Attention city lovers!
Are you interested in culture, museums, architecture or shopping? You should check-out our "precious and historical" itinerary. The compact size of the Swiss cities embody quality of life and urban flair. You’ll find well-preserved historical centres, modern architectural masterpieces and romantic pedestrian areas with lovely street cafés – all within easy reach.
Duration: 7 nights / 8 days
Dates: Summer
The territory of the "Republic & Canton of Geneva" comprises only 110 square miles. Yet, thanks to its central location it is and has always been a crossroad of Europe, a great international centre housing the UNO, the International Red Cross, the International Labour Office and many, many more. Among Geneva's main attractions is its beautiful Old town, where it is so pleasant to stroll or linger in a sidewalk Cafe‚ soaking up the past, fascinated by the charm of its narrow, winding, historic streets. Art Lovers can just meander at leisure through its scores of stunning art galleries and Antique Hunters will be overwhelmed by the authentic treasures of its shops. Geneva, proud of its glorious past, cherishes the relics of its ancient heritage and offers you a change of taking an exciting promenade through 2000 years of history.
Berne is the Capital of Switzerland and seat of the Swiss Federal authorities. Dating back to the 12th century, it‘s still the fine old city of by-gone days. Nothing could spoil its charming appearance, those ancient fountains and towers, the sandstone steps which were worn down by past and present generations of walkers, and the famous 4 miles of the arcaded streets with their beautiful and tempting shops – a paradise for shoppers and browsers. The main sights of the city tour are the Houses of Parliament with the huge terrace, the Federal Mint, the Cathedral in baroque style, the Clock Tower, the Town Hall and last but not least, the Bear Park– the bear is the heraldic animal of the city arms.
Located on both sides of the Rhine, in the three-country-corner of Switzerland, Germany and France, Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland. Not only diverse cultures, but also a multifaceted history, modern art and architecture converge here. Since the Middle Ages, Basel has been an important crossroads of commerce and transportation, mainly due to navigation on the Rhine River. Ferries, roundtrip river cruises and lock gates link Basel's four harbors and sights. Visitors can discover the Old Town, which is dotted with buildings dating from the 15th century. The large market square, for example, is dominated by a townhall built between 1507 and 1513. The Spalentor, one of Switzerland's most beautiful city gates, was erected in the late 14th century. Basel's true landmark, however, is the Minster with its slender spires, built in different architect styles between 1019 and 1500.
Zurich is top for leisure and pleasure. Gentle hills, peaceful woods, the unpolluted lakes and rivers, picturesque villages – and all just a stone's throw from the Alps. Zurich is the ideal starting point for all kinds of varied excursions. Enjoy the pretty old town of Zurich, the trendy new Zurich West district and the glorious lake. With opera, ballet, theater premieres, shows, musicals, art exhibitions in over 50 museums and 100 galleries, time never drags in Zurich. The famous Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmatquai are a shopper's paradise. Over 1,700 restaurants and bars serve both traditional Zurich and Swiss dishes as well as exotic specialties. The evenings will leave you spoilt for choice: indoors or outdoors, anything is possible as far as the nightlife in Zurich goes.
The world-famous, historical city of Lucerne lies in Switzerland in the heart of Europe. Because of its central location right on Lake Lucerne, which is surrounded by grand mountains like Mount Titlis at 3000 meters high or the impressive Mount Pilatus, Lucerne is considered to be the "Switzerland in Switzerland". You will find everything here: the lake, the mountains, the city – a distinctive consonance of nature and work of man, which has been preserved and carefully developed for centuries. What do you want to see while in Lucerne? The Chapel Bridge with its gabled paintings of old battles and the adjacent quaint quarters with little streets ranging and changing from silence to abundant liveliness? The curiosities of the museums, the treasures of the many churches? Take a leisurely walk through a maze of small streets, bridges, promenades and plazas dominated by countless historical towers, fountains and frescoed buildings.
Discover the rare beauty and cultural diversity of this charming town, situated along the Rhine. The lovely oriels, which adorn the town centre, and its delightful countryside, are prominent features, which make Schaffhausen so unique. Reach Neuhausen for the visit of the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfalls in Europe with its magnificent scenery. At a width of 150 meters and a height of 23 meters, an average 700 cubic meters of water rushes over the cliffs each second. Across the Rhine stands the Castle of Laufen, a medieval structure with wellpreserved walls and towers.
