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A photograph of Switzerland

Country guide

Places to visit in Switzerland — page 2

The Alps cover most of Switzerland's 41,291 km², which is why almost all of its 9,154,242 people live on the plateau — a band of low ground carrying Zurich, Ber...

Photograph · Sam Ferrara · CC0 1.0

1,567 Places
1Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

The Alps cover most of Switzerland's 41,291 km², which is why almost all of its 9,154,242 people live on the plateau — a band of low ground carrying Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva, Lucerne and Winterthur within a few hours of one another. Cross a ridge and it is the language that changes: German is spoken by 62 per cent of the country, French by 23, Italian by 8, Romansh by half a per cent. Twenty-six cantons write their own rules on top of that. A trip here is usually a choice between the flat line of cities and the valleys branching off it.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
German, French, Italian and Romansh
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+41
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Swiss franc (CHF)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112 · 117 police · 144 ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and J · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Public drinking water is controlled under Swiss food-safety rules

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

Filter the list

100 places match

Category

Historic sites 5 Museums 20 Places of worship 14 Nature sites 30 Viewpoints 12 Food and drink 5 Markets and shopping 2 Entertainment 3 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 7 Art and culture 2 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 66 1 to 2 hours 32 Half a day or more 2

Interests

History 0 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 0 Sea and beach 0 Viewpoints 0
  1. Strandbad Wollishofen Strandbad Wollishofen
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Strandbad Wollishofen

    Strandbad Wollishofen is a public bathing beach and lido on the western shore of Lake Zurich, in the Wollishofen district.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Zurich
  2. Alter Botanischer Garten Alter Botanischer Garten
    27 1 hour

    Alter Botanischer Garten

    Alter Botanischer Garten is a historic botanical garden in Zurich, located near the main railway station in the city center. It served as Zurich's primary botanical garden before the establishment of the newer Botanischer Garten der Universität Zürich.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Zurich
  3. Museum of Design Museum of Design
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Design

    Museum für Gestaltung

    Museum of Design, also known as Museum für Gestaltung, is a Zurich design museum connected with Zurich University of the Arts. It explores visual communication, product design, craft, and the history of designed objects and images.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  4. Zurich Tram Museum Zurich Tram Museum
    29 1 hr 30 min

    Zurich Tram Museum

    Tram-Museum Zürich

    Zurich Tram Museum preserves the history of Zurich’s tramway system in a former tram depot.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  5. Zoological museum of the university of Zurich Zoological museum of the university of Zurich
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Zoological museum of the university of Zurich

    Naturhistorisches Museum

    The Zoological Museum of the University of Zurich is a university museum devoted to zoology and natural history.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  6. Kunsthalle Zürich Kunsthalle Zürich
    31 1 hr 30 min

    Kunsthalle Zürich

    Kunsthalle Zürich is a contemporary art exhibition space in Zurich, Switzerland. It operates as a kunsthalle, a type of institution without a permanent collection that hosts temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  7. Migros Museum of Contemporary Art Migros Museum of Contemporary Art
    32 1 hr 30 min

    Migros Museum of Contemporary Art

    Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst

    Migros Museum of Contemporary Art is a Zurich museum focused on international contemporary art. Known locally as Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, the institution is operated by the Migros Culture Percentage, a cultural initiative of the Swiss retail cooperative Migros.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  8. Haus Konstruktiv Haus Konstruktiv
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Haus Konstruktiv

    Haus Konstruktiv is a Zurich museum dedicated to concrete, constructive, and conceptual art. The museum continues the tradition of the former Collection Concrete art foundation and concentrates on artistic practices shaped by geometry, order, material precision, systems, and abstraction.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  9. Uhrenmuseum Beyer Uhrenmuseum Beyer
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Uhrenmuseum Beyer

    Uhrenmuseum Beyer Zürich

    Uhrenmuseum Beyer is a specialised clock and watch museum in central Zurich, situated on Bahnhofstrasse within the long-established Beyer jewellery and watch business. The museum offers a focused look at how people measured time across different periods.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  10. fo­cusTer­ra fo­cusTer­ra
    35 1 hr 30 min

    fo­cusTer­ra

    Focus Terra

    FocusTerra is a specialised earth-sciences museum in Zurich. Its focus is the natural history of the planet, with mineralogical and geological collections presented for public learning.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  11. Villa Patumbah Villa Patumbah
    36 45 min

    Villa Patumbah

    Villa Patumbah is a historic villa in Zurich and a heritage-focused stop for visitors interested in architecture and urban history. The property adds a quieter cultural dimension to a city itinerary dominated by museums, churches and lake views.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Zurich
  12. Villa Wesendonck Villa Wesendonck
    37 45 min

    Villa Wesendonck

    Villa Wesendonck is a historic villa in Zurich’s Enge district near Lake Zurich. The property is associated with the Wesendonck family, especially Mathilde Wesendonck, and with Richard Wagner’s Zurich period.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Zurich
  13. Uetliberg Aussichtsturm Uetliberg Aussichtsturm
    38 45 min

    Uetliberg Aussichtsturm

    Uetliberg-Turm

    Uetliberg Aussichtsturm is a viewing tower on Uetliberg, the wooded mountain rising above Zurich’s southwestern edge. From the summit area, the tower gives visitors a higher perspective over Zurich, Lake Zurich and, in clear weather, the Alpine horizon.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Zurich
  14. Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich
    39 1 hr 30 min

    Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich

    Völkerkundemuseum der Universität Zürich

    The Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich, also called Völkerkundemuseum der Universität Zürich, is a university museum devoted to ethnographic collections and cultural anthropology.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  15. Johann Jacobs Museum Johann Jacobs Museum
    40 1 hr 30 min

    Johann Jacobs Museum

    The Johann Jacobs Museum in Zurich is a cultural institution dedicated to the history of global trade, colonialism, and coffee culture.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  16. Museum Strauhof Museum Strauhof
    41 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Strauhof

    Strauhof is a literature exhibition house in Zurich's old town, not a museum with a permanent manuscript collection.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  17. North America Native Museum North America Native Museum
    42 1 hr 30 min

    North America Native Museum

    Nordamerika Native Museum NONAM

    North America Native Museum, known locally as Nordamerika Native Museum or NONAM, is a Zurich museum devoted to Indigenous peoples of North America. It presents cultural history, artistic traditions and material culture within a European museum setting.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  18. Kulturama Kulturama
    43 1 hr 30 min

    Kulturama

    Kulturama is a Zurich museum devoted to human evolution, natural science and cultural development.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  19. Mühle Tiefenbrunnen Mühle Tiefenbrunnen
    44 1 hr 30 min

    Mühle Tiefenbrunnen

    Mühlerama

    Mühle Tiefenbrunnen, also known as Mühlerama, is a historic mill in Zurich’s Tiefenbrunnen district. The site preserves the memory of grain milling and presents industrial heritage in a setting connected with the city’s northeastern lakeside neighbourhoods.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Zurich
  20. Lindenhof-Keller Lindenhof-Keller
    45 45 min

    Lindenhof-Keller

    Lindenhof-Keller is a cellar-level establishment in Zurich’s historic Lindenhof quarter. The venue sits close to Lindenhof hill, an old-town viewpoint overlooking the Limmat, Grossmünster, and surrounding rooftops.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Zurich
  21. Christian Catholic Augustinian Church Christian Catholic Augustinian Church
    46 30 min

    Christian Catholic Augustinian Church

    Augustinerkirche

    The Christian Catholic Augustinian Church, known locally as Augustinerkirche, is an active Christian Catholic church in Zurich. It belongs to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, a tradition distinct from Roman Catholicism.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Zurich
  22. preachers church preachers church
    47 30 min

    preachers church

    Predigerkirche

    Predigerkirche is a historic church in Zurich, Switzerland, known in English as Preachers Church. It stands as a significant religious building in the city, originally associated with the Dominican order whose members were called preachers.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Zurich
  23. Kirche Enge Kirche Enge
    48 30 min

    Kirche Enge

    Kirche Enge is a church serving Zurich’s Enge district. It is a neighbourhood place of worship rather than a large museum or landmark built primarily for tourism.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Zurich
  24. Arboretum Zürich Arboretum Zürich
    49 1 hour

    Arboretum Zürich

    Arboretum

    Arboretum Zürich is a public park and botanical collection on the western shore of Lake Zurich. It combines a lakeside promenade setting with trees and shrubs gathered from different climate regions.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Zurich
  25. Confiserie Sprüngli Confiserie Sprüngli
    50 45 min

    Confiserie Sprüngli

    Sprüngli

    Confiserie Sprüngli is a Zurich confectionery, chocolate shop, and café known for polished presentation and traditional Swiss craftsmanship. The name is especially associated with Luxemburgerli, a delicate macaron-style sweet, as well as chocolates, pralines, pastries, and gift collections.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Zurich
Show 25 more places

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Switzerland be?

Seven to ten days can combine two city or lake bases with one mountain region. Switzerland’s dense transport network reduces transfer friction, but weather-dependent alpine excursions still need flexible time.

What entry documents are needed for Switzerland?

Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration publishes entry requirements. Passport nationality, visit purpose and the wider Schengen route determine whether a visa is required and where to apply.

What is the best way to travel around Switzerland?

Zurich and Geneva airports connect directly to national rail. SBB trains, regional railways, PostBus routes and lake boats form the core network, while many mountain railways and cable cars use separate products.

When is a practical time to visit Switzerland?

June to September serves hiking and high-pass travel; December to March is the broad snow season. Mountain operating dates and weather vary by altitude, so verify the specific lift or route rather than relying on a national season.

What money and payment basics apply in Switzerland?

Switzerland prices in Swiss francs (CHF). The current treatment of euros, card fees and exchange rates is Not recorded here; verify the charged currency and amount before accepting conversion.

What practical safety details should I save for Switzerland?

Switzerland uses 112 as a general emergency number, 117 for police and 144 for ambulance. Type C and J sockets supply 230 V, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.