Marvel at the Matterhorn

Fascinating and dangerous, the mighty Matterhorn has long entranced visitors with its crooked peak and steep inclines. At almost 4,500 metres, the Alpine mountain towers over the village of Zermatt in the canton of Valais, attracting visitors from around the world to see the ‘Toblerone mountain’ in real life. And not only to see it. Many have successfully (and some tragically unsuccessfully) ascended to the summit of the Matterhorn. A far safer route is to admire it from the town or ascend by cog railway or cable car to see this Swiss icon at closer quarters.

Swim in Lake Lucerne

There is no more delicious way to spend a Swiss summer day than splashing about in the warm waters of Lake Lucerne. Formed as a glacial lake, today the town of Lucerne’s most alluring natural wonder is the centrepiece of swimming, boating and picnicking in summer, whose tributary of the River Reuss flows under its famous Kapellbrücke or Chapel Bridge. See the lake from above when you ascend Mount Stanserhorn by solar-powered Cabrio cableway and funicular railway, as well as the peaks of Rigi and Pilatus. If you find yourself on a Costsaver ‘European Adventures’ tour to Lucerne, this is offered as an Optional Experience.

Ride the Glacier Express

In a country that adores its railways, The Glacier Express is by far one of the most beloved trains. Sign up for eight hours on the ‘slowest express train in the world’ from Zermatt to St Moritz, and you will undertake a journey that takes in snow-capped Alpine mountains, cloud-filled valleys, slopes covered in wildflowers, and colossal viaducts over churning rivers. A particular highlight is the craggy formations of the Rhine Gorge, also known as the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Switzerland.

Paraglide at Interlaken

Put away the fear and embrace the thrill when you sign yourself up for a 20-minute tandem paraglide in the mountain resort town of Interlaken. Considered the adventure-seekers capital of Switzerland, Interlaken is straight-up blessed with ice-blue lakes, slopes perfect for Alpine skiing and hundreds of hikes through the stunning countryside of the wider Jungfrau region. Strapped in, you will get a bird's eye view of the Eiger glacier, Mönch and Jungfrau, as well as the expanses of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

Ascend to Jungfraujoch

Nicknamed the top of Europe, a trip to Jungfraujoch at 3,400 metres above sea level is a real high-light of any Swiss itinerary. The ‘saddle’ of Jungfraujoch can be found between the mountains of Jungfrau and Mönch and is part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. As you might expect from the highest accessible point in Europe, getting there is an activity in itself, with truly spectacular views of Swiss mountain huts and snow-dusted pines from the train and gondola rides. At the top, a hike to the 10 billion-tonne Aletsch Glacier ice flow, a visit to an ice palace and a trip to the Mönchsjoch hut, all await.

Marvel at the Rhine Falls

Want to see Mother Nature in rip-roaring action? A jaw-dropping 600,000 litres of water churns over Switzerland’s Rhine Falls each second, making it Europe’s most powerful waterfall. Rhine Falls (or Rheinfell in German) is on the High Rhine and can be reached with a 50-minute train journey from Zürich. From there, you can take a boat tour to the falls or head out onto the viewing platforms to check out the 150-metre-wide waterfall from every angle. Either way, the churning white-blue foam, mist and roaring of the thundering water are sure to make your heart skip a beat.

Row on the Oeschinensee

While the Bernese Highlands are captivating in their own right, possibly the most stunning spot is the Oeschinensee Lake. Formed around 1,600 meters above sea level from landslides off the nearby Fründenhorn and the Doldenhorn mountains, Oeschinensee is a natural dam with crystal blue meltwaters that drain underground. Get here by gondola, before embarking on a short trek to reach its shores. In summer, rent a rowing boat and relax as you drift across the water. When the water freezes, you can even try your hand at ice fishing for Arctic char and rainbow trout.

See Lauterbrunnen Valley

Compared to the harsh beauty of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains, the lush Lauterbrunnen Valley that lies beneath them is a paradise. Chamonix goats, deer, marmots and many other celebrated Swiss fauna call the valley’s high cliffs and lush green fields, home. One of the top things to do here is check out the waterfalls — and there are 72 to pick from. But the Trümmelbach Falls are perhaps the most interesting, with ten falls tumbling inside the mountain. Staubbach Falls, with its 300 metres in height, is also very much worth seeing as Europe’s highest free-falling waterfall.

Ski at St. Moritz

An Alpine resort famous for its oh-so classy activities like polo on ice, as it is for the glitz and glamour of its holidaying clientele, with 300 days of sunshine a year St Moritz is as sunny as it is elegant. While visitors to this part of the Engadine Valley might be able to spend their time shopping everything from Versace to Cartier on the ritzy Via Serlas or watch horses racing on the frozen lake, there is one activity that rises above it all: skiing. St. Moritz has hosted the Winter Olympics twice and has three impressive main ski areas (the highest run is over 3,000 metres high) and sections for more slow-paced cross-country skiing.

Hike in the Swiss National Park

It’s easy to forget when surrounded by all these breathtaking glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls that Switzerland is not in fact one big protected national park. In fact, it only has one: the Swiss National Park. Its 172 square kilometres in the Engadine Valley region is dedicated to nature conservation, meaning hikers strictly cannot leave its 80 kilometres of winding paths. Instead, animals like golden eagles, marmots, ibexes and even some bears are free to live without interference from humans.

Kate Bettes was a guest of Costsaver and Switzerland Tourism as part of Costsaver’s mission to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®