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Last updated: 15 Apr 2021

Switzerland Travel blog 

Switzerland may seem relatively small compared to other european  nations and often overlooked when choosing where to travel to, but it doesn’t fall short on its offerings.  Fondues, scenic train rides, unparalleled landscapes, chocolates, and ski trips of a lifetime are just some of the reasons why you must visit Switzerland. As for the question on everyone’s minds, yes it is mighty expensive but hey, you get what you pay for! Whether it is the spectacular scenery, or the safety and security, Switzerland is a country that will leave you wanting more.

Things to See and Do in Switzerland

1. Join in the Fasnacht Spring Carnival

This festival in Basel is a three-day party that welcomes in the warm weather and takes place annually on the Monday following Ash Wednesday. It’s something that’s highly anticipated by both tourists and locals, and it’s definitely Switzerland’s most popular festival. Fasnächtlers dress in elaborate costumes to hide their identities and parade around town with “cliques” (bands playing basler drums and piccolos). All the bars and restaurants in town remain open throughout the entire three days. Everyone here is in a good mood!

2. Explore Geneva

As the third largest city in Switzerland, Geneva offers spectacular views of the city’s lake (Lake Geneva), the world’s largest fountain, the UN, a historic city center, and a collection of international restaurants to satisfy anyone’s palate (thanks to the UN buildings in town). While you’re here make sure you check out the Geneva’s Art and History Museum or the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. There are 40 museums here in total!

 3.Explore St. Gallen

The seventh largest city in Switzerland, St. Gallen boasts beautiful museums, colorful murals, and one-of-a-kind architecture. It doesn’t receive as much tourist traffic as the other cities and regions around the country, but it’s a fun town full of students and you’re likely to befriend a few locals during your visit. Must-do: visit the Baroque cathedral and the Abbey Library, which is home to nearly 170,000 documents. Some are hand-written and over a thousand years old!

4.Visit the Old Villages

Visit the Graubunden area of the country, where you’ll find villages with houses dating back to the 13th century. Here they also speak an ancient language called Romanch, which has died out everywhere else in the country and the locals take great pride in keeping the tradition alive. Of course, it’s a haven for nature lovers – there are 615 lakes and 150 valleys in the region. Visiting here is a true Swiss Alpine experience.

 Its climate(s)

Switzerland has an incredibly varying climate which is heavily influenced by the Alps as well as by the Atlantic Ocean. And whilst you may think that it is covered in snow all year round, or throughout the entire winter season, think again.Don’t be surprised by the fact that you can spend a morning ploughing down the snowy Alps, then the afternoon soaking up the sun around one of the country's lakes. Winters in the northern plateau are mild and damp, whereas higher altitudes experience arctic temperatures. At altitudes above 1200-1500 metres or so, precipitation in the winter falls mainly as snow. The south side of the Alps is strongly affected by the Mediterranean Sea, and so winters there are mild and the summers warm and humid, and sometimes hot.

Food 

Although eating out is very pricey (as an easy comparison: Starbucks coffee is 8 CHF/$8 USD while McDonald’s is 15 CHF/$15 USD), you can keep your spending in check by going to the local supermarkets and buying your own groceries. You’ll spend around 130 CHF ($131 USD) per week for basics like pasta, sandwich ingredients, sauce, rice, eggs, and fruits and vegetables. Supermarkets also sell pre-made meals for between 5-9 CHF ($5-9 USD). Bars and cafés are the cheapest food option, cost about 9-15 CHF ($9-15 USD) for a lunch special. Restaurants with table service are around 20 CHF ($20 USD) for lunch and 40 CHF ($40 USD) for dinner (starter, main, and drink) to start (prices go up from there and I saw some Italian restaurants asking 35 CHF ($35 USD) per main course!! That’s expensive pasta!). You’ll typically find pizzas for around 20 CHF ($20 USD) in a restaurant. If you’re dining out (but still trying to stick to a budget), you’ll spend an average of 45 CHF ($45 USD) a day on food. From there, the sky's the limit! For people who want to cook and eat the occasional meal out, expect to spend around 20 CHF ($20 USD) per day