I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2025! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2025! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2025 first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2025 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2024! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2024! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2024 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2023! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2023! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2023 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

With part two of a gourmet restaurant advice Switzerland, I end my series of blogposts about my lovely home country. I started with a guide on how to visit this Alpine nation, and this along a grand tour across the country. Further blogposts were on premium Swiss destinations that are ideal for discerning travelers. Then, I published a list of all the luxury hotels (part one and two) you find here. Finally, I went into (Michelin) restaurants for the traveling gourmets to Switzerland (part one).

Where to go for fine dining on the grand tour of Switzerland

As before, my tips for fine dining lovers base on a grand tour of Switzerland. For details to this itinerary check out my correspondent blogpost.

At an earlier point, I already drew your attention to the fact that many fine restaurants in Switzerland are at luxury hotels.

So, it is usually no bad choice to go for dining-spots at high-end accommodations. But of course, there is lot of great dining available outside of hotels, too. My gourmet restaurant advice Switzerland will go into both. It is comprehensive yet not complete of course.

On this occasion, I come to high-end culinary places on following partial tours: No 3 (Zermatt-Saint Moritz), 4 (Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad Ragaz) and 5 (Chur-Ticino).

Modular tour No 3: Zermatt-Saint Moritz – fine dining in Switzerland’s southern Alps

Zermatt

Restaurants at luxury hotels

All the luxury hotels I mentioned in my post in question (part two) offer recommended gourmet restaurants. The hotel, where I have stayed several times, Riffelalp Resort has two outlets, Alexandre (international cuisine)

and Al Bosco (Italian cuisine),

see here my post.

Another Zermatt hotel where I lodged recently, The Omnia has a restaurant with the same name, The Omnia (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). And I had a great meal here (see also my post).

As to other fine restaurants at luxury hotels, there are the following ones. The Cervo Mountain Resort features Madre Nostra (14 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine). Both Mont Cervin Palace and Grand Hotel Zermatterhof offer a Michelin one star dining spot: the former Ristorante Capri (17 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine), the latter Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni (16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine). In addition, Mont Cervin Palace hosts Grill le Cervin (14 points Gault Millau, international cuisine), Grand Hotel Zermatterhof  Lusi Brasserie (13 points Gault Millau, international cuisine).

Other Zermatt restaurants

Then there are two more fine dining outlets in town with a Michelin star. These are about After Seven (17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine) at the Backstage Hotel Vernissage and about Brasserie Uno (15 points Gault Millau, contemporary cuisine). Also La Muña (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, Peruvian-Japanese cuisine)

at Hotel Schweizerhof Zermatt might be worth a try. I found the one at Davos good.

Furthermore, there is quite a number of mountain restaurants in Zermatt that are culinary hotspots. For an overview, have a look at my two posts: Where to eat in style on the slopes in Zermatt and the same v.2.0. Just to name a few of them, Zum See (Michelin The Plate, 14 point Gault Millau, international cuisine),

 Chez Vroni (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine)

and Findlerhof (14 points Gault Millau, international cuisine).

Andermatt

In case you make a stop between Zermatt and Saint Moritz, using the Glacier Express, you can try out the excellent culinary offer in Andermatt. It is on offer especially at The Chedi Hotel.

There is the The Japanese Restaurant on the one hand with exceptional authentic cuisine from Nippon (Michelin two stars, 18 points Gault Millau, Japanese cuisine).

On the other hand you find here The Restaurant that showcases Asian and European food (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, international cuisine).

For more details, here is my post about dining in style at The Chedi.

Apart from those restaurants at The Chedi, high-quality gastronomic is also available on the ski slopes. First, there is an offshoot of The Japanese Restaurant, The Japanese by The Chedi Andermatt (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, Japanese cuisine). Second, you can have lunch at Guetsch by Markus Neff (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine). Unfortunately, especially the latter comes with a hefty price tag.

Saint Moritz

Here I make a difference between the town of Saint Moritz and the rest of the Upper Engadine. The majority of recommended places for fine dining here are in town or in its close neighborhood. And most are located at luxury hotels.

Saint Moritz town

I start with the ones at luxury hotels before highlighting one more place to go here. The star hotel here, Badrutt’s Palace

has three fine dining spots onsite: Matsuhisa, a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau), Le Restaurant (Michelin The Plate, classic cuisine) and Chesa Veglia (15 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). There is even a fourth on the slopes, Paradiso (Michelin The Plate, 13 points Gault Millau, traditional cuisine).

As to the other four high-end accommodations in Saint Moritz, they do not fall behind. Kulm offers a vast choice, too: Kulm Country Club by Mauro Colacgreco, a three star Michelin chef from France (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine); Amaru by Claudia Canessa (15 points Gault Millau, Peruvian cuisine),  The Pizzeria (14 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine) and Sunny Bar by Tom Booton (14 points Gault Millau).

Others have a more modest selection of fine restaurants: Suvretta House has the formal Grand Restaurant (17 points Gault Millau, international cuisine) and the Suvretta Stube (14 points Gault Millau, traditional cuisine). Plus, there is the separately located Chasellas (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, traditional cuisine). Carlton features the two star Michelin Da Vittorio (18 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine). And Kempinski sends two fine dining spots into competition: Cà d’Oro (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine) and Da Adriano (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine).

Also the newest luxury hotel in town, Grace Hotel La Margna has its gourmet spot, Restaurant The View (14 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

As to fine dining outside of hotels, a recommended place to go is Dal Mulin (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 15 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine).

I dined here in the past and liked not only the good food but also the relaxed setting. Another remarkable dining spot is Krone (Michelin one star, 14 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine).

Around Saint Moritz

A great address for fine dining lovers is In Lain Hotel Cadonau in Brail, bordering to the Upper Engadine (here my post). It features three places to dine in style: Vivanda (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine),

Stuevetta (14 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine)

and Kaeserei (Michelin The Plate, Swiss cuisine).

Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina

where I stayed couple years ago (my review) has its Kronenstuebli (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, French cuisine).

And there are three more Michelin starred restaurants in Saint Moritz’s close proximity. First, there is the two Michelin star Ecco (winter only, 18 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine) at Giardino Mountain in Champfèr. Its (new) chef, Reto Braendli, works in summer in Ascona at the Giardino.

Second, you find in the Saint Moritz area the one Michelin starred Restaurant La Chavallera at Hotel Krone Saeumerei am Inn in La Punt Chamues-ch (16 points Gault Millau, modern & Alpine cuisine). And third, another one Michelin starred venue is located very close from the previous, Chesa Stueva Colani at Hotel Stueva Colani in Madulain (17 points Gault Millau, innovative cuisine).

Modular tour No 4: Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad-Ragaz – gourmet restaurants in Switzerland’s east

Zurich

I possibly cannot give an overview of all recommended fine dining establishments in Switzerland’s biggest city as there are much too many. Instead I will focus on three groups of gourmet restaurants: those at luxury hotels in the city of Zurich, my favorites in the Lake Zurich area (in and outside of hotels) and finally my top picks of the moment in Zurich itself.

Fine dining at luxury hotels in Zurich

Almost all the high-end accommodations in town feature gourmet restaurants, too. I start with The Dolder Grand. Here you find one of three Michelin two star fine dining spots in town, The Restaurant (19 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine). In the past, I had dinner here (see my review) and some time ago I had the chance of indulging in Heiko Nieder’s

top cooking again, at an event in Saint Moritz (my post). And I must admit, he is a true master in his field! As to other restaurants at the Dolder, recently they upgraded their gastronomy. There is still the more casual Saltz (15 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). New are Mikuriya (16 points Gault Millau, Japanese cuisine) and Blooms, an open air eatery (15 points Gault Millau, vegetarian cuisine).

A small yet fine collection of hotels, The Living Circle, has three premium hotels in the Zurich area, all coming with excellent restaurants. The star among them is Widder with its two Michelin starred Widder Restaurant (18 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine). Lately, I had the chance to dine here, and it deserves its accolades!

But also its sister hotel Storchen with La Rôtisserie offers superlative gastronomy (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine).

Alex Lake Zurich is a newer addition to this small hotel group, more about it follows in the the next chapter. Whilst staying at the latter in the past, I also had a fabulous dinner at La Rôtisserie, see here the details.

Now to a luxury hotel reopened in 2020 and to a traditional high-end one. La Réserve Eden au Lac is a newly renovated grand hotel with dining spots that might be worth a visit, Eden Kitchen & Bar (Michelin one star, 16 Gault Millau points, Italian cuisine) and La Muña (Michelin The Plate, 16 Gault Millau points, Peruvian-Japanese cuisine).

The Baur au Lac opened a new restaurant in mid 2024, Marguita, with Mediterranean cuisine. In contrast to the previous dining spot here – the two starred Michelin Pavillon – there is no gourmet tasting menu. Instead you order from a varied à la carte menu. The other eatery, Baur’s (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine), remains as it is.

There is yet another luxury hotel with a change in the kitchen. It is about Hotel Park Hyatt with its Parkhuus (Michelin The Plate, classic cuisine) where a new chef is on the helm. And to make this list complete, the four-star Hotel Marktgasse features Igniv (Michelin two stars, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

Last but not least, a new high-end lodging with a gourmet culinary offer opened end of 2023 in Zurich. This is about  Hotel Mandarin Oriental Savoy. Orsini is its signature dining spot where Dario Moresco is in charge. He was appointed by Antonio Guida, the two-star Michelin chef at Mandarin Oriental Milan. And I can say that this young chef does extremely well, a new culinary hotspot in Zurich was born (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau)!

The hotel’s second restaurant, Savoy Brasserie & Bar (15 points Gault Millau), also seems to excel.

Upscale dining-spots in the Lake Zurich area

I come back to the Hotel Alex Lake Zurich in Thalwil that I mentioned in the last chapter. Here a former sous chef from Restaurant Widder is at work at Restaurant Alex (14 points Gault Millau, Italian/international cuisine). When staying at the hotel in the past, I had dinner at Alex, although helmed by a former chef (here the details).

If you look for an equally good alternative in the Zurich Lake area, give also Restaurant Belvoir at Belvoir Hotel in Rueschlikon a try (14 points Gault Millau, international cuisine).

I really enjoyed my meal here (see my post).

As one would expect, you can here also discover dining restaurants worth going to that are not located in hotels. I have already tried out Sihlhalde in Gattikon-Thalwil (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine)

in a beautiful rural setting. And Restaurant Woeschi in Zurich-Wollishofen (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine) is on my agenda!

Gourmet restaurants outside of hotels in Zurich

I start with my favorite restaurants in town before continuing with the ones on my bucket list. Often, I prefer modern, creative cuisine over traditional, classic one. And this shows in my Zurich suggestions, too.

My favorites of the moment in Zurich

All the places I am going to mention are such ones I have dined at in the past year and liked them a lot. I start with two “oldies” that I revisited and still found excellent. First, it is about Maison Manesse (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine). Unfortunately, they give up their current location at Manesse Square end of 2024 and looking for a new one (not yet found).

Second, I dined at Kle (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau) again.

It confirmed my view that there is no better address for upscale vegan food in Zurich if not in Switzerland.

Now to places I had dinner for the first time. Regrettably, I chose two which I was fond of but which are in some kind of transition. On the one hand, it is about a truly memorable culinary experience by one-star Michelin chef Oscar de Matos at Restaurant An (closed). If you want to try his well-made cuisine you can book a private event with him. On the other hand, I ate fabulously at Restaurant Kin, which closes end of 2024. Yet the chef, Beni Landolt, wants to follow the credo offering Asian inspired modern cuisine, which is affordable too. Let us see what comes out of it!

Furthermore, I very much enjoyed the creative cuisine at the newly opened casual fine-dining eatery Ameo (14 points Gault Millau)

and the modern Japanese at Gaijin Izakaya (14 points Gault Millau).

Finally, I tried out one of Nenad Mlinarevic‘s dining spots! In case you do not know him, this two-star Michelin chef is one of the best known in Switzerland. And I choose Bauernschaenke (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 15 points Gault Millau, regional/international cuisine), his first one, where I had a great lunch in a relaxed setting.

My to-do list

Now to my go-to list in the city of Zurich! In terms of creative, moderne cuisine, I still have not managed to try out the following restaurants (on my to-do list for 2024): Neue Taverne (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, mostly vegetarian), Wirtschaft im FRANZ (Michelin one star), Lindenhofkeller (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, by Sebastian Roesch, a one-star Michelin chef) and  Afghan Anar (Michelin The Plate, Afghan cuisine). And I still think that I should visit all of them!

Now to my new additions to this list: Rémy (15 points Gault Millau, modern European cuisine), Silex (14 points Gault Millau, modern European cuisine) and Yu-An (modern Japanese food). All of them are contemporary and casual fine-dining spots. In terms of top league restaurants, I have no urgent need to go to any particular place (some are also ridiculously expensive).

Saint Gallen

Restaurants in town

If you opted for the one and only upscale hotel in Saint Gallen, Einstein, all the better. Because it hosts the top fine dining place in town, Einstein Gourmet (Michelin two stars, 18 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

I have dined here on two occasions, and it was both times a true epicurean experience (my review).

Another recommended restaurant for fine dining lovers is Jaegerhof (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine).

I know it from a recent dinner, which was heavenly! And they also have one hotel room available in case you are interested. In the past, I also had a pleasant lunch at Netts Schuetzengarten (Michelin Bib Gourmand, international cuisine), here my review. And last, I had a fine meal at Zum Goldenen Schaefli (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine) a few years ago.

Restaurants in the Saint Gallen area

If you do not mind heading out of town, there are three more renowned fine dining spots in the area. I just came upon one one of them recently, Restaurant Mammertsberg (with six guest rooms) in Freidorf (my post about it).

The managing couple I wrote about in my post has left in the meantime. A big name took over in October 2022, Andreas Caminada’s protégé Silvio Germann. He had been working at Restaurant Igniv in Bad Ragaz for seven years (two Michelin stars, 18 points Gault Millau). And he was able to retain the same rating for Mammertsberg (creative cuisine).

The others are Segreto in Wittenbach (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine) and Neue Blumenau in Loemmenschwil (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine).

If you prefer staying in the countryside, there are three more interesting places in the nearby Appenzell.

Appenzell

The rural area of Appenzell is not far from Saint Gallen and easy to reach from this city, especially if you have a car at your disposal.

Unfortunately, one of the two hot addresses in Appenzell is not any more (Incantare). So, there is only one left, Gasthaus zum Gupf in Rehetobel (8 guest rooms plus 16 at Dorfhus Gupf) with its Michelin one star Gupf Restaurant (17 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine). Yet there is one more fine dining spot that might be worth trying out. It is Truube in Gais (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). It is about half an hour to drive from either of the two inns I have just pointed out.

Bad Ragaz

This small town between Saint Gallen and Chur is a great stop for those who love the finer things in life. You find here not only one of the best and biggest luxury hotels in Switzerland, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, but also lots of places to dine in style. And most of them are located at the mentioned hotel.

For 2024, there is a realignment planned for two of the six dining spots at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. While nothing changes at the top, two other restaurants – Namun and Olives d’Or – will be replaced by three new ones.

Everything remains as it is with the other four eateries. This is about one of two flagship spots on site, Memories (Michelin 3 stars, 18 points Gault Millau, chef Sven Wassmer) and

and the chef’s second restaurant Verve (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine).

The same is true for the other flagship restaurant, Igniv (Michelin two stars, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine, chef Joël Ellenberger).

If you care for a fine dinner outside of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, I have a tip for you. Go to the nearby Hotel Roessli where Restaurant Roessli (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, international cuisine)

is located. For more information check out my fine dining guide on Bad Ragaz and my review of Restaurant Memories at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Fuerstenau – cutting edge gastronomy at Schauenstein Castle

If you are a serious foodie and are in in the lucky position of having some time left in the area, consider a short stay (19 rooms) or a meal only at Andreas Caminada‘s Schauenstein Castle. It is located about 20 minutes south of Chur by car.  He is one of only four Michelin star chefs in Switzerland and also the man behind Igniv, the high-end tapas style eateries in Bad Ragaz and Zurich.

I had dinner here on two occasions, a blogpost about my recent visit to Schauenstein Castle in Fuerstenau (19 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine)

can be found here.

Modular tour No 5: Chur-Ticino – High end restaurants in Switzerland’s south

Once you have arrived in Switzerland’s near Mediterranean south – ponder going to Bad Ragaz and/or Fuestenau before boarding your train in Chur – , you are on for great Italian food!

Lugano

As in other Swiss cities too, many of the leading restaurants are at luxury hotels. At Hotel Villa Castagnola you find  Galleria Arté al Lago (16 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). There is one more good eatery at this hotel is Le Relais (15 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). At Villa Principe Leopoldo you can dine in style at Principe Leopoldo (16 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine).

With regard to Splendide Royal, a new chef took over, Marco Veneruso. He watches over the flagsphip place I Due Sud (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine)

and the main restaurant Veranda (14 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

Last but not least, there is recommended fine dining available at Lugano’s newest high-end lodging, Restaurant The View (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine)

at Hotel The View.

I had dinner at all the places mentioned, either on my recent visit to Lugano (here my post) or some time back. Outside of hotels, you find two more fine-dining spots that might be worth going to. One the one hand, there is Meta at the event venue of Palazzo Mantegazza (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). On the other hand, Restaurant Badalucci is a newer addition to Lugano’s fine dining scene (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

Locarno

I must admit that I have not eaten at restaurants yet in this relaxed town,

although having been in the area quite often. But I know it well from day trips when staying in nearby Ascona. But I did quite a thorough research instead relying on the Michelin and Gault Millau guides.

First to the restaurant at the one and only luxury hotel in the area,Villa Orselina, in the hills above Locarno. Il Ristorante di Villa Orselina has Mediterranean cuisine on offer (15 points Gault Millau). One minute by foot from here you find another eatery, Al Gusto da Christen (14 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine). And 11 minutes from Hotel Villa Orselina in the other direction, there is yet another recommended dining-spot, La Chiesa (16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

In Locarno’s town center you find a range of fine-dining spots. There are two serving Mediterranen cuisine and both awarded Michelin The Plate: Da Valentino (15 points Gault Millau) and Locanda Locarnese (14 points Gault Millau). A bit away from the center yet easily to reach is Osteria del Centenario in Locarno-Muralto (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

Just in case you do not mind leaving town there are three more gourmet spots nearby. And this in Ponte Brolla on the Maggia river (6 minutes by car). First, you find here the chic Da Enzo (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine) and second, two more hotel restaurants, Albergo Ristorante Centovalli (Michelin The Plate, 13 Gault Millau, regional cuisine) and T3E Terre (Michelin The Plate, 14 Gault Millau, Mediterranen cuisine).

Ascona

Three luxury hotels are situated here, and all come along with upscale restaurants as well. I start with with the Eden Roc where I stayed twice in the recent past. The signature place here is La Brezza (Michelin two stars, 19 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

Further eateries are the main dining spot, Restaurant Eden Roc (15 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine),

the casual Marina (international cuisine) and

La Cassetta (14 points Gault Millau, seafood).

For more information on dining at Hotel Eden Roc, have a look at my related post.

The Castello Del Sole where I have lodged quite a few times over the years, features the Locanda Barbarossa (Michelin one star, 18 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine).

Not so long ago, I had the chance to indulge here in a sublime culinary experience.

Furthermore, you find here the half board restaurant Ristorante Tre Stagioni (15 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine),

where I dined several times on my recent stay at the hotel. And I liked what I got! In case you are interested in more details about the restaurants at Hotel Castell del Sole, have a look at my blogpost.

And finally the Giardino, where I stayed several times too some time back, is home of Restaurant Ecco (creative cuisine) and the half board eatery Hide & Seek (Michelin The Plate, international cuisine). As to the former, the long standing two-star Michelin left. Apparently a highly decorated successor has already been hired but not yet announced.

If you want to have dinner outside of these three high-end hotels, I have a few tips. Unfortunately, all of those are out of reach on foot. They are easily accessible by car, I have indicated driving times. As to Ascona itself, I have to admit that I have not warmed to upscale restaurants in town so far.

In Ascona’s neighborhoods, you can either go to Ponte Brolla (7 minutes, see under Locarno) or to Losone (5 minutes) where you find two recommended fine dining spots. There is Osteria dell’Enoteca (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine) in Losone,

where I had a great dinner on Ascona stay some time ago, or Ristorante Centrale (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 13 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). Yet another gourmet spot is La Braciere in Ronco sopra Ascona (11 minutes) at Panorama Hotel Elisabetta (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine). My family had drinks here on one occasion, and we liked the ambiance.

Overall

After part one of a culinary journey along the grand tour of Switzerland, this was part two of a gourmet restaurant advice Switzerland (part one). Other posts in this context were about premium destinations and luxury hotels (part one and two) in my home country. All these blogposts will be updated on a regular basis.

last revised: December 2024

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The post Fine dining directory Switzerland, part two first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Fine dining directory Switzerland, part two appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

It is high time to advise on fine dining restaurants in Switzerland too after my other guides on my wonderful home country! While the first one was about where to go (precisely a grand tour across Switzerland), the second one highlighted premium Swiss destinations. A third one gave an overview on luxury hotels to choose while traveling this Alpine nation (part one and two), and now it is all about gourmet restaurants.

Again, the suggested grand tour of Switzerland will be the basis for my culinary recommendations. I will propose tips for fine dining lovers along this route as I did with my high-end accommodation guide. Luckily for you as a gourmet, many of the luxury hotels mentioned in here have great restaurants too. So it might be advisable to opt for those. Yet I will also go into hot dining spots outside of hotels.

And just as with my guide to upscale lodging, you get this fine dining directory Switzerland in two parts. It is simply too much to handle in one post only. The first one comprises of the basic tour No 1b (Lucerne-Interlaken), the modular tour No 1 (Basel-Solothurn-Bern) and the modular tour No 2 (Interlaken-Gstaad-Montreux-Lausanne-Geneva). The rest – modular tour No 3 (Zermatt-Saint Moritz), modular tour No 4 (Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad Ragaz) and modular tour No 5 (Chur-Ticino) – follows soon on my blog.

(Michelin) restaurants along the grand tour of Switzerland

For details on how to visit Switzerland (grand tour, divided into a basic tour and 5 modular ones to add according to desire), please have a look at my correspondent blogpost.

Now to fine dining restaurants in my home country. Contrary to the luxury hotel guide, I will not include all the establishments that might be worth going to. Because there are too many of them. It will be a curated selection, based on two renowned restaurants guides and my personal experience.

Of course I have not been to all the restaurants I am going to talk about. I am a passionate fine dining lover and I have had my share of visits to establishments offering culinary delights (or not so much). Yet I consider myself an informed viewer of the national culinary scene. And there are – as mentioned – two restaurants guides for reference, the Michelin Guide Switzerland and the Gault Millau-Channel. While the former is available in English too, the latter only exists in German and French.

Michelin and Gault Millau Guide

In case you are unfamiliar with these two fine dining directories, here is some information about them. Michelin awards stars, either three (maximum), two, one or no stars. In the latter case, this does not have to be bad news. It might be an accolade just to be in the guide. And this either receiving “The Plate” meaning the restaurants “simply serve good food” or “The Bib Gourmand” that highlights those offering “a good quality menu for a modest price”. Gault Millau rates on a scale of 1 to 20 (the highest). However, the ones below 10 are rarely listed.

Basic tour No 1b: Lucerne-Interlaken – fine dining in Switzerland’s core

Lake Lucerne Region

In this region I make a distinction between the town of Lucerne and its neighborhood that I call here “Around Lake Lucerne”.

Lucerne

The town of Lucerne is not one that I often visit when it is about dining out in nearby places. Yet I had three dinner here in the course of the last years, and this at Restaurant Scala (15 points Gault Millau, Mediterranean cuisine) at Art Deco Hotel Montana. And all were good!

As to the dining spots at the luxury hotels I mentioned in my accommodation guide, so much can be said. The Schweizerhof offers quality dining at its elegant annexe, Villa Schweizerhof (13 points Gault Millau, classic cuisine). The Grand Hotel National knows to persuade with a new restaurant, Klingler’s Ristorante (14 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine), a branch of a Zurich dining-spot. And the newest luxury hotel in town, Manadarin Oriental Palace, even features two places for dining in style. These are Restaurant Colonnade (Michelin two stars, 17 Gault Millau points, modern French cuisine) and Restaurant Minamo (Michelin, 15 points Gault Millau, Japanese cuisine).

The hottest dining-spot in town outside of hotels is probably Maihoefli (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine), a lovely restaurant just outside the city center. Robert Steuri, a young chef, has been here at work since October 2023.

Around Lake Lucerne

Here I limit myself to hotel restaurants as almost all of the luxury hotels I mentioned in my guide have excellent fine dining opportunities.

The flagship place here is probably Park Hotel Vitznau with two hot dining-spots. On the one hand, there is Focus (Michelin two stars, 18 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine),

headed by Patrick Mahler. The dinner I had here in the past was a hit, please refer to my post. On the other hand, yet another young chef is at work here, Felix Kattchin. And he does this at Grill & Lake Terrace (15 points Gault Millau, meat dishes).

The Buergenstock Resort in Obbuergen has even more fine dining opportunities, three in number awarded by Gault Millau! For an overview, check out my post about this huge hotel complex. The most popular might be Spices (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau, pan-Asian cuisine). I had dinner here some years back and enjoyed it.

The other two are Oak Grill & Pool Patio (15 points Gault Millau, meat dishes) and Parisa – Persian Cuisine (13 points Gault Millau, oriental cuisine). Find here all about dining at this resort.

In case you want to have dinner at a Michelin starred mountain restaurant, Regina Montium (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau) at Hotel Edelweiss on Mount Rigi could be your place. While the hotel is rather modest, its dining-spot is definitely not. I had lunch here recently (in the Bistro by Regina Montium, Michelin Bib) and liked what I got.

Interlaken

If you stay here at the best hotel in town, Victoria-Jungfrau, all the better! The best pick in town for gourmets is most probably Radius by Stefan Beer (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine), one of several restaurants at this grand old dame.

Modular tour No 1: Basel-Solothurn-Bern – gourmet restaurants in Switzerland’s northwest

Basel

Established dining spots in Basel

The city’s most upscale accommodation, Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, is at the same time home of the star restaurant here. This is Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl (19 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine), one of only four Michelin three star establishments in Switzerland! I lately dined here and totally loved the experience.

As to other recommended restaurants in town, here are some more suggestions. I had dinner at all of them at some time in the past. First of all, there is another top dining-spot, a bit further away from the city center, Stucki – Tanja Grandits (Michelin two stars, 19 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

Then there is Bel Etage, the Teufelhof Hotel’s signature restaurant (16 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine), and Chez Donati (13 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine).

Both are long-established culinary places in Basel, see my review of the latter.

Finally, there is one more decorated dining venue you should know about. It is not exactly long-standing but quite some years in town. It is about roots (Michelin two stars, 18 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). As the name hints they are into vegetable food yet without neglecting meat and fish. I have dined here recently and found the food Pascal Steffen’s cuisine excellent.

Newer restaurants in Basel

As to newcomers, I tried out two of them in Basel lately. This was on the one hand Im Ackermannshof (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

On the other hand, I visited the restaurant at the new Moevenpick Hotel Basel, Puro (14 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine).

While the former beguiles with refined Italian inspired dishes, the latter surprises with Latin American Asian influenced creations.

There is one more new dining spot that is worth going to. A chef, at whom I have already dined several times (Andreas Schuermann), opened his new dining-spot, Zum Wilde Maa, in 2020 (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 14 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). And the food is still excellent here.

Solothurn

Just in case you stay at La Couronne, why not give Le Restaurant a try (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine). On my recent visit, I found it good.

As I am a great fan of modern Asian cuisine, I like to go to the Salzhaus (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 13 points Gault Millau, contemporary cuisine).

See here my reviews: lunch and dinner.

My favorite in town at the moment is Zum Alten Stephan (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 15 points Gault Millau, farm to table cuisine). On my recent lunch here, I very much enjoyed what they offered.

In the past, I had also dinner at the flagship restaurateur in the area, Juerg Slaschek, at his Attisholz – Le Feu (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, French cuisine), a bit out of town.

Bern

Established dining spots in Bern

Both luxury hotels I recommended in my recent post offer fine dining too. Bellevue Palace has its Brasserie Vue (Michelin The Plate, 14 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). Schweizerhof features Jack’s Brasserie (14 points Gault Millau, traditional cuisine).

Of course, there are abundant excellent fine dining opportunities out of hotels as well. Here are two of them where I dined in the past. My top pick is the relaxed Steinhalle (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine, my review).

Yet I also liked my culinary experience at Mille Sens (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, international cuisine, my review).

Newer restaurants & outside of Bern

When it comes to newer restaurants in Bern offering an exquisite fine-dining experience, I can recommend two. First of all, I lately had a fantastic meal at Wein & Sein (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau).

But also Restaurant Zoe (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau, vegetarian cuisine) knew how to persuade on a recent dinner.

And if you do not mind heading out of town (20 minutes by train), the one Michelin starred Zur Gedult in Burgdorf (17 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine)

is a great address (my review).

Modular tour No 2: Interlaken-Gstaad-Montreux-Lausanne-(Geneva) – High-end restaurants in Switzerland’s west

The culinary Swiss journey goes directly to Gstaad as I have already written about Interlaken earlier on.

Gstaad

Here you do not have to leave your hotel for epicurean treats, at least if you follow my accommodation advice. All the high-end hotels I recommended in the chalet town of Gstaad offer top restaurants.

The Alpina Gstaad tops the list with the Michelin one star Sommet (18 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). It is followed by Gstaad Palace with Le Grill (16 points Gault Millau, traditional cuisine) and Gildo’s Ristorante (Michelin The Plate, Italian cuisine). Also Le Grand Bellevue with Lenoard’s (16 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine) knows how to persuade traveling gourmets.

Another hotel that is known for top cuisine is Le Grand Chalet where I stayed and dined twice in the past. Its classic French dining-spot called La Bagatelle (Michelin The Plate, 16 points Gault Millau) seems still worth visiting it.

The star restaurant in Gstaad is not in town but in nearby Rougement (10 minutes by car/18 minutes by train away). It is about the two Michelin star Restaurant La Table du Valrose (18 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine) at Hotel Valrose.

Montreux

The lake-side town of Montreux does have some recommended fine dining opportunities, especially its part of Glion stands out. On the one hand, you find here Maison Décotterd (Michelin one star, 18 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine). Only recently, I had a fabulous birthday dinner at this sophisticated place.

On the other hand, there is Hotel Victoria’s Restaurant (14 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine).

I had dinner here on several occasions and was content with the dining place’s sound performance (my post).

Lausanne

Hotel restaurants

There is no shortage of great fine dining in this French-speaking city. And you can almost not go wrong as an epicurean if you stay at an upscale accommodation here. Because all three luxury hotels in town feature gourmet places.

The winner here in terms of high-end gastronomy is Beau-Rivage Palace. Onsite you find not only Anne-Sophie Pic (offshoot, Michelin two stars, 18 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine, chef Jordan Theurillat),

but also two other quality restaurants. You can choose between Kaigan (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault-Millau, Japanese cuisine)

or Café Beau-Rivage (14 points Gault Millau, international cuisine). On two recent occasions, I experienced culinary excellence at Anne-Sophie Pic, although be prepared to fork out some cash. In addition, I enjoyed a great Asian dinner at Miyako. Find more details about both dining spots in my blogpost.

Not bad at all is the fine-dining experience at Lausanne Palace with La Table (Michelin two stars, 17 points Gault Millau, creative cuisine).

Restaurants outside of hotels

If you look for independent restaurants (not at hotels), I have two more tips. I already mentioned that there are four Michelin three star dining-spots in Switzerland. Not far from Lausanne you find one of those, probably the most prominent one (and most expensive one too) in my home country, Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier (19 points Gault Millau, classic French cuisine, chef Franck Giovannini).

Just recently, I had the chance to dine here, and it was truly a great deal (my post).

You might also know that Lausanne is home of probably the best hospitality management school in the world. And there is also a top fine dining here, Le Berceau des Sens (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau, French cuisine).

Geneva

The cosmopolitan city of Geneva is not much different from other Swiss cities when it comes to the location of haute cuisine. It is usually no bad idea to trust in restaurants of high-end hotels.

Hotel restaurants

I start with the two where I have already been. In the past, I ate well at La Réserve at its Tsé Fung (Michelin one star, 14 points Gault Millau, Chinese cuisine).

Quite some time ago, I also dined at the Beau-Rivage at Le Chat-Botté (Michelin one star, 18 points Gault-Millau, modern French cuisine).

By the way, chef Dominique Gauthier left this restaurant in summer 2023 after more than 30 years in charge. He did this to pursue his own project (see below). On the helm now is his former sous chef, Mathieu Croze.

There are more hotel restaurants worth going to as a gourmet. You can mention here Hotel Royal with L’Aparté (Michelin one star, 17 points Gault Millau),  Four Seasons des Bergues with Il Lago (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau, Italian cuisine) and Izumi (14 points Gault Millau, Japanese-Peruvian cuisine) as well as President Wilson with Bayview (Michelin one star, 18 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine). Furthermore, there are The Ritz-Carlton de la Paix with Fiskebar (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, modern cuisine) and Mandarin Oriental with Sachi (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, Japanese cuisine).

And the restaurants at the newest hotel here, The Woodward, deserve going to as well. There is L’Atelier Robuchon (Michelin two stars, 17 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine) on the one hand and Le Jardinier on the other (Michelin The Plate, 15 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine with a focus on vegetable).

Restaurants outside of hotels & Geneva

It goes without saying there are also great places outside of hotels, I name here only one establishment where I dined on a recent occasion. It is the new restaurant of the long-time chef at Le Chat Botté I mentioned before. Dominique Gauthier now is in charge of F.P. Journe – Le Restaurant (Michelin one star, 16 points Gault Millau). And dining here turned out to be a total hit!

Finally, there is one more dining-spot absolutely worth mentioning (and where I celebrated a special birthday once), Domaine de Châteauvieux (Michelin one star, 19 points Gault Millau, modern French cuisine, chef Philippe Chevrier). It is outside the city, in the vineyards. Incidentally, the chef also owns a number of second restaurants in and around Geneva. While staying in Geneva recently, I dined at two of those. And I liked Chez Philippe (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 15 points Gault Millau) in particular, a modern steak house, where I had a great meal at the Bar.

Overall

This was part one of a culinary journey along the grand tour of Switzerland proposed in an earlier post. Part two of the fine dining directory Switzerland follows soon on my blog. Other posts in the context of my home country Switzerland highlighted itineraries, premium destinations and luxury hotels (part one and two).

last revised: December 2024

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The post Fine dining directory Switzerland, part one first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Fine dining directory Switzerland, part one appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

After publishing part one of a guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, here is now part two. Find here a directory for high-end accommodation when traveling my beautiful home country. While part one covered Swiss lodging in the west, the current one is primarily about southern and eastern Switzerland. All together follows a grand tour of Switzerland I proposed to travelers visiting this small yet immensely varied nation. Yet another post highlighted premium destinations in this Alpine nation.

Luxury hotels along the grand tour of Switzerland, part two

For details on how to visit Switzerland (grand tour, divided into a basic tour and 5 modular ones to add according to desire), please have a look at my correspondent blogpost.

As I already pointed out in part one, I listed all the Swiss 5-star properties (luxury) that you find on your way across the country. There will be short descriptions about the lodging along with links to detailed posts about the establishments in question. This of course only in cases I can look back to stays at these hotels.

Now to the modular tours No 3 (Zermatt-Saint Moritz), 4 (Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad Ragaz) and 5 (Chur-Ticino).

Modular tour No 3: Zermatt-Saint Moritz – high-end accommodation in Switzerland’s southern Alps

Zermatt

There is no shortage of luxury hotels in Zermatt, the mountain resort with the famous Matterhorn peak. In the recent past, I spent winter vacations here three times in a row. On these occasions, I stayed at the one and only ski-in/ski-out luxury hotel in town, the Riffelalp Resort (my review).

Contrary to the other hotels to stay in style here, it is located high up in the mountains in the ski area. It is a historical property offering good wellness and restaurant facilities.

If you rather want to spend your time in Zermatt in the town, you have quite a choice. There are two contemporary luxury hotels, the Cervo Mountain Resort and The Omnia. The former is ski-in, the latter not. I recently stayed a few days at the latter and absolutely fell in love with it (my post).

Furthermore, you find here also two historical properties, the Mont Cervin Palace

and the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof.

Neither of them is ski-in/ski out. All these establishments are in Zermatt’s center, The Omnia is a bit above yet with an elevator to reach it. Every single one has wellness offerings (maybe the Mont Cervin Palace has the best) and gourmet fine dining (the Mont Cervin Palace and the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof feature both one-star Michelin restaurants).

Andermatt

If you take the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Saint Moritz, you can make a stop in Andermatt. Here you find one of Switzerland’s most luxurious hotels, The Chedi Andermatt. While it certainly is a beauty and features state-of-the-art facilities, it has its price (my blogpost). And for skiers, it is practically a ski-in/ski-out resort.

Saint Moritz

This mountain resort is probably the most glamorous one in Switzerland. And of course it comes with an ample selection of luxury hotels! And this not only in Saint Moritz but in its surroundings, too.

Saint Moritz region

Similar to Gstaad, Saint Moritz is the actual “brand” but often all the hotels in the Upper Engadine are included here. Personally, I find the town of Saint Moritz not especially appealing and a bit overly pretentious. And I cannot get rid of the impression that only regular guests are welcome in many high-end accommodations. Therefore, I prefer staying in the vicinity, in the beautiful Upper Engadine.

Saint Moritz

Five luxury hotels await you here. And all of them leave nothing to be desired in terms of culinary offerings and wellness facilities. However, you usually have to dig deep in your pockets if you want to stay here in style.

Of late I spent two days at the “star hotel” here, Badrutt’s Palace,

and this while attending an event. My impression about this grand old dame may be a bit clouded because it was end of season on my stay. This meant that almost all the hotel restaurants were closed. However, my husband and I enjoyed it here (good quality rooms, newly redone; great wellness area). Albeit, chances of our staying here again are small but this is due that I am more into discreet luxury.

Zurich

It goes without saying that also Zurich – the most important and largest Swiss city – has lots of high-end lodging! Precisely said, there are nine in number. While eight are in the city’s core, one is on the lake, a bit away from the center (Alex Lake Zurich).

One of my favorite places for a staycation used to be the The Dolder Grand (my review).

It is located in the city, however a bit away from the hustle and bustle. Not only it hosts one of the best restaurants in town (two-star Michelin restaurant) but also a state-of-the-art spa. And the location is stunning, a bit away from the hustle and bustle with great views of city, lake and mountains. Unfortunately, it became a bit too expensive for what you get in my view lately.

And there are some other great picks for staying in style in Zurich. Above all, I think of the three hotels belonging to The Living Circle collection. There are two of them in the city center, Widder,

in the beautiful old town, where I stayed not a long time ago. Plus, you find the Storchen,

not far away from the former on the river Limmat,

Both are in medieval buildings and have excellent fine dining (Storchen has a one-star – see my post – and Widder even a two-star Michelin restaurant). If you want to be by the lake, you have to go their third hotel, Alex Lake Zurich.

I did this in the past and was delighted by the location on the water. This modern accommodation is a bit out of town and has a more relaxed feel than some of its counterparts in Zurich’s city center (my post).

A good alternative for staying in style in the Lake Zurich area is also Belvoir in Rueschlikon (4-star superior).

The views of lake and mountains are truly splendid and gourmet dining as well as wellness offerings are available, too (my post).

Other luxury hotels are La Réserve Eden au Lac, reopened in 2020, and the traditional Baur Au Lac. And the latest star in town is the Mandarin Oriental Savoy that has reopened end of 2023.

All these establishments are old word properties and offer recommended fine dining as well as fitness facilities.

To round up the list you find in Zurich also the contemporary Park Hyatt, which is more a business hotel. It has a gourmet restaurant and a high-end fitness & spa club open for non-resident guests as well. And last there is also the Alden Suite Hotel Spluegenschloss, a smaller and lesser known 5-star property.

Saint Gallen

This mid-size city in the country’s northeast is not exactly a tourist hot spot although featuring some interesting sights. Therefore, the offerings in the luxury lodging segment is limited. Actually there is only one property (4-star superior) in town that stands out from the (average) rest. This is the Einstein.

Although being in a historical building it only became a hotel in the eighties.

Apart from featuring the best restaurant in town, a two-star Michelin restaurant, it features updated rooms and  fitness- and wellness center (open to the public too).

If you prefer staying  at a 5-star hotel, consider the not so far away Grand Resort Bad Ragaz (50 minutes by car, a bit more than an hour by train).

Bad Ragaz

Bad Ragaz might not be one of the most high profile tourist locations in Switzerland (good for hiking in the Pre-Alps, wine region), but for sure it hosts one of the country’s flagship hotels!

Here you encounter one of the leading wellbeing and health resorts in Europe, the two 5-star establishments of the Grand Hotel Quellenhof (my favorite)

and the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz. Combined, it is the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, both historical premises.

In the past, I enjoyed two wonderful stays here (my blogpost) making use of the sheerly unbelievable amenities. There are seven restaurants with – imagine – totally six Michelin stars! It is the non plus ultra in wellness (thermal water world, spas, two fitness centers). You can go to the casino, do shopping and play golf (two courses).

Modular tour No 5: Chur-Ticino – high-end accommodation in Switzerland’s south

When staying in Bad Ragaz, Chur (where you are meant to board the Bernina Express to reach the Ticino) is close by (16 minutes by train, a bit more by car). So there is no need to look for an accommodation in Chur. In Ticino, you have to make a choice between the more urban Lugano or the leisure places of Locarno (city) or Ascona.

Lugano

As a frequent traveler to the near-Mediterranean Ticino I have already stayed at three of the four 5-star hotels here. On the latest visit, my husband and I chose the Splendide Royal

for this purpose (my post). And this is also my favorite of the moment in Lugano. This grand old dame, directly on the lake (and on the busy road, the only drawback), has everything a demanding traveler wishes for: exquisite fine dining, a new separate building with wellness and fitness as well as a central location.

Another good choice here on the same road (yet a bit away from it) is the historical Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola (my post).

While it is a bit of the city center, it is close to many sights. You find here gourmet restaurants, wellness facilities and even a small private lido.

A bit away from the city center and the lake there is a third luxury hotel where I have been to in the recent past, Villa Principe Leopoldo (my review).

It is up in the hills with magnificent views of lake and mountains. The hotel is housed in a formerly private residence and comes with a spa as well as an good fine dining restaurant (I had dinner at this Michelin listed venue when staying in Lugano in late 2020).

I also had a glimpse at the fourth hotel to stay in style in Lugano on my recent visit, the new boutique The View (opened 2015).

One night, we dined at their outstanding one-star Michelin restaurant. This modern property is up in the hills and comes with a state-of-the-art spa and fitness. And as the name says it, views from here are great.

Locarno

There is only one 5-star house in this laid-back city. And it is not even in town but high above Locarno in the neighboring village of Orselina. Its name is Villa Orselina and the name suits it perfectly. It is boutique with stunning views of lake and mountains. Onsite you find gourmet dining and spa facilities.

Yet the small community of Ascona with more lodging to stay in style is only a few minutes by car or bus away.

Ascona

In the picturesque village of Ascona you find three more luxury hotels that fulfill all the wishes discerning travelers might have. All three feature top wellness facilities and exquisite fine dining.

I have been to all of them (see my overview), not so long ago twice at the Eden Roc.

It definitely boasts the best location in town. However, it is visually not exactly appealing (a merger of three buildings). The property is right on the lake, steps away from the center yet far enough from the hustle and bustle of Ascona’s piazza. And the culinary offer is not only first-class but broad, too (one two-star Michelin dining-spot).

Every now and then, I also choose the idyllically set Castello del Sole (my post)

in Ascona’s outskirts. It is in a huge park, also on the lake. This hotel is especially suitable for guests in search of tranquility and lots of personal space. And it is the only one of the three that is housed (partly) in a historic building. Plus, you find here also one Michelin star dining.

Quite some time ago, my husband and I also opted twice for the third player in the luxury segment here, the Giardino.

Contrary to its opponents, it is not on the water but in a residential area, a bit of the center. It is kept in the Tuscan style and is perhaps the one with the most laid-back feel of the three. And foodies are well taken care of too as there is a two-star Michelin venue onsite.

Overall

Next on my blog you will learn more about where to go as a lover of fine dining in my home country. As done here, I will make suggestions along the grand tour of Switzerland (proposed in my travel guide to visiting this Alpine nation). This time regarding gourmet (Michelin) restaurants, which are plenty (part one and two).

Here in this post I advised on high-end accommodation in Switzerland, and this was part two. For the first part, have a look here. If you want to know about premium Swiss destinations, refer to my correspondent blogpost.

last revised: December 2024

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The post A guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part II first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post A guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Recently on my blog you found a guide to visiting Switzerland and a list of premium Swiss destinations. Now I would like to inform you where to go in my home country for luxury hotels. I will do this along the grand tour of Switzerland proposed in my recent blogpost.

For details on how to visit Switzerland (grand tour, divided into a basic tour and 5 modular ones to add according to desire), please have a look at my correspondent blogpost.

Now to high-end accommodation in my home country. While I know many fine hotels from personal experience, of course I have not been to all the lodging that follows. But I am going to let you know where I already stayed. And I will either refer to a separate post or share with you my experiences made before starting my blog. Finally, it goes without saying that I have often also an image of a property in my mind without having actually been there.

One more remark to the hotels that follow. I will always start with my personal favorite and then continue with a priority list. That means the hotel last mentioned is my least preferred. Sometimes, I will give you a reason, other times I will not (in case I have just some kind of feeling).

All the accommodations mentioned are 5-star properties (luxury). If this should not be the case, I will inform you accordingly. Most probably it will then be a 4-star hotel instead (first-class).

If you care for a hotel guide with the best hotels in Switzerland by category, I have a tip for you. Karl Wild publishes every year a new edition of the top 100 Swiss hotels. While this book is an excellent source of information, it is unfortunately only available in German.

Basic tour No 1b: Lucerne-Interlaken – luxury hotels in Switzerland’s core

Lake Lucerne region

Here you have to make a choice whether you want to stay in the town of Lucerne or somewhere around the lake. If you are rushed, I would opt for Lucerne. If you have more time, then it is a nice thing to have an accommodation in the country side.

Lucerne

So far I have not stayed at 5-star hotels in the town of Lucerne. The newest high-end lodging in town is  Mandarin Oriental Palace.

An alternative to the before mentioned one is the Schweizerhof.

This hotel offers renovated facilities along a small spa and a quality restaurant. Grand Hotel National

might also be an option featuring gourmet dining, a swimming pool and some wellness offerings.

As to 4-star establishments in Lucerne, I already did a staycation at Art Deco Hotel Montana, a 4-star superior property, in the recent past.

And I was delighted with the offered (great views, relaxed ambiance, good restaurant). Here is my review. And in the meantime, they also did some more renovation works.

Around Lake Lucerne

There is a handful of recommended places to go for a luxury stay. All of them are historic hotels (at least in the core). First, there is Vitznauerhof in Vitznau (4-star property).

I already was a guest here three times and liked its relaxed atmosphere. Find a correspondent post on my blog here. Also a good choice is the nearby Park Hotel Vitznau (my blogpost).

Whereas it is a winner in many respects (fabulous fine dining, perfect wellness, ultra-luxury rooms), I found the ambiance a bit stiff and the prices exorbitant.

The Buergenstock Resort (my blogpost)

is another recommended option. It is huge, the selection in terms of accommodations and restaurants (for lovers of fine dining) is impressive and the wellness facilities are state-of-the-art. Plus, it is situated on the mountain, you can reach it from Lucerne by shuttle boat and funicular. I stayed here a few months after reopening and found it expensive at the time. In the meantime, rates have shot up even more.

There is one more hotel in the area geared to luxury travel, Villa Honegg in Ennetbuergen.

I have not been here yet. It is situated in the immediate vicinity of the Buergenstock Resort and is boutique-sized. Onsite you find a great outdoor pool offering fantastic views along fine wellness facilities and a quality restaurant.

You can get to all the mentioned hotels from Lucerne in due time. Vitznauerhof is the easiest to reach (by shuttle boat and by foot in about half an hour).

Interlaken

This gateway to the Bernese Alps makes it easy for demanding travelers. You encounter here only one hotel that is truly luxurious, Victoria-Jungfrau. While my stay at this old-world property was a few years ago, the situation is still the same. It remains one of Switzerland’s landmark hotels with a management having their fingers on the pulse of the time. From the room decor to the culinary offer and the wellness, everything is first-rate. The only thing I did not like when staying here was the noise from the busy road in front of the hotel.

Modular tour No 1: Basel-Solothurn-Bern – luxury hotels in Switzerland’s northwest

Basel

Your best choice as a luxury traveler in Basel is by no doubt Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois.

It is one of Europe’s oldest city accommodations and a true hotel jewel. It leaves nothing to be desired as to furnishings and culinary delights (three-star Michelin restaurant). In case you value extensive wellness facilities, this might be not your first pick.

If you fancy a new, modern 4-star hotel, then the Moevenpick Hotel Basel

might be your choice. While I have not spent the night here, I had lunch at its fine dining restaurant Puro. And of course, I had a look around in here.

Solothurn

As this is a rather small place (the most beautiful Baroque town in Switzerland) and not exactly in the middle of a tourist area, there is no 5-star hotel. Notwithstanding that, is has some good lodging. Although I do not know it from personal experience, I recommend staying at the newly renovated historic La Couronne.

It features nicely appointed rooms and a quality restaurant.

Bern

I never had the chance to spend a night in Bern so far.

Having said that I know the bars and restaurants of the two hotels I am going to propose to you. The Bellevue Palace is certainly the capital’s flagship hotel with a gourmet restaurant and a fitness room complete with sauna.

Close on its heel is the Schweizerhof with a recommended fine dining restaurant along the best hotel spa in town.

Modular tour No 2: Interlaken-Gstaad-Montreux-Lausanne(-Geneva) – luxury hotels in Switzerland’s west

As I already covered Interlaken earlier in this blogpost, I come directly to Gstaad in the Bernese Alps.

Gstaad region

While Gstaad is the core and the actual “brand”, the name includes the neighboring chalet villages.

Schoenried, Saanen, Rougemont and others offer lots of quality lodging.

Gstaad

I have never been guest to a 5-star property in Gstaad. But I spent twice a few nights at Le Grand Chalet (4-star hotel) in the past. From what I read and hear about it, it is still a good choice, especially if you are a gourmet.

There are three accommodations available to stay in style. While two of them are hotels from a bygone era, one is a newly built one. Le Grand Bellevue and Gstaad Palace belong to the first category, The Alpina Gstaad to the second one.

When comparing the two historical establishments, both offer everything a discerning clientele wishes for (fine dining/wellness). I would say that Le Grand Bellevue is the more modern one of the two. Family friends stayed here twice, and this to their satisfaction. Gstaad Palace is probably the more traditional one.

The “newcomer” The Alpina Gstaad (opened in 2012) finally plays in a class of its own, be it in terms of culinary offer (two one-star Michelin restaurants) or wellness (it has the one and only Six Senses Spa in Switzerland). However, these amenities come with a hefty price tag!

Around Gstaad

In Gstaad’s immediate neighborhood you find another luxury hotel, Ermitage Wellness- & Spa Hotel in Schoenried.

As the name says it, it is strong in matters of wellness, it also has a saltwater pool. Bottom line after three short stays here (my blogpost), it is a well-managed property. Although, I do not consider it an absolute must-go in view of the selection you have in Gstaad.

Montreux

The one and only 5-star here is the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace. I have never been here but my husband had and he liked his stay. I am sure the wellness (Willow Stream Spa) will be top upon reopening (under renovation at the moment), the gastronomy is solid but unexceptional.

If you look for a pleasant hotel with a gourmet restaurant, Hotel Victoria in Glion (4-star), high above Montreux with great views of the lake, is a good choice. I have recently spent two nights here and was fond of its old-world ambiance and the fantastic views of Lake Geneva from here (my blogpost).

Lausanne

This second-largest city in the country’s French-speaking part (fourth largest in Switzerland) is a good patch for lovers of fine lodging. You find here three luxury hotels (all historic ones) from which I know two of them from earlier stays.

My possibly favorite accommodation in town is the Beau-Rivage Palace.

It is not only set on the shores of Lake Geneva in a private park but features high-end cuisine too (2-star Michelin restaurant). Rooms are recently renovated and the Cinq Mondes Spa is state-of-the-art. I can look back at two stays here and and was both time delighted by its beauty and facilities. Here is my post about everything you have to know about it.

I also liked being at the Royal Savoy (see my post about it).

It offers a lot, be it in terms of culinary delights or wellness offers. Above all, it is in a pristine (remodeled) state.

And I think that the last remaining, Lausanne Palace, knows how to persuade a demanding clientele too. The culinary offer is impressive, wellness facilities are of high quality and the hotel underwent a refurbishment a short time ago.

Geneva

Out of the numerous 5-star hotel in Geneva I have already been to four of them. One the one hand, I spent two nights at La Réserve in Bellevue some time ago (my blogpost)

just outside the gates of the city. While I liked its lake location and extensive grounds, I found it a bit overpriced.

On the other hand, I stayed at two other luxury hotels in Geneva in the past, at the traditional Beau-Rivage

in the city center by the lake and at the modern Mandarin Oriental in Geneva’s heart on the river Rhone. I have pleasant memories of both properties but I do not remember too many details. What stuck in my mind as to the former is the excellent fine dining restaurant (still the case). Regarding the latter, I was much in favor of its relaxed ambiance.

Lately, I lodged at one of the more affordable luxury hotels in town, which is amidst Geneva’s attractive old town. It is about Hotel Les Armures. And I liked what I found here, immaculate facilities, nice staff and a fine breakfast. Plus, its restaurant has a good reputation for Swiss specialties, but I did not try it out.

Overall, if you want a hotel with the best views and gourmet cuisine, go to the grande old dame of Beau Rivage. In case you would like to be in the city center yet in a quieter setting, opt for the Mandarin Oriental. If you look for extensive wellness facilities, give La Réserve Bellevue a try. The former and the latter have both one-star Michelin dining-spots.

As far as the other luxury hotels in Geneva are concerned, other well known establishments are the following ones: the Four Seasons des Bergues, the Ritz-Carlton de la Paix, the Fairmont Grand Hotel and the President Wilson. All of them are housed in old-word buildings except the last mentioned. If you are a gourmet and consider Michelin star dining-spots as important asset, The Four Seasons and the President Wilson feature such ones. As to wellness, President Wilson might have the finest spa in the city’s core.

And certainly worth considering a stay is the newest luxury hotel in town, The Woodward Geneva. Whereas its facilities seem to be immaculate (suites only and one of those L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Restaurants onsite), I find its pricing a bit over the top.

Overall

After a guide to visiting Switzerland and going into the country’s premium destinations, I listed in this blogpost all the luxury lodging that makes a hotel stay in my home country so much more pleasant. And I did this along the grand tour of Switzerland described in the before mentioned travel manual.

As I did not want this post to become too long, here is part one of this guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland. Soon on my blog you will find part two. Next will be the same thing as to fine dining in Switzerland in line with the proposed tour across this Alpine nation (part one and two).

last revised: December 2024

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Although my home country is best known for the Alps, I start with its must-visit cities.

Premium Swiss cities

The three largest cities in Switzerland, Zurich, Geneva and Basel, are definitely premium cities.

Zurich,

by far the largest amongst them (about 420,000 inhabitants), is the country’s economical and financial hub. At the same time it ranks high on lists of the most livable cities in the world. Geneva

in the French-speaking part is the most international city of Switzerland. Many important organizations (for instance United Nations seat) are headquartered here. And it is strong in terms of urban nature! Basel

is a center of the pharmaceutical industry and Switzerland’s culture city.

From a tourist point of view, the much smaller Lucerne

is a major player. Thanks to its setting against a backdrop of lake and mountains it gained much popularity amongst travelers. Lugano

in the Italian speaking part must not be forgotten in this context. It is the largest town in the near-Mediterranean south of Switzerland. And it is business center and tourist magnet alike.

Now to Switzerland’s best asset, its mountains and the resorts you find in this Alpine area.

Premium Swiss mountain resorts

There is a great number of places in the Swiss Alps geared to tourism. Amongst them, you find some with that certain something. In this regard, I think of following three mountain resorts: Saint Moritz, Zermatt and Gstaad.

Saint Moritz,

in the Grison Alps in the country’s southeast, is perhaps the most known in this category. While I do not find the town itself especially attractive, the surroundings (Engadine) certainly are. It is considered as the birthplace of the Alpine winter tourism and is a hotspot when it comes to the international jetset.

Another playground for the same clientele is Gstaad

in the Bernese Alps in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Quite unique here is the number of ultra-luxurious chalets belonging to rich foreigners. Although it is an idyllic mountain resort, it has a big shortcoming. It is not really a high-altitude spot and therefore enough (natural) snow for skiing in winter is not guaranteed.

The last in this group is Zermatt,

in the Valais Alps in the country’s southwest. It is also chic but not too much so, which makes it my favorite among these top three! It boasts one of the best and biggest ski resorts worldwide. In addition, the town is picturesque and car-free. And above all, it is home of the probably most famous peak on Earth, the Matterhorn.

So far, I have only mentioned mountain resorts from the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Of course, you also find some with a sexy vibe in the country’s French-speaking area. Verbier and Crans-Montana might be such choices. Many years ago, I spent ski vacations in Verbier. While I liked skiing here, I found the town somewhat artificial (lots of newer buildings). As to Crans-Montana, I have never been there, so I cannot comment.

Other premium Swiss destinations

Apart from cities and mountains resorts, there are three regions to point out with a “premium status”.

First of all, the area around Lucerne (refer to cities too). It includes the Lake Lucerne region

as well as Interlaken with Jungfraujoch. Whereas the latter is certainly worth a visit (the mountain, not the town), it is overtouristed (package trips). However, a mountain tour to one of the mid-high peaks in the Lake Lucerne area is certainly a nice thing to do (Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn).

Another region I recommend to pay a visit is the French-speaking Lake Geneva Region.

I think of places just as Montreux with the Chillon Castle, Lausanne and its nearby Lavaux vineyards or smaller towns just as Morges.

Last but not least the Ticino,

the most southern part of Switzerland with its near-Mediterranean climate, is a great destination for some relaxation or hiking. I already mentioned Lugano under cities, other good choices are Locarno and Ascona along with the Verzasca and Maggia valleys.

Outlook

After a guide to visiting Switzerland in my latest blogpost, you found here an overview of premium Swiss destinations in my home country. Next will be a collection of hotels to stay in style on your Switzerland journey (part one and two). And the last post on my blog in this context will cover (Michelin) restaurants for gourmets in this Alpine nation (part one and two).

last revised: December 2024

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Located in Europe’s heart and amidst the Alps, this country offers abundant natural wonders. From a spectacular mountain world with high peaks and glaciers to idyllic lakes and wild rivers, it has it all. Along with vibrant cities this Alpine nation makes an ideal vacation destination. Find here a guide to visiting Switzerland complete with a basic tour and five modular tours to complement your journey as you wish.

Switzerland as a travel destination

Switzerland has been a known travel destination since the early 19th century. At the time, it all started with summer tourism.

British nobility came to the Swiss Alps to climb the peaks and to benefit from the clean air. As from the mid 19th century, the winter tourism began to develop, too. Again the first visitors were rich British. Surprisingly enough, they had a faible for the ice rather than for the snow. Popular activities were skating, curling or bobsledding. This only changed in the early 20th century when downhill skiing did take off. It did not take long until the Alps became the center of the Alpine skiing world!

And in summer a paradise for hikers!

To this day, Switzerland remains a magnet for international travelers, both in summer and winter time. While in the early days tourists went to Alpine regions only, this is different now. In the last 25 years, more and more visitors came to urban areas, too. Whereas in the past most visitors to Switzerland were from Europe and the USA, this recently changed. The share of travelers from Asia coming to Switzerland grows from year to year.

Before coming to a guide how to visit this Alpine nation, a few facts about it.

What to know about Switzerland

Location & geography

Switzerland is a small, landlocked country in western Europa right in the heart of the Alps. It is bordered by Italy, France, Germany and Austria. While the Alps occupy the greater part of the Swiss territory,

the population lives mostly in the Swiss Plateau (Swiss Mittelland). Here you find the largest cities such as Zurich or Geneva.

In the north-west of the country there is another mountain range, the sub-Alpine Jura, where you find hills rather than mountains.

Sights

As mentioned above, Switzerland is famous for its spectacular mountain scenery full of high peaks that are 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in altitude or higher. The most famous one is probably the Matterhorn.

There are lots of valleys, amongst them the well known Engadine, and many glaciers,

the biggest one is the Aletsch Glacier. And there is a myriad of lakes and rivers, which cover around 4% of the country’s surface area and contain 6% of Europe’s stock of fresh water. And last but not least, there are vibrant cities just as Zurich, Basel, Bern or Geneva.

Getting around

The spectrum of different things to see in Switzerland is really big. And everything is close together, so it is possible to see a lot in one or two weeks. You never need more than a few hours to get from point A to point B. In terms of getting around, Switzerland has one of the best public transport systems in the world. I strongly recommend using it. And as a plus, there is a couple of really awarding panoramic train trips!

Alternatively, you may rent a car, although this is more costly. While the road network is well developed, driving may not always be that easy in the mountainous area. Sometimes roads in the Alps are narrow and curvy, and they might be snow-covered in the winter time.

Best time to visit

If you come to Switzerland for skiing, you have to visit in winter (there is only limited summer skiing). While the season usually starts in December and ends in April, the best time for skiing is from January to March. I personally consider January and March as the ideal months for this purpose as there are fewer vacationers around.

Generally, the climate in Switzerland is moderate with no excessive heat, cold or humidity. Recently, it is getting warmer year round, as almost everywhere. If you want to go hiking, May and June as well as September and October are ideal, given you do it not in the High Alpine area. Here, you better go in July or August. For sightseeing in lower regions (Swiss Mittelland), March to June and September to November are good times.

How to visit Switzerland

There are plenty of activities to undertake in Switzerland. I advise checking out the official tourism website of Switzerland, My Switzerland. Here you receive plenty of tips, information and itineraries.

When it comes to how tourists travel the country, unfortunately most opt for the short version outlined in the following chapter. You find a much better way of exploring this Alpine destination right afterwards, a guide for visiting Switzerland.

What the typical tourist does in Switzerland

Many tourists coming to Switzerland visit it along with neighboring ones on the same trip. Therefore, they only spend a few days here. They go to Lucerne, a city in the country’s center, on the shores of beautiful Lake Lucerne (see my post about staying here at a premium hotel).

Here they have a look at the Chapel Bridge, one of the oldest covered wooden bridges in Europe, and at some other sights nearby. A trip to a mid-high mountain (2,000 m resp. 6,500 ft) is often also on the agenda (Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn).

Next on the list is Interlaken, the gateway to the dramatic mountain landscapes of the Bernese Alps. Here an excursion aboard the Jungfrau railway to Jungfraujoch, Europe highest-altitude railway station at 3,454 m (11,332 ft), takes place.

If they have a bit more time available, a trip to Zermatt, at the foot of Matterhorn peak, in the south-western Alps (see my post about staying at a luxury hotel and how to ski in style here), is part of the itinerary. Here in this well-known mountain resort at an elevation of 1,608 m (5,276 ft) they board the cog railway up to Gornergrat

for best views of the iconic Matterhorn, said to be the most-photographed mountain in the world.

While this  trip allows a short glimpse into the country’s offerings, it is the absolute minimum. The guide to visiting Switzerland I am going to propose, gives you the chance to get a real sense of Switzerland however. It is essentially one grand tour that you can divide in parts according desire.

A guide to visiting Switzerland: 1 basic tour & 5 modular tours

The basic itinerary that I am going to suggest corresponds more or less to the typical one mentioned above. But I highly recommend completing it with one or more of several modular tours. Every one of them covers only a certain part of the country and all together with the basic one result in a grand tour of Switzerland (about 26 days).

In case you care for a map of the whole journey, please refer to the one of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland on the official Switzerland Tourism website. It shows not exactly the same trip yet provides a good overview.

There are two variants of this minimum Switzerland journey. The first one with Zermatt (1a) is for people who only do this trip here and want to see the absolute must-see landmarks.

The second (1b) is for travelers who visit Zermatt on modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz.

Basic tour No 1a Lucerne-Interlaken-Zermatt: about 5 days, for those doing this tour only

Highlights of Switzerland

Lucerne is the heart of Switzerland and a good starting point. Take in the sights as described above (Chapel Bridge and a trip to one the mid-high mountains in the area). If you want to stay at prestigious luxury hotel on the mountain, see my post about Buergenstock mountain. In case you prefer lodging by the lake there is a more relaxed option (my post) or a more fancy one (my post).

Then proceed to Interlaken. Here I would stay no longer than necessary as I consider it to be not one of the nicer places in my home country. Having said that it is perfectly located for visiting the more accessible high mountains in the Bernese Alps.

In Interlaken I would ponder replacing the Jungfraujoch by the Schilthorn. The former is in my opinion an overpriced attraction for tourists only – many Swiss have never been there. The Schilthorn is a peak, made famous in the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, and ideal for views of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Moench peaks. But only do this trip if the weather is nice enough! Otherwise, you will not see anything.

Next is Zermatt, a must-see landmark. Do the Gornergrat excursion (see above) for a great view of Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous peak (this also makes only sense if the weather permits it). Also go to “Old Zermatt”, the oldest part of the town, to have a look at period barns, stables and residential houses (Hinterdorf). See also my post about skiing in style here.

Basic tour No 1b Lucerne-Interlaken: about 3 days, for those also doing modular tour No 3

Highlights of Switzerland without Zermatt

This is the same tour as above (1a) but without Zermatt as you visit this place on modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz.

After this basic tour that allows you to see the country’s top attractions now to the modular tours. You can add them before or after the basic tour as you please.

Modular tour No 1 Basel-Solothurn-Bern: about 4 days

Northwest of Switzerland: culture-baroque-historic old town

Basel, the border city where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, is the country’s cultural capital. It is home to 40 museums and so the city with the highest density of museums in Switzerland.  It has also a stunning old town,

modern architecture and the river Rhine.

And do not miss the art space in nearby Riehen, the Fondation Beyeler complete with the building designed by Renzo Piano and the park around it.

Before you visit another major city, it might be a good thing to get a sense of a smaller town. I would recommend paying a visit to Solothurn, which is considered as the finest Baroque town in Switzerland.

Next on the list is Bern, the country’s capital, where you want to make a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage listed old town. An interesting stop might also be the Bear Park to see the brown bears that are the symbol of this city.

After this tour it might be obvious to head to Lucerne and do the basic itinerary.

Modular tour No 2 Interlaken-Gstaad-Montreux-Lausanne(-Geneva): about 4 days (5 with Geneva)

Southwest of Switzerland: panoramic trail ride-Bernese Oberland-Lake Geneva

This tour is ideal to undertake after the basic tour (1b), given the fact that this one ends in Interlaken. In this case, you probably need one day less.

Here indulge yourself in one of Switzerland’s several scenic train rides, the GoldenPass Panoramic. Board the train in Interlaken to Gstaad, a village in the Bernese Oberland and a popular destination for international celebrities. Stroll around the chalet village and maybe make a hike to the idyllic Lake Lauenen.

Hop on the Panoramic-Express again and enjoy your trip through the French speaking part of Switzerland to Montreux on the banks of Lake Geneva. The town is famous for its mild climate and subtropical vegetation. Stroll along the lake side promenade with the statue of Freddy Mercury and go to Chillon Castle, the most visited historic building in Switzerland. For staying in style in this lakeside town, here a suggestion with great views of lake and mountains (my post).

Proceed to Lausanne, always along Lake Geneva, and past the impressive Lavaux wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 800-year-old terraced vineyards.

If you have some time left in Lausanne, do not miss walking the wine growing slopes here (around St-Saphorin, Dézaley & Epesses). Here is a recommendation where to go for a walk and a gourmet lunch. As to Lausanne, it is known as the “Olympic capital”. It is home of the Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum. For staying in style here, excellent choices are either a luxury hotel by the water (my post) or one a bit further away from the lake yet with views too (my post).

In case you have some time to spare, continue your journey to Geneva, a historic lakeside city.

Tour its old town, the country’s largest historic center, see the Jet d’Eau water fountain or the European headquarters of the United Nations (for a luxury stay on the lake border’s check out my post). When opting for this variant, you might need one day more.

Modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz: about 5 days

Southwest of Switzerland: 2 famous mountain resorts & 8 hours Alpine train ride

Zermatt with the Matterhorn peak is one of the absolute highlights in Switzerland. For details refer to the last paragraph of basic tour 1a. From here it is time for another wonderful train ride, the one to Saint Moritz on board of the Glacier Express. You cross the Alps in about 8 hours, passing through 19 tunnels and over 291 bridges.

If you wish to make an en-route stop at a small place with lots of austere mountain appeal, you can do so in Andermatt. Here awaits you also one of Switzerland’s most glamorous luxury hotels (my post).

Once arrived in Saint Moritz, an upscale resort in the Upper Engadine (maybe you fancy lodging here at the most beautiful village, my post), stay here around the splendid mountains lakes

or proceed to the Lower Engadine (you might wish to stay here at Switzerland’s smallest five-star hotel, my post), which is less chic yet more authentic. Make use of the fantastic mountain and lake scenery, maybe make the easy walk from Saint Moritz to Lej da Staz or visit Switzerland’s oldest National Park in the Lower Engadine near Zernez.

Modular tour No 4 Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad Ragaz: about 6 days

Northeast of Switzerland: cosmopolitan city & rural experience

Zurich is the one and only cosmopolitan city in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Here you find a nice old town, Lake Zurich (for staying in style a bit outside of town you can do so either on the lake – my post – or a bit elevated above it – my post) and upscale shopping at Bahnhofstrasse.

From here make a tour through the north-eastern part of Switzerland, head via the Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, to Saint Gallen, the compact town between Lake Constance and Appenzell.

See the old town with the Abbey District, a UNESCO world heritage site. Do not miss the splendid Baroque cathedral and the Abbey Library.

In case you want to explore the mentioned Appenzell, a nearby rural area with a magical landscape of rolling hills.

Go for example to Heiden, a small town with neoclassical architecture.

Continue towards south to the final stop of this tour. This is Bad Ragaz, a health resort in the pre-Alps, a great place for some relaxation (refer to my post about walking the area and to my post about staying in style at Europe’s one and only hotel with six Michelin stars).

Add here modular tour No 5 for crossing the Alps by train and getting a taste of Switzerland’s Mediterranean like south.

Modular tour No 5  Chur-Ticino: about 3 days

South of Switzerland: panoramic Alpine train ride to the palm trees

Once arrived in Chur, make yourself ready for another terrific train ride, this time on board of the Bernina Express. Once again crossing the Alps is on the agenda, this time from north to south. You pass amongst other things the Landwasser Viaduct, the signature structure of the Rhaetian Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Now you are in the canton of Ticino, the country’s south with a Mediterranean flair. Here you have the choice between Lugano or Locarno resp. Ascona to spend some time in the subtropical landscape. While Lugano

on Lake Lugano is the largest town in this Swiss canton featuring a nice old town and numerous mountains with splendid viewpoints, Locarno is smaller (and more touristy). The same is true for Ascona, a neighboring village. And both places are located on Lake Maggiore. Ascona is a truly idyllic spot, boasting an enchanting historic core and a picturesque lakeside piazza.

Locarno has a gorgeous piazza as well,

in the heart of the town, and a nice lake promenade. There is much to do in the area, do not miss a trip to the nearby Verzasca and Maggia valleys with their picturesque wild scenery. Also check out my posts about staying at luxury hotels in the area (Lugano/Ascona).

Luxury & gourmet travel in Switzerland

After this guide to visiting Switzerland you might wonder about premium destinations too and where to stay and dine in style in my home country. I will inform you about “sexy places” in the blogpost to come. Recommendations for top luxury hotels, part one and two, and (Michelin) fine dining restaurants will follow later on (part one and two). And I will bring them to you along the grand tour of Switzerland I have just suggested.

last revised: December 2024

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