Things to do in Switzerland

Zurich, the largest city, sits at the head of a clear lake with a medieval old town, fine museums and a lakeside promenade, and its rail hub reaches the rest of the country. Lucerne, with its covered wooden bridge and lake, and the Rhine Falls are easy trips.

In the Alps, the Bernese Oberland around Interlaken and Grindelwald looks up at the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and Zermatt sits beneath the Matterhorn. Panoramic trains cross high passes and spiral viaducts, Geneva and Lausanne line Lake Geneva with terraced vineyards nearby, and Lugano brings an Italian flavour to the south.

Melted cheese is a winter ritual, in fondue or raclette, and rösti and excellent chocolate complete the Swiss table. Summer is ideal for hiking and lakes, winter for skiing and snowy villages, and spring and autumn are quieter, with blossom in the valleys and golden larches on the slopes. Trains, boats and cable cars make getting around a pleasure.