Pass (p.368); and Graubünden’s Rhätische Bahn (p.374). Local treats Meringues were invented in Meiringen (p.226), though Kemmeriboden (p.185) also stakes a claim. Fribourgeois, meanwhile, will tell you their fondue is the authentic version (p.194). In Appenzell, the cheeses are sublime, and the local tipple is a herby liquor, Appenzeller bitter (p.365). The famed anise-flavoured spirit absinthe comes from the Val-de-Travers (p.122). Art collections Though Zürich is home to the Kunsthaus (p.318) and Basel boasts the Museum Tinguely (p.149), they don’t have a monopoly on fine art. Other superb collections are the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne (p.83); Lucerne’s Sammlung Rosengart (p.280); Winterthur’s Sammlung Oskar Reinhart “Am Römerholz” (p.345); and tiny Liechtenstein’s Kunstmuseum, which punches far above its weight (p.369). Dynamic subculture Get a taste of Switzerland’s surprisingly dynamic alternative scene at Bern’s Reitschule (p.171) or Zürich West’s open-air bar, Frau Gerolds Garten (p.335). Dining with a view Piz Gloria at the top of the Schilthorn cable car provides glorious views as it slowly revolves (p.212); 35th-floor restaurant Clouds stuns with its vistas over Zürich (p.334), while precariously perched Äscher in Ebenalp (p.366) is the most dramatic place in the country to come for Rösti. Our author recommendations don’t end here. We’ve flagged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special restaurant – throughout the guide, highlighted with the symbol. ★ 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 7 10/01/17 4:24 pm 8 INTRODUCTION SCHWINGEN YOUR PANTS Many Swiss traditions are familiar to the point of cliché to the outside world – the “Heidi” image of yodelling, Alpine horns, cow bells and embroidered folk dress. And you’ll still see all that, particularly in remote mountain regions. However, one folk pastime that is popular within Switzerland but hardly known outside is Schwingen, Swiss wrestling. Burly men don what can only be described as oversized pants made out of jute, worn over their trousers. They grab onto their opponent by these garments and wrestle it out in an open-air ring, with exacting rules about how they can throw their opponent. Competitions take place throughout Switzerland, particularly in rural German-speaking areas, in large festive competitions. A national championship takes place every three years, the Schwing-und Älplerfest, which incorporates all sorts of Alpine traditions and sports. The festival can attract 250,000 people and champion Schwingers are high-profile national figures. In 2019, the championship will be held in Zug (see p.295). You can find out more about this Swiss national sport at Wesv.ch/schwingen. south of the country, with resorts big and small throughout, and stunning views guaranteed. The Bernese Oberland, focused around the tourist hub of Interlaken, features such famous names as Wengen and Grindelwald. To the south, in Valais, sit Verbier, Crans-Montana and, at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn, Zermatt. In the southeast are Davos, Klosters and St Moritz, while south of Lucerne, Engelberg attracts adventurous freeriders and Andermatt is currently the country’s fastest-growing high mountain resort. Justifiably popular, all these places boast some of the best winter skiing and summer hiking in Europe. However, soaring peaks aren’t the only story. In the north and centre are lush, rolling grasslands epitomized by the velvety green hills – traditional dairy-farming country – of the Emmental. Vineyards rise tiered above Lake Geneva, the Rhône valley and the Rhine. In the northwest, the scrubby Jura mountains are an ideal landscape for long solitary walks and bike rides. Nestled beneath them are the three scenic, interconnected lakes of Neuchâtel, Murten and Biel/Bienne. The most beautiful lake in Switzerland, though, is surely Lake Lucerne, right in the centre of the country. Its many fingers of water spread out across the landscape, forming in turn wide expanses of crystalline blue and narrow passages, framed by looming peaks that invite exploration. In the northeast, in little Appenzellerland, the green hills rise up south of St Gallen to meet the craggy Alpstein range. Graubünden to the southeast, meanwhile, is about far more than a few big-name resorts: the landscape is cut through by wild, high-sided valleys – lonely, dark and thickly forested – most notably in the pristine Parc Nazunal Svizzer (Swiss National Park). 001-021_Switzerland_5_Intro.indd 8 15/12/16 5:00 pm