By area, the small country of Switzerland can be compared with the Moscow region. But that’s where the similarities end. According to one legend, when God created the world, he kept all his treasures above the center of Europe. And through His palms the most magnificent mountains, lakes with crystal clear water, rivers with stormy waterfalls, lush alpine meadows and other natural beauties seeped onto the lands of future Switzerland.
This country is not only in the heart of Europe, but also of all those who have been here at least once. After all, the inhabitants of Switzerland have managed to increase the wealth that God gave them with man-made sights. And despite the fact that this country is insanely expensive, millions of tourists visit it every year.
What is definitely worth seeing in it? One list of attractions will take several pages. Therefore, in this article we have chosen ten of the most beautiful places in Switzerland, which you definitely need to see.
We provided our description with photographs. And the reviews of tourists will tell you how to visit a particular attraction with less loss of time and money.
Matterhorn Peak
The concepts of the Alps and Switzerland are practically inseparable. After all, this mountain range occupies more than half of the country's area. The Swiss Alps are divided into three parts. The Jura massif is located in the northwestern part of the country.
From the south it is bordered by the Pennine Alps. And in the center is an extensive Swiss plateau. Mount Matterhorn is in the TOP 10 of not only the most beautiful places in Switzerland, but also in Italy. After all, a state border has been laid along it. In Italy, this mountain has a different name - Cervinha.
Matterhorn immediately catches the eye, and asks for the camera lens. This peak has an almost regular pyramid shape and rises far from other mountains. The Swiss consider Matterhorn to be the symbol of their country. No wonder they placed his image on a 50-franc gold coin.
The outlines of the Matterhorn can also be seen on the wrapper of the famous Swiss Tobleron chocolate. In order to conquer this impregnable peak with a height of 4478 meters, you need to be a professional climber. But ordinary tourists can get closer to the Matterhorn nevertheless.
To do this, climb to the top of the neighboring mountains - Gornergrat. Is it hard to stomp on your own two? Tourists say that to a height of more than 3 thousand meters, that is, the top of the mountain, you can deliver a special panoramic funicular train.
At the foot of the Matterhorn there are ski resorts: Zermatt on the Swiss side and Bray Cervinha on the Italian side. Skating, thanks to the glacier, is possible even in summer.
Mount Pilatus
If we talk about the best places in Switzerland in winter, then this peak can argue with the Matterhorn. Pilatus is located in the center of the country, southeast of Lucerne. The name of the mountain of legend is associated with the famous Roman procurator of Judea.
After Pontius Pilate put Christ to death, he repented and committed suicide. But the waters of the Tiber uprooted the body of the suicide. Two attempts to drown a corpse in the Rhone and Lake Geneva were also unsuccessful. Then the body of Pontius Pilate was thrown into the pond from the top of the mountain, which received his name. Local legends assure that the inconsolable soul of the procurator still roams the slopes, which is why villages , landslides and landslides are constantly falling on nearby villages .
But all this is nothing more than a beautiful legend. Anyone can climb to the top of Pilatus, because the height of the mountain is only 2128 meters. Tourists recommend starting a hiking ascent from Alpnahstadt. From there, the coolest train in the world departs. He is able to overcome the rise of 48 degrees!
And from the village of Kriens to the top of Pilatus there is a cable car. But not only for the sake of a panoramic view, tourists come up here. In winter, the Snow & Fan amusement park operates here.
Lake Geneva
Not only the mountains are the most beautiful places in Switzerland. God has gifted this country with more than one and a half thousand lakes. The largest of them (and the second largest in Europe) is Lehman. So the Swiss and French call Lake Geneva.
And poetic natures refer to him only as the “Mirror of the Alps”. After all, the mountains approach the pond in a dense ring, extinguishing even the smallest wind, so that the expanse of the lake is always calm and serene. This mirror reflects the old houses of Geneva, medieval castles on the cliffs and vineyards on the slopes.
On the lake, extending a crescent moon in the floodplain of the Rhone, passes the border between Switzerland and France. The entire northern coast, owned by the first country, is studded with resorts. As mountains approach the lake from the north, reliably protecting it from cold winds, the climate here is Mediterranean. Therefore, the chain of resort towns is called the Swiss or Geneva Riviera.
Only here you can sunbathe on a sun lounger and enjoy the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. But tourists in the reviews warn: you can swim comfortably only in July-August. Deep Lehman warms up slowly.
Rhine Falls
In Switzerland, not only the famous French river Rhone originates . In the local Alps, the mighty Rhine also appears on the surface, with which many legends are associated in Germany (about the Nibelungs, about Lorelei).
The height of the waterfall is not the most impressive - 23 meters (approximately like a 7-storey building), but it is one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland. In summer, at the time of melting mountain glaciers, this natural attraction is preferable to visit. After all, then about 700 cubic meters of water collapses from the cliff every second.
You can get to the Rhine Falls from Zurich by bus or train. You need to drive your car through Schaffhausen, Bulach or Winterthur. You can admire the waterfall from two observation platforms. The first is on a ledge that hangs over the abyss.
A wall of water collapses very close, and it seems that it is about to pick you up and carry away with you. To the second observation deck you need to sail in a boat. It is located on a tiny island in the middle of the river. From here, the waterfall is visible from above. The view is simply unreal and conquers the heart with its pristine beauty.
Caves of St. Beatus
The most motley crowd is going to Switzerland. It is interesting for both lovers of natural beauty and history lovers, because the region has been inhabited since the Neolithic, many monuments of the ancient Roman era and the Middle Ages have been preserved here. Here, mountain skiers, climbers, trekkers and even divers will also like it.
There are interesting places in Switzerland and for children. One of them is the cave of St. Beatus. They are located on the shores of Lake Thun, near the town of Interlaken, in the canton of Bern. For adult visitors, caves tell the legend of the young Suetonius, whom his parents sent to study in Rome.
Having met St. Peter on the way, he turned to God, tonsured monks and, adopting the Christian name Beatus, settled in a monastery, which he himself built on an impregnable rock. For young visitors, the story is colored with fabulous details. Allegedly, in order to build a monastery, Suetonius-Beatus first had to fight the fire-breathing dragon, which terrorized the entire district.
In the caves, everything recalls the presence of a monster. Stalactites and stalagmites look like a toothy mouth. At the entrance is a sculpture of a fire-breathing monster, and on the underground lake you can ride a boat in the form of a dragon.
Aletsch Glacier
Tourists recommend a ride on the Jungfrau Ban Railway. Its last kilometers pass in the tunnel, and when the train emerges to the surface of the earth, the hearts of the passengers freeze with admiration.
The glimpse of the Aletsch Glacier is one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland. Photos of this attraction are decorated with all country guides. It is the largest glacier in the Alps. It consists of three glaciers who, converging together, turn into a frozen river.
It moves at a speed of 200 meters per year. If you listen, you can catch the rustling and crackling of an ice tongue sliding down.
Verzaska River
This interesting place in Switzerland attracts not only lovers of natural beauty and history, but also divers. The waters of the Verzaska River are not just clean - they are sterile. And for some reason there is no life in them, even the simplest organisms and algae. Tourists advise getting here from Locarno.
The river is born on a glacier at an altitude of 2864 meters and after 30 km flows into Lake Maggiore. The water in it is amazing turquoise, and sometimes dark blue or malachite. The depth of Verzaska sometimes reaches 15 meters. But because of the absolute purity, every pebble is visible at the bottom. Divers in thermal suits go down to the depth to photograph not the underwater inhabitants, but the panorama above. Shores and passing clouds are visible through the water column.
And extreme people can repeat the James Bond feat from the Golden Eye series, which rushed down from the tall dam. Now it has a bungee jumping platform.
We explore the country by car
The most beautiful places in Switzerland can be seen all at once, if you travel in your own or rented car. Tourists recommend visiting the oldest and largest in the country of the two available - National Natural Park. It is located around the town of Zernets, in the Engadine Valley, in the canton of Graubünden.
It's hard to believe, but a century ago, these places were a depressing sight. Forests were mercilessly cut down, and in the mountains there were mines and quarries. But the good political will of the Swiss helped restore its pristine appearance to nature.
It should be remembered that in the reserve you can not go off the hiking trails and even shout loudly. Here, not a man feels a full owner, but wild animals and birds.
Lauterbrunnen
The most beautiful places in Switzerland are connected with mountain nature. Pearl streams, crystal waterfalls, emerald moss, multi-colored alpine meadows - all this can be seen in the Lauterbrunnen valley. It is small - only a kilometer wide and eight in length.
But it is a deep canyon, sandwiched by high cliffs. And in this small area 72 waterfalls fall out, and the high mountains of Jungfrau, Aiger and Mench serve as the background to this postcard view.
Canton of Ticino
To see the most beautiful places in Switzerland in winter, you need to go to the high Alps - to the ski resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz. But if you arrived in the country in the summer, do not miss the trip to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
The capital - Bellinzona - will surprise you with medieval sights. The canton of Ticino is close to Italy not only in the local dialect.
The climate here is also Mediterranean. Oleanders and cypresses will create the illusion of relaxation in the southern country.