Swiss Alps Hotels

Grindelwald in the Jungfrau region is a great starting point if you’re still perfecting the snowplough, while the stylish resort of St Moritz will reward you with a glittering nightlife energetic enough to rival that of any major city – if you emerge in one piece after tackling the 2,700m (8,858ft) vertical drops on the Klein Matterhorn at Zermatt. And with tax-free shopping more abundant than Chanel snowsuits, you can have your Swiss cheese and chocolate and eat it, too!

Swiss Alps’ Top 10

Swiss Alps History

• Ballenberg Open-Air Museum - See a traditional Swiss village at this museum in Bernese Oberland.
• Castelgrande - This recently renovated medieval castle is located in Bellinzona.
• Reichenbach Falls - Found in Meiringen, these falls are where Sherlock Holmes died in the last of the novels.
• Benedictine Convent of Saint John Mustair - A UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Grisons.
• Museo di Valmaggia - Located in Cevio, this museum tells the story of the history of the valley of the Swiss Alps.

Swiss Alps Art & Culture

• Kirchner Museum - An art museum known for its exhibits of the artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
• Fondation Pierre Gianadda - Monet and the Impressionists dominate the exhibits at this Swiss Alps art museum.
• Segantini Museum - Located in St Moritz, this museum exhibits the artists' works in a picturesque setting.
• Museo e Fondazione Herman Hesse - Dedicated to the man and his works, this museum in Montagnola also hosts other authors.
• Tellhaus - The museum in Valais has the oldest depiction of William Tell shooting the apple from his son's head.

Swiss Alps Shopping

• Mad Cow - This bead shop in Interlaken allows you to choose from readymade jewellery or make your own.
• Alpenrhein Village - Located in Landquart Fabriken, this Swiss Alps outlet shopping centre offers familiar brands for less.
• Foxtown Outlets - Located in Mendrisio, this is an outlet shopping centre patterned after American outlet shops. It includes almost any brand you might desire.
• L'Enoteca di via Cantonale - A wine shop in Lugano that also shows you the whole process of winemaking. Enjoy the wine tasting events.
• Metagerei Bayard - This charming cooking and sausage shop in Zermatt sells all manner of sausages, fondues, cheeses and cooking supplies.

Gay & Lesbian Swiss Alps

• Hotel Bernina - A gay-friendly hotel in Samedan.
• Best Western Sommerau-Chur - This is a gay-friendly hotel in Chur.
• Warmer Mai - Every May, Zurich hosts this Swiss Alps festival, which translates as Gay May and includes the Pink Apple, the gay and lesbian film festival.
• Dynasty Club - A multilevel disco and gay bar in Zurich.
• T&M - A gay cabaret in Zurich in the same building as the gay hotel Goldenes Schwert.

Swiss Alps Events

Huge names cruise into town for the Montreaux Jazz Festival each July. Alpine views provide a stunning backdrop for this famous festival.

Also in July is the Jazz Festival in Lugano, competing with Montreaux for best use of the beautiful backdrop.

The music festivals continue in July with Lucerne’s Blue Ball Festival and Live at Sunsein Zurich. Each of these draw big names and big crowds keen to soak up the sun without losing sight of the snow-capped mountains.

August and September give some life to the classics with the Lucerne Festival and the Gstaad Festival.

When To Go

• Check for regular updates on the weather, depending on what time of year you’re in town.
• It gets extremely chilly in the winter months, but these conditions are perfect for snow sports.
• The summer months of June, July and August are beautifully warm, and hiking allows for great views of the mountain ranges – often still capped in snow.

Getting Around

• Trainsare the best way to travel around the Alps and between their surrounding cities.
• For great views of the Swiss Alps, catch the fantastic Glacier Express Trains.
• If you’re doing a lot of travelling around the region, there are plenty of places where you can hire a car.The roads are quite safe, and are easy to navigate.

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