Zermatt – the Mountain Village of Records
You can sense the anticipation on the train from Täsch: couples gaze wistfully out of the window, kids fidget and stuff in Toblerone, folk rummage for their cameras. And then, as they arrive in Zermatt, all give little whoops of joy at the pop-up-book effect of the Matterhorn (4478m), the hypnotically beautiful, one-of-a-kind peak that rises like a shark's fin above town. Zermatt lies at the foot of the highest mountains in the entire Alpine mountain range. With the Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Monte Rosa.
The Gornergrat (3,089 m) is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime. The mountain panorama and the glorious view of the Matterhorn are unforgettable.
Bern, Capital of Switzerland
Looking out to the Alps, Switzerland's fifth largest city has been the “Bundesstadt” and de facto capital for almost 170 years. Bern has a lovable UNESCO listed old town tucked into a long meander of the River Aare. A lot of the old core is from the 15th century and is laced with several kilometres of arcades covering stylish shops and eateries. Bern was also Albert Einstein’s home town for the first decade of the 20th century. The Historical Museum has a riveting exhibition about his time at the patent office in the city, and you can visit the apartment he shared with his wife and son. Another Bern native was the modern artist Paul Klee, a luminary of Expressionism and Surrealism. He is represented by a museum designed by Renzo Piano and holding almost half of the work he ever produced.
Crans-Montana, Wallis
Crans-Montana has been on the map ever since Dr Théodore Stéphani took a lungful of crisp Alpine air in 1896 and declared it splendid for his tuberculosis patients. Full of sparkling cheer in winter, the modern sprawling resort embracing a string of lakes is now the much-loved haunt of celebrities and the nouveaux riches.
Siders, Wallis
Siders (French: Sierre), pleasantly situated on a number of hills and nestling among vineyards, is a small town in the Valais blessed with a great deal of sunshine. Wine-growing and cultural events are both of great importance here. Thanks to its central position, Siders is also an ideal starting point for lots of excursions.
Montreux
The town of Montreux nestles in a sheltered Lake Geneva bay, surrounded by vineyards and against the breathtaking backdrop of snow-covered Alps. The Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place in June/July and features concerts on a variety of stages and parks is very famous.
