The Best Things to do During Winter in Switzerland

If you’d like to visit a winter wonderland and take in all the feels of a fairytale destination, add winter in Switzerland to your travel plans!

You can visit beautiful Christmas markets, partake in fun winter sports – like sledging and skiing (for beginners and kids too), take in snow-covered panoramic views, relax in thermal baths, enjoy beautiful train journeys and relish trying Swiss specialities like Fondue: There are a lot of activities to choose from during winter in Switzerland.

Here are some suggestions for the best things to do during winter in Switzerland.

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NATURE AND WILDLIFE DURING SWISS WINTERS

For those of you interested in spotting some wildlife and enjoying the stunning landscapes, you could potentially spot some mountain goats or ‘Ibex’ if you stay in a ski resort or accommodations in the mountains. In fact, some destinations like Davos even include offers in their ‘Inside’ package where you can access complimentary activities with locals, like early morning excursions, wildlife spotting, etc.

Some other areas that I recommend for you to enjoy the natural attractions of winter in Switzerland are the Graubunden Region and the Valais Region.

Switzerland has thousands of cable cars and hiking trails, which guarantee panoramic views. On some peaks like Titlis and Glacier3000, you can also go for the Cliff Walk and take part in other snow activities. However, keep in mind that on snowy days, the visibility might be poor from the top of the mountain peaks, so it’s a good idea to ask about the visibility when buying tickets for any cable car ride.

SchneeSelital is a small ski resort in the Canton of Bern, with a spectacular winter sports area, a fun park, and possibilities for snow tubing. The Gantrisch Nature Park is located in that region – it is about one hour from Bern by train or Alpine Bus.

So visit the Nature Park and the lake, look out for wildlife, visit the monastery ruins and enjoy hiking during winter in Switzerland!

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CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE TRAINS IN SWITZERLAND

Trains taking you to a Chocolate Factory aren’t just a work of fiction! In Switzerland, you can choose to spend a day visiting both Chocolate and Cheese factories, as well as taking a ride on a special train serving you delicious cheeses and desserts! You can DIY and combine the visits to chocolate and cheese factories in Gruyere in ONE day by following this route.  Or you can take one of these special trains to enhance your experience:

The Chocolate Train is a vintage, belle-epoque themed train that runs between Montreaux and the Cailler Chocolate Factory at Broc. If you are staying at Montreaux and would like to go on an organized round trip, the Golden Pass ticket includes a whole day itinerary from 9am to 6pm, including visits to both factories and a visit to the town of Gruyere. http://www.goldenpass.ch/en/goldenpass/offer/view?id=15

You can book the full day tour here.

Aboard The Fondue Train at Bulle, you can go around the Gruyere region for 3 hours, and enjoy fondue along with a meringue dessert, which is included in the ticket. Remember to book the tickets in advance and you can choose to either board the train at 11.20am or at 7.20pm.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN SWITZERLAND

Nothing says winter in Switzerland more than a Christmas Market! There are many, many Christmas Markets to choose from in Switzerland, here are some of the larger and better-known markets and the dates for 2018:

• Basel Christmas Markets – 22nd November – 23rd December
• Zurich Christmas Markets – 22nd November – 24th December
• Bern Christmas Markets – 1st December – 24th December

You can find out about more Christmas Markets around Switzerland here.

READ: WONDERING WHERE THE BEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS ARE IN EUROPE? READ ON…

Magical Christmas Market – Montreux Noel

Montreux Noel Christmas Market. Picture Source.

If you are in Switzerland in winter, the best place to visit is Montreux Noel – the town of Montreux’s Christmas festival.

Held for a month each year in the lead up to Christmas, this festival takes place on the edge of Lake Geneva. The main focal point is the great Christmas market but there is more to the festival than this.

There are medieval Christmas activities at the UNESCO listed Chillon Castle. You can watch Santa fly over Lake Geneva every night from the Christmas Market. There are light displays, chocolate making classes and great food.

Our favourite part, after the Christmas market, was taking the train up Rochers-de-Naye mountain to visit Santa Claus’ house. You get to meet the big man himself, and there are activities, food, and skiing. There are also great views from the train.

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, make sure Montreux Noel is at the top of your list of things to do during winter in Switzerland!

Author: Sharon Gourlay from Simpler and Smarter

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READ: FIND OUT THE BEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY

WELLNESS: THERMAL BATHS AND RELAXATION

What better way to stay warm during winter in Switzerland than soaking in one of the country’s many thermal baths. There are many to choose from, and one of my favourites is the Termali Salini & Spa in Locarno, which has an amazing location overlooking a lake and the mountains.

If you don’t have a car, why not take a private tour from Geneva to one of the warmest thermal baths in Switzerland.

 

WINTER FESTIVALS IN SWITZERLAND

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There are a number of wonderful winter festivals in Switzerland, and a visit to one of them would top off any winter in Switzerland itinerary.

1.Carnival is celebrated in Basel (Basel Fasnacht) and Lucerne (Luzern Fasnacht) – 2019 dates are 11th-13th March in Basel and 28th February – 4th March in Lucerne.

2. The popular Bern Onion Festival celebrates everything onion and garlic and is held on the fourth Monday in November – that’s November 26th in 2018.

3. A more unusual winter event in Switzerland is the Belalp Witches’ Race, where skiers wear scary witch masks and race downhill

4. The Igloo Festival in Adelboden has been running for eight years now and involves building igloos to be judged. It is held 16th-17th March in 2019.

5. Adelboden is also home to the Chuenis bi Nacht – a night skiing race and Ski show held every Friday evening between 1st February and 1st March in 2019.

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READ: FIND OUT ABOUT THE MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE FROM SWITZERLAND

World Snow Festival, Grindelwald, Switzerland

Each year, the Swiss alpine village of Grindelwald plays host to the World Snow Festival, where figures and sculptures are carved out of huge blocks of snow.

The festival started back in 1983 when some Japanese artists carved the storybook character Heidi out of snow. These days, artists from around the world come to show off their snow-sculpting skills in the hope of being crowned the winner.

Work on the sculptures takes place in the heart of Grindelwald for the first four days of the festival (dates for 2019 are January 21 to 26) before the rankings are announced on day five.

Whilst a judging panel is in place, the general public is also asked to vote for their favourite from the 14 sculptures created during the festival.

On the final evening, the snow sculptures are illuminated, providing a wonderful spectacle for all to admire – before they melt away in the following days.

Author: Carolyn from Holidays to Europe

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HELICOPTER RIDE OVER THE JUNGFRAU

When visiting Switzerland in winter there are so many beautiful areas to choose from! From central Switzerland to the French part, in Graubünden or even in the Italian part. Switzerland is full of beautiful places to spend your winter holidays. However, there is one place that stands out for me: The Jungfrau Region!

With its location in between some of the highest and most remarkable peaks of the European Alps, thousands of kilometres of ski slopes and the unique Top of Europe (almost 3500 meters in altitude), which you can reach by train, the Jungfrau Region is simply incredible.

In my opinion, there is something even better than just enjoying the Jungfrau Region in a regular way: By taking a helicopter ride around the area. I decided to do this in the beginning of 2018 – and it was a great decision! While a helicopter ride can be quite pricey, it offers you spectacular views of the Swiss Alps – including the possibility to land on a remote glacier. It was certainly something I will never forget.

Author: Michael Gerber from mscgerber

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ADVENTURE SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND

Skiing in Switzerland – Not Just for Regular Skiiers

 

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During winter in Switzerland, skiing is second nature to the Swiss and when it comes to where to ski, there are many places to choose from.

Whether you are a first-timer or a pro, there is somewhere to ski in Switzerland for everyone – you just need to know where to go. Luckily after living in Switzerland for years, I did some research to find out the local’s favourite spots to ski.

Kayaking on Lake Brienz

When we think of an activity like Kayaking, we would usually imagine a sunny day, a clear sky, calm ocean, and all things chirpy. But what if I told you that you can go kayaking during winter in Switzerland?

Snowclad mountains, a lonely lake, cold wind, and hot tea – sounds exciting right? Well, it definitely is.

When we went to Switzerland in winter, we saw an ad in our hostel about winter kayaking and we were instantly excited. We booked our trip immediately.

The kayak trip started in Bonigen, located on the shore of Lake Brienz which is about 30 minutes away from Interlaken by foot or ten minutes away by bus. Once we reached Bonigen, we were surprised to see that we were literally the only people kayaking Lake Brienz.

We kayaked for about three hours and even saw the sunset from our kayaks, in the middle of the lake, the peaks of the snowy mountains turning pink during the finality of the day. We drank hot tea on top of an old castle called Ringgenberg.

It was one of the best and most surreal experiences we had in Europe during Winter for sure.

Author: Parampara and Parichay from Awara Diaries

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Sledging in Champéry

The little town of Champéry, in the francophone part of Switzerland, is a hidden gem. It is the perfect place for you and your family, or a group of friends, to rent out a secluded cabin and spend some internet-free time together.  

While many people love to ski and snowboard in Champéry, my absolute favourite activity to do there is sledging.  Every incline – from mild ones to steep ones – can be zoomed down on a wooden or plastic sledge (be sure to pack your own!) – it is absolutely exhilarating! Then, at the end of a long day of getting your adrenaline pumping, you can stare off into the magical night sky and see many of the stars of the Milky Way in their brightest beauty.

Author: Sarah from Borders and Bucketlists

Snowboarding in Nendaz

Everyone knows that the Swiss Alps is among one of the best places to go skiing or snowboarding in Europe. However, with so many resorts and mountain towns in this small country, it can be hard to pick where to go. We spent last winter gallivanting with our snowboards around Europe and one of our all-time favourite places to snowboard was Nendaz.

The famed 4 Vallées ski resort is known for having some of the best ski terrains in the world, so travelling there just seemed ideal. It’s tough to consider any ski holiday in Switzerland a bargain, especially in comparison to nearby resorts in Austria or Italy, but few resort towns make as many “best of” lists as 4 Vallées, and Nendaz is in the heart of those valleys.

The town of Nendaz lies close to the resorts of Siviez, Thyon, Veysonnaz, and Les Collons. Altogether these resorts make up the 4 Vallées, which have a whopping 412km of ski runs – and most of these are groomed!

If you’re heading to Switzerland in the winter there is no way you can miss heading up the mountains and going for at least one whirl down.

Author: Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit Travel

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Snowboarding at Portes du Soleil

As a side perk of working five Winter seasons in the Alps, I got to know dozens of ski resorts during my mid-twenties. However, to this day, the ski domain of Portes du Soleil – which comprises 12 ski resorts in the Mont Blanc in France and around the beautiful Lake Geneva in Switzerland – is my favourite and the one I’d recommend to everyone that wants to admire the unique Switzerland landscapes this country is world-famous for.

Not just a stunning spot, Les Portes du Soleil (the doors of the sun, if we were to translate its name) is also a great choice for winter sports – especially snowboarding. It has almost no crowds – unless you decide to visit during public holidays – and there are enough runs to keep you busy for a whole week of exploring and fun.

Les Portes du Soleil has over 650 km of ski pistes to suit all levels, thirty snowparks, 286 ski slopes and 196 lifts in total; which make it one of the largest ski areas in the whole world.  Champéry, Champoussin, Morgins, Les Crosets and Torgon – from where you can admire grandiose views of the famous Dents du Midi (3257m) and Dents Blanches (2756m) are in the Swiss part.

It usually opens from mid-December until late April and getting there is the easiest thing ever if you fly to Geneva. Enjoying a shared apartment and package should not break the bank, although rates can quickly increase if you decide to stay in a hotel or choose to travel during Christmas or Easter.

Author: Inma Gregorio from A World to Travel

 

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Which of these destinations would you first visit? Share your thoughts below and do share this post on social media!