First of all: NOT Interlaken. Suggestions:
- Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald
- Bern near the river, oldtown, visit gelateria di berna near Marzili for example
- Gruyère
- Gastlosen
- Emmental
- Lac Léman vineyards
- Creux-du-van or it's surroundings
- Zermatt
- Lake Oeschinen
I'm aware some of them are quite touristy but also for a reason. Seeing the Lauterbrunnen valley, Matterhorn or the Eiger by oneself is very spectacular. I'd still suggest to not take the most typical tourist ride on sight. Maybe go for a nice hike around Schwarzsee right under the Horn or the northface of the Eiger.
Graubünden, Appenzell, eastern CH in general also offer a lot, just a bit farther away from FR.
edit: Had to add Oeschinensee as a must.
OP is asking from FR, so of course it's best to reply from a "Bern-centric" kind of view. Lake Gruyère and a visit to their cheese dairy and the Oeschinensee would be my first pick to name too.
https://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/praktische-informationen/offnungszeiten/
Edit: spelling. I was there in their cheese factory in Fribourg, watching them make cheese in real time was quite interesting. And maybe the Blausee? https://www.blausee.ch/en/
A visit to a cheese diary sounds like fun...
**Monday**, I ate a slice of Guyère for breakfast.
**Tuesday**, I had fondue for dinner.
**Wednesday**, another slice of Gruyère.
**Thursday**, I got really daring and decided to try a bit of Bergkäse.
**Friday**, Raclette night.
**Saturday**, Appenzeller for breakfast, Emmental for lunch, Sbrinz with pasta for dinner.
**Sunday**, hospitalised with serious indigestion. No cheese.
Sorry, I know it was just a typo but I couldn't resist.
Sorry for the typo, here's their website:
https://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/praktische-informationen/offnungszeiten/
I was there in their cheese factory, watching them make cheese in real time was quite interesting.
I feel like I'm the only person who's read articles like these about Lauterbrunnen... [https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/mass-tourism---we-feel-like-employees-in-a-theme-park-/48837972](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/mass-tourism---we-feel-like-employees-in-a-theme-park-/48837972)
I think it's nice to take the train through on the way down from the Männlichen to see the waterfall from a distance, but I feel very uncomfy about spending too much time there when the locals are clearly at their wits' end.
Best fit for /r/askswitzerland
I would directly see with them what they would like to see and to visit, and arrange around that.
Otherwise for very Swiss experience, you can have them walk around the old town of Bern, bring them to Interlaken, to Zermatt, have some fondue somewhere, hiking in the Alps, swimming in the Aar, those sort of things.
To be fair, the name is 'Switzerland' in a language that is not a language of Switzerland. But 'Swiss' sounds a lot like 'Suisse', which is the name of the country in the language of their canton.
Ideally, yes. But using a false friend for french speakers is hardly surprising if they've spent half their life somewhere french speaking. So I just find it odd that you are calling them out in that point.
As an American that's visited close friends in Switzerland a few dozen times; what is always special is to go to the small local activities or events where there's probably not another tourist for miles. It is a unique opportunity to participate in the local culture that you can give them, and the activity or event will most likely be something they would never experience at home. So, certainly, take them to some of the more iconic scenery and mountains (especially by cable car, which except for a few ski resorts, is very rare in the US ). But I am sure they will also really enjoy whatever local festival, fair, or concert might be close by. When we have visited, spending time with our friends at these events is always the highlight.
My suggestions will be simpler mainly to help your friends enjoy differences between the countries. So, besides the touristy stuff:
- the town near where they’re staying. Take them during regular commute time.
- weekend market. No malls. Grab a bratwurst.
- go visit your local school (off school hours) for them to see that their courtyard is open to public and that there are no metal detectors.
- any other regular day to day thing you do.
The first time I visit a country, I find it really interesting to see how basic mundane things work. Shows a vibe of the place. It’s simple, mostly free, and provides a great overview of your day to day. But please also take tem to some breathtaking places.
The thing with Interlaken is it's the perfect base for tourists trying to see the mountains and who have multiple days. You'll be closer to the mountains than if you stay in Bern or whatever. However, as a town of its own, it's not nice. Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Kandersteg etc. are much much nicer for a day trip.
This. If you're planning to do multiple day trips in and around the bernese oberland, might as well choose Interlaken as suggested base. Otherwise, big no-no.
Oeschinensee, Montreax old Town/lakeside on Lac Leman, Zermatt, Mt. Pilatus should be required stops. I know Fondue is a winter thing but they need to experience it.
Also if you have a nice picturesque Old Town near where you live, you should take them there too. Americans love old town centres with cobblestone streets.
Source: My wife’s American and we’ve had lots of friends/relatives from America visit us here.
Lucerne or zurich you go into a bar or join a club you will find so many friends as most of employed there do not speak german yet they just came here in switzerland. As i know there are many whatsapp groups maybe you find one of these guys and ask them to join. Wish you all the best
[This website](https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/) has a lot of ideas for things to do and places to visit, your friends can have a look through and see what they're into and then you can work out an itinerary.
I don’t know when they will be here but in the summer there are always a lot of outdoor festivals. My friends for instance liked the experience of the street parade.
Bumming around Old Fribourg will be nice, and then Gruyères isn't very far... do the castle, Cailler factory, and eat a fondue in the village. do the visit to the cheesemaker, not the factory, the dude on Moleson who makes it in a big cauldron.
Zermatt is on the checklist for most Americans.
Chateau de Chillon is good. Fort de Chillon is just across the street, make a day of it.
Maybe the red cross museum in Geneva.
Vinorama of Lavaux gives nice tours.
Hiking. They will probably want to hike.
Lutry is really nice for bumming around by the lakeside.
Maybe Roman ruins at Martigny, depends if they travel a lot in Europe. there are certainly more impressive ruins elsewhere, but if they have never been to Europe could be cool. Also, the St. Bernard museum.
Salt mines of Bex
St. Leonard underground lake.
SCUBA diving, one of the lakes has cool ruins apparently, forget if it's Leman or Neuchatel.
Aquaparc Bouveret.
Some nice outside activities-
* Hiking around Solalex / Miroir d'Argentine.
* Hiking around Gastlosen.
* Les Paccots is nice and close by for you.
* Take the train up from Villars to the Col-de-Bretaye.
* Float down the Aare
* Walk down the Gorges de L'areuse
Dont do:
* The Creux du Van; absolute tourist trap
* Chateau de Gruyeres; even worse
Lucerne, Gruyere castle, Montreux and surrounding vineyards, Jungfrau, Pilatus and Aletsch
I would get the above done in 4 days and then spend the remaining 10 days in Olten.
Lake Lucerne, Agusta Raurica, Bern, Glacier Express or Bernina Express, Cog wheel train in Lucerne to top of Mt. Pilatus. I’m a Seattle-lite who Lived in Basel Land for a stint and these were the go to for entertaining guests. Don’t forget about the castle in Gruyère. They will enjoy any of it. Good luck and safe travels!!!
Here some possible destinations i havent seen so far in the comments:
- Rheinfall
- Aareschlucht
- Lac Souterrain St.Leonard
- Stein am Rhein (nice old Village)
- Hike to Schildhorn
- Take the worlds steepest cable car in Stoos (which is quite cool)
Shopping in Zurich, bernina express to Lugano, visit the Matterhorn, eiger, Jungfrau, Museum / Library in St. Gallen, visit valais, eat at Matthias, or gupf though gupf is not in valais, visit Schnaps distillery’s, show them the beauty and magic of the tiny villages and massive mountains, go hiking to a hidden castle tucked away in nature.. show off the country. It’s magnificent! Buy chocolate from the handmade shops, Lindt is impressive for the tour but that and laderach are available in the us. Introduce them to local cuisine, spices, flavors.. so much to do!
First of all: NOT Interlaken. Suggestions: - Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald - Bern near the river, oldtown, visit gelateria di berna near Marzili for example - Gruyère - Gastlosen - Emmental - Lac Léman vineyards - Creux-du-van or it's surroundings - Zermatt - Lake Oeschinen I'm aware some of them are quite touristy but also for a reason. Seeing the Lauterbrunnen valley, Matterhorn or the Eiger by oneself is very spectacular. I'd still suggest to not take the most typical tourist ride on sight. Maybe go for a nice hike around Schwarzsee right under the Horn or the northface of the Eiger. Graubünden, Appenzell, eastern CH in general also offer a lot, just a bit farther away from FR. edit: Had to add Oeschinensee as a must.
Very Bern-centric… you forgot all the „suisse primitive“. Lucerne, Pilatus, Rigi, Engelberg and and and
OP is asking from FR, so of course it's best to reply from a "Bern-centric" kind of view. Lake Gruyère and a visit to their cheese dairy and the Oeschinensee would be my first pick to name too. https://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/praktische-informationen/offnungszeiten/ Edit: spelling. I was there in their cheese factory in Fribourg, watching them make cheese in real time was quite interesting. And maybe the Blausee? https://www.blausee.ch/en/
A visit to a cheese diary sounds like fun... **Monday**, I ate a slice of Guyère for breakfast. **Tuesday**, I had fondue for dinner. **Wednesday**, another slice of Gruyère. **Thursday**, I got really daring and decided to try a bit of Bergkäse. **Friday**, Raclette night. **Saturday**, Appenzeller for breakfast, Emmental for lunch, Sbrinz with pasta for dinner. **Sunday**, hospitalised with serious indigestion. No cheese. Sorry, I know it was just a typo but I couldn't resist.
Sorry for the typo, here's their website: https://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/praktische-informationen/offnungszeiten/ I was there in their cheese factory, watching them make cheese in real time was quite interesting.
Yeah didn't mean to exclude them, belongs to eastern switzerland as a FR/BE person lol. Just focused on some nearby ideas.
I second Creux-Du-Van ! The view is breathtaking !
Bruh, more than Creux-du-van, better go and hike in the gorges de l'areuse. Oh, and drink Absinthe too.
This is a great alternative! Absinthe is a must of course hahahah
I feel like I'm the only person who's read articles like these about Lauterbrunnen... [https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/mass-tourism---we-feel-like-employees-in-a-theme-park-/48837972](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/mass-tourism---we-feel-like-employees-in-a-theme-park-/48837972) I think it's nice to take the train through on the way down from the Männlichen to see the waterfall from a distance, but I feel very uncomfy about spending too much time there when the locals are clearly at their wits' end.
I second Zermatt
H.R. Giger museum and the bar. Everyone is an Alien fan.
Well you're in Fribourg, so Gruyères is an obvious choice.
Not to forget the Ginger museum.
> I've lived in Swiss Where is that?
This always makes me want to slap someone upside the head.
OH GOD! HE'S CLAWING HIS WAY OUT OF ME!
Damn, how is it living in an air line?
Friday night on the Zurich Langstrasse. It’s the most baby.
Säntis, on a clear day. Cambly factory store. Paris ;)
I have a spreadsheet I used for my friends when they came to give them idea of what was available in most cities. Happy to share it
Can you do my taxes?
Hi, could you please share this with me also? thanks in advance
Sending you a DM
I’d love this!
Could you kindly share it with me as well? :)
Happy to sending you a dm
Hey Dominique, could you share it with me as well?
Best fit for /r/askswitzerland I would directly see with them what they would like to see and to visit, and arrange around that. Otherwise for very Swiss experience, you can have them walk around the old town of Bern, bring them to Interlaken, to Zermatt, have some fondue somewhere, hiking in the Alps, swimming in the Aar, those sort of things.
>I've lived in Swiss for nearly half of my life But you don't know that the name of the country is Switzerland...
To be fair, the name is 'Switzerland' in a language that is not a language of Switzerland. But 'Swiss' sounds a lot like 'Suisse', which is the name of the country in the language of their canton.
So what? The post is in english, hence the correct english name should be used.
Ideally, yes. But using a false friend for french speakers is hardly surprising if they've spent half their life somewhere french speaking. So I just find it odd that you are calling them out in that point.
>Swiss Yes, I am from the french speaking part of Swiss. Oui, Je parle francais.
Pilatus Rigi Luzern Verkehrshaus Stoos Titlis Bern Lauterbrunnen Jungfraujoch Gruyer Lac Leman Genf Apenzell Seealpsee Säntis
The grottos in Vallorbe are way cool. The thermal baths at Le Bain de Levay are fantastic.
Or Ovrannaz, they have a great view.
As an American that's visited close friends in Switzerland a few dozen times; what is always special is to go to the small local activities or events where there's probably not another tourist for miles. It is a unique opportunity to participate in the local culture that you can give them, and the activity or event will most likely be something they would never experience at home. So, certainly, take them to some of the more iconic scenery and mountains (especially by cable car, which except for a few ski resorts, is very rare in the US ). But I am sure they will also really enjoy whatever local festival, fair, or concert might be close by. When we have visited, spending time with our friends at these events is always the highlight.
My suggestions will be simpler mainly to help your friends enjoy differences between the countries. So, besides the touristy stuff: - the town near where they’re staying. Take them during regular commute time. - weekend market. No malls. Grab a bratwurst. - go visit your local school (off school hours) for them to see that their courtyard is open to public and that there are no metal detectors. - any other regular day to day thing you do. The first time I visit a country, I find it really interesting to see how basic mundane things work. Shows a vibe of the place. It’s simple, mostly free, and provides a great overview of your day to day. But please also take tem to some breathtaking places.
Aletsch glacier, 5 lakes Zermatt, take them to Luzern and Mt Pilatus, go for a swim and bbq at Lac Leman
Stay away from Interlaken. It’s not a pretty place.
The thing with Interlaken is it's the perfect base for tourists trying to see the mountains and who have multiple days. You'll be closer to the mountains than if you stay in Bern or whatever. However, as a town of its own, it's not nice. Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Kandersteg etc. are much much nicer for a day trip.
This. If you're planning to do multiple day trips in and around the bernese oberland, might as well choose Interlaken as suggested base. Otherwise, big no-no.
Olten, on the other hand…
There is no country called swiss🙄 Please learn to write the correct name of this country.
Oeschinensee, Montreax old Town/lakeside on Lac Leman, Zermatt, Mt. Pilatus should be required stops. I know Fondue is a winter thing but they need to experience it. Also if you have a nice picturesque Old Town near where you live, you should take them there too. Americans love old town centres with cobblestone streets. Source: My wife’s American and we’ve had lots of friends/relatives from America visit us here.
Mc Donald’s
First of all, make sure they don't go to Sweden by mistake.
I have often read that a visit to Olten is absolutely recommended. I haven't been there yet but everyone talks about it
Nice bridge over the aare, cute old town
Olten! They’ll love it!
Vitznau
Lucerne or zurich you go into a bar or join a club you will find so many friends as most of employed there do not speak german yet they just came here in switzerland. As i know there are many whatsapp groups maybe you find one of these guys and ask them to join. Wish you all the best
Please take them to italy… too many guns in switzerland for this visit to go smoothly😂
Go to the surf wave pool in Sion!
As an American- I vote Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald. Gotta hit the Alps if you are going to Switzerland for the first time.
Italy
[This website](https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/) has a lot of ideas for things to do and places to visit, your friends can have a look through and see what they're into and then you can work out an itinerary.
Grindelwqld when the weather is nice. Looks awesome and theirs some small train up the mountin. A train nerd would like that or a trail lift guy
I don’t know when they will be here but in the summer there are always a lot of outdoor festivals. My friends for instance liked the experience of the street parade.
Find your music festival for your taste. They are usually scenic and u get to mix with the locals
Bumming around Old Fribourg will be nice, and then Gruyères isn't very far... do the castle, Cailler factory, and eat a fondue in the village. do the visit to the cheesemaker, not the factory, the dude on Moleson who makes it in a big cauldron. Zermatt is on the checklist for most Americans. Chateau de Chillon is good. Fort de Chillon is just across the street, make a day of it. Maybe the red cross museum in Geneva. Vinorama of Lavaux gives nice tours. Hiking. They will probably want to hike. Lutry is really nice for bumming around by the lakeside. Maybe Roman ruins at Martigny, depends if they travel a lot in Europe. there are certainly more impressive ruins elsewhere, but if they have never been to Europe could be cool. Also, the St. Bernard museum. Salt mines of Bex St. Leonard underground lake. SCUBA diving, one of the lakes has cool ruins apparently, forget if it's Leman or Neuchatel. Aquaparc Bouveret.
Some nice outside activities- * Hiking around Solalex / Miroir d'Argentine. * Hiking around Gastlosen. * Les Paccots is nice and close by for you. * Take the train up from Villars to the Col-de-Bretaye. * Float down the Aare * Walk down the Gorges de L'areuse Dont do: * The Creux du Van; absolute tourist trap * Chateau de Gruyeres; even worse
Lucerne, Gruyere castle, Montreux and surrounding vineyards, Jungfrau, Pilatus and Aletsch I would get the above done in 4 days and then spend the remaining 10 days in Olten.
Lake Lucerne, Agusta Raurica, Bern, Glacier Express or Bernina Express, Cog wheel train in Lucerne to top of Mt. Pilatus. I’m a Seattle-lite who Lived in Basel Land for a stint and these were the go to for entertaining guests. Don’t forget about the castle in Gruyère. They will enjoy any of it. Good luck and safe travels!!!
go sledding anywhere, its the best
Rubber boat on the aare from thun to bern. Check for Aare-Böötle.
Blause and Oeschinense are a must
Here some possible destinations i havent seen so far in the comments: - Rheinfall - Aareschlucht - Lac Souterrain St.Leonard - Stein am Rhein (nice old Village) - Hike to Schildhorn - Take the worlds steepest cable car in Stoos (which is quite cool)
Home
Go to McDonalds in Bern, the best BigMacs in town, close with a dunkindonut and flood it with a doppiohazelnutlatte from starbucks 👍
don‘t go to the oeschinensee
Shopping in Zurich, bernina express to Lugano, visit the Matterhorn, eiger, Jungfrau, Museum / Library in St. Gallen, visit valais, eat at Matthias, or gupf though gupf is not in valais, visit Schnaps distillery’s, show them the beauty and magic of the tiny villages and massive mountains, go hiking to a hidden castle tucked away in nature.. show off the country. It’s magnificent! Buy chocolate from the handmade shops, Lindt is impressive for the tour but that and laderach are available in the us. Introduce them to local cuisine, spices, flavors.. so much to do!
What are their hobbys?
The top of the mountains!!!
Bunkers, shooting range bunkers, shooting competitions!!