Country guide
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
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
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Ikiwaner · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
100 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Johann Jacobs Museum in Zurich is a cultural institution dedicated to the history of global trade, colonialism, and coffee culture.
Museum Strauhof is a literary museum in Zurich’s historic centre, devoted to writing, writers, and the city’s place in literary culture. Its exhibitions connect authors with the streets, political atmosphere, and social life that shaped their work.
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.
Kulturama is a Zurich museum devoted to human evolution, natural science and cultural development.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Helmhaus is a cultural venue beside the Limmat River in Zurich’s historic centre. The building hosts contemporary art exhibitions and cultural programming within a historic riverside setting.
Chatzesee, Chräenriet
Katzensee is a lake in northern Zurich, also known locally as Chatzesee or Chräenriet. It offers an informal outdoor escape within the city’s administrative area, with water, shoreline, meadows and nearby woodland.
Xenix
Kino Xenix is a cinema in Zurich and a destination for travelers who want an evening shaped by film rather than sightseeing. The venue sits within the city’s cultural and entertainment landscape.
Oerlikerpark
Oerliker Park is a public green space in Zurich's Oerlikon district, serving as recreational grounds for residents and visitors. The park forms part of the city's northern urban landscape, positioned within a formerly industrial area that has undergone significant transformation.
Pestalozzianlage
Pestalozziwiese, also known locally as Pestalozzianlage, is a green public space in Zurich. Its name recalls Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, the Swiss educational reformer.
Platzpromenade
Platzspitz park, also known as Platzpromenade, is a riverside public park in central Zurich. It stands where the Limmat and Sihl meet, giving the site a distinctive setting shaped by two waterways and the city’s main railway district nearby.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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