Top 10 CITIES Switzerland: Most beautiful Swiss Places – The Highlights [Travel Guide]
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Switzerland, Wonderland, a small country full of surprises and vibrant cities. Whether down in the valley, by the river or at the lake, there are many cities that charm with their beautiful atmosphere. Although being a rather small country, Switzerland’s cities are very diverse in terms of architecture and culture. Having traveled through plenty of alluring cities during the past years, I am proud to present you my Top 10 list of the most beautiful cities of Switzerland! [Music] Hello everyone. Welcome
back to my channel. my name is Djemo, I'm a Swiss traveler mostly posting videos about Switzerland, Southeast Asia and the world. Now, let's directly hop in with number 10 and that would be Sion. [Music] This is a town that many of you might not have heard of. It’s the capital of the
very touristy canton of Valais. The moment I entered the old city of Sion, I noticed how vibrant this place is. In general, there is quite a happy atmosphere present in here, and this city sort of provides Italian vibes, although it lays in Switzerland’s French speaking part. This is what I felt, made Sion very unique. During the warm months it’s quite happening, there are many street performers, many people hanging out at cafes and restaurants, and all together this inhales so much life into this place. Talking about the restaurants, upon my first visit, I noticed Sion being a very interesting hub for foodie enthusiasts. Local delicacies include beef
from the Hérens cattles, any dish including local tomatoes that are known for their quite unique taste and then the restaurant "Au Cheval Blanc" that serves the best oysters I ever had! Do not forget to visit Sion's Castles up on the hill. They're considered the landmark of the old town and look very beautiful during day and night. [Music] Now, let's continue with number nine. that's this city here and that would be wonderful Lugano. [Music] We are heading to the Rio de Janeiro of Switzerland: to Lugano! Lugano is built along the bay of the Ceresio and has been attracting numerous tourists due to its wonderful surrounding! Lugano’s old city is very beautiful with the many houses and enchanting alleys. It’s a very vibrant city full of shops and restaurants. Basically, all what tourists and locals would need!
There is even a very nice Christmas market that is held on a yearly basis… surprisingly for a major city, Lugano’s market remains rather traditional, at least regarding the booths. Interesting places would be this view point with the church and funicular in the background; a popular Instagram spot, then the chiesa San Lorenzo with its beautiful interior full of mosaics, and the parco Chiani. At the park, you most-likely will come across this gate, which is one of the most photographed subjects in Lugano. The city of Lugano is easy to reach by car but then, I personally prefer arriving here by train. It’s very convenient, as you directly may access the funicular that takes you down to the old city.
After having visited this city for a numerous times, I also would like to share my favorite activities to do in and around Lugano. A must is a visit either up to Monte Brè or Monte San Salvatore. From these two peaks you will get a fantastic view down to Lugano. Monte San Salvatore offers you a great panorama over the lake and the surrounding. Just nearby you may visit the villages of Morcote and Gandria, more about those in my Top 10 villages videos. And then, there is also the "Swissminiatur" in Mellide. That one shows you all of Switzerland on a small scale, which includes the major landmarks. The best however is the love to the details, as they are showcasing you all modes of transportation, replicas of the major boats on the lakes, trains and even cable cars up to the mountains. Lugano is
a great city. Big pluspoints are its warm climate, Mediterranean vibe, citylife and the cultural proximity to Italy. Well, the only thing I am not too fond of are these many 1970s buildings. Should you have been enjoying watching this video so far, then, I kindly invite you to subscribe to my channel. And now, let's continue with number eight, we're changing to Northwest Switzerland, to Basel [Music] We are now heading to northwest Switzerland… to one of the most cultural cities. Basel has a beautiful mix of old and modern and managed to well preserve its traditions. I thought I would find the most beautiful parts of Basel at the Barfüesser or Münster square, but then noticed that Basel’s beauty is found in the many alleys. Thus, really take your time exploring this area.
There are a couple of great shops to visit and for any tourist, I would highly recommend to take a look at Johann Wanner; they basically have everything you may be looking for! Very beautiful is also the river Promenade at Kleinbasel on the northern shore of the Rhine. From there you will see the many beautiful houses proudly overseeing the river. My favorite point of interests are the Spalentor, Basel’s old gate and landmark, the prominent red city hall with its beautiful paintings and the minster, a massive red sandstone cathedral. Basel is very modern and is Switzerland’s main hub for chemical and pharmaceutical industry: Novartis and Roche being prominent to mention here. Although Basel is very modern, I have
always been fascinated by its strong adherence to its traditions. During Autumn they have a fair that is really cool to visit. There will be many attractions around the Münsterplatz, Barfüesserplatz and Petersplatz. Switzerland’s most beautiful Christmas market is also held in Basel, you will find many handmade products and plenty of beautifully decorated stalls. The Vogelgryff is celebrated anually by the people of Kleinbasel during mid-January and is certainly a very unique festival in Switzerland. And now, the very highlight I shall say is the Morgenstraich, which is the beginning of Switzerland’s largest carnival, starting sharply at 4am. [Music]
Number seven is the federal city of Switzerland and that would be Bern. [Music] We are now heading to the federal city – to Bern. On this Top 10 cities list, Bern is the only one that was awarded with UNESCO world heritage status. The old city is very unique with these many arcades, clock towers and fountains. Bern’s major points of interest
are the federal square with the parliament called Bundeshaus and the Swiss Nationalbank. Then, the Zytglogge tower with the painting of Adam and Eve being exiled from the paradise, the Bärengraben – a pit with bears – the house of Einstein, the city theatre and the minster. Talking about the minster: ascend the tower to enjoy a brilliant vista over the old city of Bern. During Summer, also consider going for a swim at the Aare river, the safest would be at the bath of Marzili. Bern is also interesting when it comes to culture: The local specialty is Rösti, which is one of the major original Swiss dishes; it is available in different varieties. A very important cultural event to witness in the 2nd half of November would
be the onion market called Zibelemärit. It takes place on a Monday morning starting from 6 am. It’s beautifully decorated and also has some elements of carnival. Then, during Christmas season there will be the market called Stärnemärit. It's basically a street food festival in a christmassy atmosphere but then the lightings with the many stars that's actually really beautiful. With number six we're moving again to the French speaking part of Switzerland and that would be beautiful Neuchâtel. Welcome to one of my favourite cities. Neuchâtel has been fascinating to me since my childhood
days. Probably that got much to do with its location by the lake, its unique climate and great vibes. Neuchâtel’s beauty comes from its simplicity. Less colorful than the other cities, Neuchâtel consists mainly of limestone buildings. Walk among the many alleys, there are even secret ones such as this with the many grafitis. You probably will notice Neuchâtel is full of these, something I really admire about this city, as it beautifully blends the old with the contemporary arts. The points of interest are this foundtain with the clocktower, the gardens and promenade at the Beau Rivage, the docks, this shaky balcony just above the lake.
My favorite spot however is the hill with the castle and the collegiate church. As soon as you are getting there, you will enjoy a brilliant view over the old city of Neuchâtel. Do also go for a quick visit at the abbey and the collegiate church. Neuchâtel also frequently is hosting cultural evens, the street food festival being just one of them.
[Music] We're now moving to the upper half this top 10 list of the most beautiful cities of Switzerland. Number five is the city right behind me, that's by the way my hometown, and that would be Schaffhausen. [Music] All the way up in the north of Switzerland lays this humble, often underrated city of Schaffhausen. Although it is my hometown and I may be a bit biased, I do have to say it’s one of the most beautiful cities in all of Switzerland. Schaffhausen’s old city has been perfectly preserved up to this day, as it's remaining fully intact. Because of that,
you will need at least 2 hours to explore it. I however, would better plan even for half a day, as there are numerous cafés, restaurants and attractions. The city charms with its many shops, vibrant life, painted houses and its numerous oriel windows.
Because of the latter, Schaffhausen loves to describe itself as the Stadt der Erker, the city of oriel windows. The nicest alleys are at the Vordergasse, especially during Christmas and then at the lower city, the Understadt. There is also this beautiful Art Deco shop at where you can see artists still hand painting porcelain and tiles. Interesting places to visit are
the minster, a typical Swiss protestant church, they abbey zu Allerheiligen and then the museum, the Schifflände with its train bridge, and of course, the landmark: the fortress called Munot. The latter is one of the major tourist attractions of Schaffhausen and it's also serving as a centre of culture: There is a yearly Salsa party that is really fun to attend and then also the Munot Ball with the traditional dance called quadrille! Quadrille. [Music] The city hosts a yearly Martinimarket on a Wednesday and Thursday in Mid-November as well as a 2-days Christmas market at the abbey.
There are numerous hotels in Schaffhausen, and if I may suggest you a special one it would be the Park Villa. That one is very close to the strain station and charms with its nostalgic atmosphere. Things to do around the city of Schaffhausen would be a visit to the old city of Stein am Rhein and Europe’s tallest river waterfall the Rhine falls. [Music] I'm pretty sure everyone knows number four, it's the largest city here in Switzerland, and that would be Zurich. [Music] Often awarded as the world’s most expensive city, Zürich looks fairly humble compared to its competitors. Nevertheless, Zürich is the largest city of Switzerland being the hub for banking, business and innovation. For many of you, Zürich may be the first destination,
as you are most likely are going to arrive to Switzerland by plane or else by train. It’s easiest to be reached by train as the station is right in the middle of the centre. Knowing this city by heart since having done my material science studies at ETH, I recommend you to visit the following points of interest: Limmatquai with the river and the many churches, the Niederdörfli, considered to be the best preserved part of Zürich’s old city, the colorful alley called Augustinergasse, the Fraumünster church with the windows of the world famous artist Marc Chagall, the Bellevue at where you can get a wonderful view over the lake and the Swiss Alps, and of course the Bahnhofstrasse that is the shopping boulevard. My favorite viewpoints are at the Lindenhof and the Polyterrasse. The latter is kinda funny, I never really valued the view that I was getting on a daily basis when having studied at ETH. I remember, when I did my first tour for one of my best friends, he had to explain me how unique it is to come up there by the Polybahn and how beautiful this vista is.
Zürich is very international, it’s vibrant and fast-paced, but nevertheless, it always managed to balance between the modern and the traditional. It remains a major cultural centre here in Switzerland. This is very visible at the interiors of the guilders houses that are still considered major cultural associations in the city. On a yearly basis, they host this fascinating tradition called Sechseläuten, which takes place usually on the 3rd Monday in April. Don’t miss out the many Christmas markets around the town during December, especially the one at Zürich main station, Sechseläuten square or at the illuminarium! We're now moving up to the podium of the top 10 cities here in Switzerland.
For that, we have to change against the french-speaking part: number three goes to Fribourg [Music] Fribourg is quite a unique city as it is build on a hill similarly to Bern. However, the town extends down to the groove around the river Sarine. Start your exploration on the hill, walk through the large alleys and then go for a quick visit to the St. Nicolas cathedral. This is a very beautiful gothic church, considered being the landmark of the city. Definitely, I can recommend you to ascent the cathedral’s tower. [Giggle] It's quite a number of steps! However, once you arrive up there, you will be able to enjoy a brilliant vista over the old city. My
favorite spot is down in the canyon as you will be getting a very pretty view up to the majestic houses that proudly oversee the lower part of the city. At this point, and especially after droning, I got to notice how many similarities this city is actually sharing with Luxembourg. Head up to the Lorette chapel on the hill, just face off the city. In my opinion, from there you will be getting the best vista over the old city of Fribourg.
Try out the funicular to ascend back to the city center on the hill. By the way, very fascinating is the fact that its operated with the pressure of used water. This since 1899. That's actually very sustainable! Since you are in Fribourg, you also need to know that you are in one of the most culinaric regions of Switzerland. Try out their fondue à la moitié-moitié, meringues or then berries with Gruyères double cream. Mmmm, that's just delicious! Number two is what people call the most beautiful Baroque city of Switzerland, and that would be Solothurn. [Music] This is quite a unique city with a very different
kind of identity! Solothurn proudly calls itself the most beautiful baroque city of Switzerland. When having strolled through the old city, I soon had to agree with that claim. The many baroque-style houses are indeed very beautiful… and then of course the St. Urseren
Cathedral the masterpiece of the city! Similar to most cathedrals in Switzerland, you may ascend the church tower to enjoy a great view over Solothurn. As you are standing up there, you might notice that this city actually shares some similarities with Lithuania’s capital Vilnius. Solothurn is not only strongly identifying itself with its baroque designs but also the number 11… but sorry guys… there is no rank 11 on this Top 10 list but I guess ranking 2nd does you well.
Everything in Solothurn is based on the number 11. Solothurn is Switzerland’s 11th canton that joined the confederation, there are 11 steps up to the cathedral, by the way three times, because of the holy trinity, 11 fountains or then a clock with only 11 hours! That's kind of weird, but at the same time, it's really cool! Visit Solothurn on a Saturday to enjoy the vibrant wet market, go to see the major gates, Basel- and Berntor, and then also consider a visit to the museum at the Zeughaus. That one has a large collection of medieval armors! There is also the Weissenstein, the mountain just next to Solothurn. When you're ascending up there, you'll be getting a fantastic vista over the old city and the entire region.
Before I'm going to reveal you the most beautiful city of Switzerland here are a few top honorable mentions: St. Gallen, [Music] Bellinzona, Lausanne [Music] and Zug. And now, the most beautiful city here in Switzerland: I'm pretty sure you're not that surprised: number one goes to very beautiful Lucerne! [Music] I know most of you aren’t surprised to see Lucerne ranking 1st, but I do have to say it is always a very special feeling for me, whenever I arrive there.
The lake, the river Reuss, the many houses at the promenade and this beautiful wooden bridge called Kappellbrücke... it just looks so great altogether. Lucerne is great during any time of the year, but surely the nicest in Spring, Summer or on any snowy day in Winter! Some of the major things to do in Lucerne: Walking on the Kapellbrücke; by the way also do pay attention to the many pictures below the roof. Then, also visit the Lion monument, that's the saddest piece of rock you probably could find in the entire world, walk along the promenade, hike around the city wall, or go to the museum called Gletschergarten. At the latter museum you can learn more about the nature of glaciers and the historic battles in Switzerland. The highlight is the hall or mirrors in the basement called Alhambra. Regarding the culture: Lucerne has a lot to offer! A big highlight is the light festival called Lilu, which is held on a yearly basis during the latter days of January. The city will be lit up and there are several light shows going on such as inside the Jesuit church.
The most famous event is the carnival of which the locals claim it being the best in all of Switzerland. It starts with an early morning wake called Tagwach, which is initiated by the big bag at 5 am followed by a beautiful confetti rain at the Kapellplatz. During the following days, there will be numerous parades and festivities going on. And if you have not have enough of this beautiful city, then, also consider going for a cruise on the lake to proceed to other villages nearby, or should you want to get a great vista, then, certainly you have to head up to mount Pilatus [Music] indeed Switzerland is full of wonderful cities. Now, if you want to know,
which ones are the top 10 most beautiful Villages of Switzerland, I invite you to watch this video. Otherwise, if you're more interested in Southeast Asia, then, let's meet over there.
2023-06-25 09:39
