Five must-see places in Switzerland
Switzerland seldom features on the itineraries of European visitors, but these five destinations prove just why the country should be included on your next escorted tour or independent holiday.
Once you overcome its reputation for clock-construction and cheese making, you'll discover the country has a fascinating history to discover plus some of Europe's most captivating alpine scenery.
Better still, our selections are places that many business travellers to the country, and indeed even leisure travellers, may not have called into.
Sure, Geneva and Zurich are business capitals of world renown and have plenty to recommend them otherwise, but these five destinations will give you a taste of, excuse the pun, what really makes Switzerland tick.
Lucerne:
Located virtually smack bang in Switzerland’s geographic centre, this city is both a transport pivot and a cultural nexus. Home to a modest 76,000 residents, beautiful Lucerne sits on an eponymously named lake and looks onto soaring peaks like Mt Rigi and Mt Pilatus. The town’s iconic wooden Chapel Bridge traverses the gently flowing Reuss River and has stood in one form or another since the 14th century. The Old Town is a patchwork of half timber houses and Renaissance era architecture while the famed Lion Monument, carved into a rockface, recalls the sacrifice of over 200 Swiss Guards massacred in Paris during a bloody episode of the French Revolution.
Zermatt:
Situated near the Italian frontier in Switzerland’s far south west, this ski town with less than 6000 residents is watched over by the jagged Matterhorn. Mountaineers have made a beeline for Zermatt since the mid 19th century but today it caters mainly for skiers. Chair lifts, cable cars, a stunning rack railway to Gornergrat, and the Glacier Express railway all take guests high into the Alps, where incredible mountain vistas await. Combustion engine cars are banned from the streets here to preserve the mountain air – only electric vehicles are permitted. Access to remote Zermatt is only by train or by special taxi from nearby Tasch.
Bern:
The de facto Swiss capital sits in the central west of the country and the city proper has a small population of only around 100,000. The medieval Old Town of Bern will astound; its historical qualities are such that it has been a UNESCO World Heritage listed site since 1983. Adding to its prettiness, the Aar River flows around three sides in a horseshoe pattern. It’s home to Switzerland’s tallest cathedral, The Munster of Bern, first built in 1421. For the bold, its accessible bell tower rises a dizzying 100 metres above the town. Speaking of bells, the Zytglotte, or time bell, is a 13th century clock with moving puppets. If that’s not enough, Albert Einstein’s house is also found here.
Interlaken:
Searching for Switzerland’s most beautiful town? Well, Interlaken stakes a pretty good claim. Located in the Bernese Oberland of the Swiss Alps, it is the gateway to the region’s magical lakes and mountains. The town is also located close to one of Switzerland’s other famous peaks, the mighty Jungfrau. The town sits between glorious Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and is the site of the 12th century Interlaken Abbey, once a seat of the Holy Roman Emperor. It’s been a tourist magnet since the early 1800s and the Jungfraujoch, a saddle near the mountain’s summit is home to Europe’s highest railway station, some 3454 metres above sea level.
Bellinzona:
It’s unlikely that all but the most grizzled travel veterans would know of Bellinzona, but it deserves greater acclaim. This city of three castles is a medieval treasure. Castlegrande has stood since Roman times, dating to the 1st century; its greying exterior and crenellated ramparts still majestic. Second is the Montebello Castle, relatively youthful, harking back only to the 14th century. Then there’s the exotically named Sasso Corbaro, which stands outside of the city’s walls. Perhaps due to its isolation, a grim feature of the castle is its machicolations, through which burning oil was tipped on invaders. Happily, modern Bellinzona is much more welcoming.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
bellinzona bern interlaken lucerne switzerland zermattLatest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.