From rolling hills, the clear blue lakes, and the snow-capped Alps, Switzerland’s natural beauty is known all over the world. One thing people don’t realize is all the beautiful cities that Switzerland has. Switzerland is an incredibly small country, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tons of cities to visit. If you only have one day to see the country, try to pack in as many things as possible into your day, you won’t regret it!

Switzerland’s public transportation system is amazing. The trains, busses, and boats run on time and are always clean.

This itinerary will allow you to see the best of Switzerland’s cities from each area of the country.

Currency

Swiss Franc (CHF)

Languages

French, German, Italian, and Romansh

Lausanne

Start your day bright and early in Lausanne. Have an early breakfast by the lake and take a look at the Chateau d’Ouchy. Take a short walk by lake Léman to see the swans.

This next train journey is going to be your longest one of the day, about four and a half hours. Relax, enjoy the views, and don’t forget to pack some snacks for the ride.

Lugano

After getting off the train head down toward the lake. On your way there, stop at the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo for an amazing view of the lake and the city. Take your time walking through the small streets and head to Manor (a department store that also has a grocery store in it) or to a small restaurant to get some take-out. Enjoy a quiet lunch in Ciani park, by lake Lugano. Since Lugano is only a few kilometers from Italy, the gelato is amazing! Head back toward the city and grab some gelato before checking out the shopping.

Hop back on the train and head to Lucerne. This ride is much shorter, only about an hour and forty minutes.

Lucerne

After getting off the train in Lucerne, cross the bridge just outside of the train station and head to the old town. Once there, the main attraction is the Chapel Bridge and the Jesuit Church. Take some pictures and stop to have a bite to eat.

The shopping is insane in Lucerne, as it is in most of Switzerland. Since the country is extremely popular with rich Asian tourists, the streets are lined with luxury stores. Even if you can’t afford anything in there, it’s still something to see.

Most stores in Switzerland close extremely early, like 5 or 6 o’clock, even in the big cities, so plan your visit accordingly.

The next train journey will be your shortest, only about 46 minutes.

Zurich

The sun will be almost setting once you arrive in Zurich, so don’t waste too much time! By this time you’ll most likely be very tired. Don’t stress, walk around the city a bit before going to eat dinner. The Bahnhofstrasse is Zurich’s main street and the buildings are beautiful. Walk along the Münsterbrücke for a nice view, and if you feel up to it, check out the city’s old town.

I chose to take a train back to Lausanne since that’s where I was staying, but Zurich is Switzerland’s biggest airport so you should be able to fly out to almost anywhere.

Train Tickets

I suggest pre-booking your seats on the trains from Lausanne to Lugano and from Lugano to Lucerne. These are long trips, and if you don’t pre-book your seats as I did, you’ll end up sitting on the stairs to get onto the train. For the trip from Lucerne to Zurich, pre-booking won’t be necessary since you’ll be taking a commuter train.

Things To Know

Switzerland’s cities are extremely small, with Zurich being the biggest city with 434 000 people. That means that the cities are extremely walkable and won’t take much time to visit.

Switzerland has four official languages, and they change by region. Lausanne is french speaking, Lugano is Italian speaking, and Lucerne and Zurich are german-speaking cities.

Source: cupofhoneytravel.com