5 Scenic Swiss Villages to Put on Your Travel Itinerary

Snuggling up to five countries, Switzerland is incredibly diverse. Take a slow tour through the country by car, train and cable-car to discover some of its most scenic villages — home to intriguing local traditions, varied architecture and culinary specialties. Travellers can explore Alpine communities connecting colossal glaciers, wander through lost-in-time hamlets in deep dairy country and discover Italian-influenced stunners on the shores of glittering lakes. Each village captivates visitors with its distinct beauty and culture.

1. Mürren, Jungfrau Region

For the Alpine dream

Grafted onto sheer cliffs above the waterfall-wisped Lauterbrunnen Valley, Mürren has a cinematic backdrop. Whether travellers arrive on the world’s steepest cable-car from Stechelberg or the train chugging along the ridge from Grütschalp, they’ll be floored by front-row views of the Jungfrau Region’s big three: the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. Glaciated peaks tower above this car-free village. Its dark-timber chalets are festooned with geraniums in summer and frosted with snow in winter. At 1,650 metres, the pull of the outdoors is irresistible. Activities range from hikes across wildflower-freckled pastures on the North Face Trail, which begins at the top of the Allmendhubel mountain, to tackling the via ferrata that skitters across limestone cliffs to Gimmelwald. To dial up the drama, float above the clouds by cable-car to 2,970-metre Schilthorn, which starred in the 1969 Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The revolving restaurant at Piz Gloria wows with 360-degree views of 200 Alpine peaks.

2. Guarda, Graubünden

For silence & vast wilderness

Step away from the crowds and deep into in the rugged valley of the Lower Engadine to find Guarda, which sits on a verdant hillside at 1,650 metres and peers up to the dagger-shaped peak of Piz Buin in the Silvretta Alps. The village is a beauty, with cobbled lanes, shuttered chalets featuring sgraffito murals (a technique that involves scratching designs into the building’s surface to reveal another colour underneath) and trickling stone fountains.

The voices of Romansh-speaking locals fill the warm, woody confines of popular restaurant Ustaria Crusch Alba, where visitors can dig into local Grisons specialities, from barley soup with cured ham to Bündner Nusstorte (caramelised Alpine tart). With just 160 residents, Guarda is great for giving the 21st century the slip, especially for those who venture into the pristine Swiss National Park nearby, where trails twist high into the realms of ibex, chamois and golden eagles.

3. Bettmeralp, Valais

For glacier close-ups

Sitting on a plateau above the Rhône Valley at an altitude of 1,950 metres, car-free Bettmeralp feels like a setting straight from the classic children’s novel, Heidi. Accessible via cable-car, the village has a small white chapel perched on a hill and timber chalets that are at their loveliest when dusted with snow. When the first flakes fall, locals get around by sledge and ski in the Aletsch Arena, an expansive winter sports hub. In summer, hikers arrive for the low-key atmosphere and some of Switzerland’s most memorable trekking alongside the 14-mile-long Aletsch Glacier, which snakes down from 4,000m peaks. Make sure to tackle the glacier-skimming day hike from Bettmerhorn to Bettmeralp via the jewel-coloured lake Märjelensee.

4. Morcote, Ticino

For lake views & wine

Where Switzerland meets Italy on the shores of the Ceresio Peninsula, Morcote in Ticino regularly ranks among Switzerland’s most alluring villages. With forested peaks casting above blue waters and medieval patrician houses with graceful portici (arcades), it lives up to its reputation. Narrow cobbled alleys curve down slopes terraced with vines and stippled with cypress trees.

Top billing goes to the subtropical gardens of Parco Scherrer — a peaceful space with camelias, azaleas, palms and oleander. For stellar lake views, hike up the hill to the Renaissance-baroque Chiesa di Santa Maria del Sasso. And for slow food and organic wines, including award-winning merlots, drop by the family-run Tenuta Castello di Morcote estate for lunch, a cellar visit and a wine tasting, or dinner under the stars.

5. Gruyères, Fribourg

For castles, cheese & chocolate

With a hilltop medieval château and cobbled streets, French-speaking Gruyères looks film-set ready. Walking and cycling trails thread into the surrounding dairy country, including the Sentier des Fromageries, an eight-mile loop passing lush pastures and cheese dairies. The path links La Maison du Gruyère — where visitors can get a glimpse at the cheesemaking process — and the wonderfully atmospheric Fromagerie d’Alpage de Moléson. Here, rich gruyere cheese is made the traditional way in a copper vat over an open fire. Linger for a lunch of moitié-moitié cheese fondue and meringues topped with thick gruyere cream. After, head to the nearby village of Broc to enjoy a tour and chocolate tasting at Maison de Cailler, which has produced some of Switzerland’s finest treats since 1825.