Swiss Alps & Cities in Winter: A Cultural and Natural Odyssey

Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)

Museum displaying Swiss history

 Housed in a purpose-built mock-Gothic castle, the museum is often visited just to marvel at its architecture, but actually, this massive building has such superbly presented state-of-the-art displays on the history of the Swiss Confederation that you're sure to find something here that's worth at least an hour or two. If there's one thing the Swiss do, it's that they don't skimp on culture, so you can expect excellent value for money here.

James Joyce Foundation

Museum dedicated to the great Irish writer, James Joyce, wrote Ulysses during his wartime exile in Zurich from 1915-19

Museum dedicated to the great Irish writer, James Joyce, wrote Ulysses during his wartime exile in Zurich from 1915-19

FIFA World Football Museum

Modern museum with over 1000 displays on football (soccer)

Covering three floors in total, the museum traces the history of the game, FIFA, and both men's and women's World Cup competitions. Football junkies will delight in the details and memorabilia like old programs, shirts, boots and footballs, and even an unopened bottle of champagne from England's 1966 World Cup celebrations.

Wasserkirche

13th century church and crypt

The Gothic church is the site of the alleged martyrdom of Zurich's patron saints, Felix and Regula (they had deserted from their Roman legion in 286 and fled to Zurich before they were caught, tried and executed; after decapitation, they miraculously stood to their feet, picked up their own heads, walked forty paces uphill, and prayed before lying down in death). Behind the church is a statue of a sword-wielding Zwingli.

Kunsthaus Zürich

Art museum with major European collections from the 15th century

An absolute must for art enthusiasts. The collection begins before you even get inside: besides the main door is Rodin's vivid Gate of Hell depicting a scene from Dante's Inferno, while sculptures by Moore, Maillol, and others populate the grounds. Inside, Dutch and Flemish paintings are well represented by Rubens, Rembrandt, Hals, and others, and there's a Venetian room with works by Canaletto and El Greco. The collection of 20th-century art is one of the best in the world, with a selection of pop, concrete, and abstract expressionist art headlined by Warhol, Rothko, Bacon, and Twombly. Cubism, Fauvism, Dada, and Surrealism haven't been forgotten either. There are plenty of examples too of Picasso, Chagall, and Kandinsky, plus two canvasses by Monet, in addition to works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cezanne, along with the largest Munch collection outside of Norway.

Zytglogge (Clock Tower)

The clock tower with an astronomical clock is the accepted landmark of Bern for both locals and visitors

Built in the 13th century, the Zytglogge once formed part of the Western Gate. Expansion of fortifications in 1270 necessitated raising the Tower by an estimated 7 meters to enable it to look over the surrounding houses. Curiously, the tower was used from around 1350 as a prison for women convicted of improper relations with priests. The great fire of 1405, which destroyed virtually all the former wooden city, did not spare the Zytglogge. So devastating was the structural damage that renovations were not completed until 1983. In the early 15th century, a simple astronomical clock was first added to the gate. The clock and great bell (cast in 1405) gives the tower its name: Zytglogge, or Time Bell in Bernese German.

Altes Zeughaus

The old arsenal, which houses a mildly distracting museum of militaria

The massive collection here documents Solothurn's history of battles and booty, most impressively with a hall full of swords and suits of armor

Kriens-Pilatus Cable Car Station

Grindelwald

Village in the Bernese Alps

Village in the Bernese Alps that is considered to be the gateway to the Jungfrau Region. This village is popular among hikers and alpinists

Museum of Tourism

Museum showcasing the history of tourism in the Jungfrau region

Featuring excellent commentaries on the history of tourism in the Jungfrau Region presented in three floors of exhibits that cover everything from early transport and hotels to travel clothing and skiing. Housed in a lovely restored 17th-century timbered house, the museum includes models of early postal coaches, rack railway locomotives, bicycles and lake steamers, as well as actual historical carriages and vehicles.

Schloss Interlaken

Former Augustinian monastery turned castle with a chapel and Gothic cloister

A picturesque gem located close to the center of the city. The castle dates back to the 12th century. You can see the 14th-century bell tower along with a Gothic cloister and remains of a chapel dating from 1452. 

Iseltwald

Small village located on the southern shore of Lake Brienz

Piz Gloria

Revolving restaurant

The revolving restaurant on the peak of Schilthorn that was featured in the James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

Mürren

Lauterbrunnen

Picturesque Swiss town

Reformation Wall

A monumental reminder of Geneva’s history and influence during the Reformation.

The men depicted on the wall are the main protagonists of the Reformation, John Calvin, Willian Farel, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. Engraved on the wall is the Genevan motto “Post Tenebras Lux” which translates to “light after darkness.”

Bourg-de-Four Square

City Square

Geneva's oldest square that is filled with high-end shops, cafes with patios & fountains.

Reformation Wall

A monumental reminder of Geneva’s history and influence during the Reformation.

The men depicted on the wall are the main protagonists of the Reformation, John Calvin, Willian Farel, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. Engraved on the wall is the Genevan motto “Post Tenebras Lux” which translates to “light after darkness.”

Entrance to UN

The United Nations Office at Geneva

The UNOG encompasses an array of offices dedicated to economic and social development. It is the UN hub for delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid as well as a force that upholds human rights around the world. Today more than 25,000 delegates pass through the center each year.

Ariana Museum

Former mansion converted into a cermanic museum

The 1880s Neo-Baroque mansion has been converted into the Ariana Museum which is dedicated to ceramics and glassware from Europe to the Middle and the Far East. The interior of this museum is elaborately decorated with a vaulted ceiling and a great hall with bold colonnades. 

Lake Geneva

Lake

Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) is a crescent-shaped lake shared between France and Switzerland and overlooked by the Alps.

Mer de Glace

The Sea of Ice in French is the largest glacier in France and the third largest glacier in the Alps

Many attractions can be seen at the Mer de Glace including the Grotto de Glace, Gallery of Crystals, and the Glaciorium.

Lake Geneva

Lake

Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) is a crescent-shaped lake shared between France and Switzerland and overlooked by the Alps.

Chillon Castle

Lakeside castle that is a popular attraction near Montreux

Chillon Castle is an island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux. It is one of the most visited castles in Switzerland. During the 16th century Wars of Religion, it was used by the dukes of Savoy to house prisoners