Top 10 Beautiful Scenes to Visit in Switzerland

Discover 10 beautiful places to visit in Switzerland, from Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken to Lucerne, Jungfraujoch and the iconic Matterhorn.

Switzerland was always one of those countries I knew I had to visit at least once in my life. The only thing stopping me for a long time was quite simple: the price. Switzerland is definitely not the easiest destination for a budget traveller, especially when you start looking at hotels, mountain trains and cable cars.

My first little taste of Switzerland came in February 2020. I was visiting Lago di Lugano from the Italian side and decided to cross the border to see another part of the lake in Switzerland. It was only a quick day trip, but it gave me a small preview of just how beautiful this country could be.

Then, in 2022, I could finally say that I properly visited Switzerland. During an 18-day trip around Europe, I travelled from Innsbruck to Lucerne, Interlaken and Iseltwald. In summer 2026, I came back again during an Alps road trip covering Chamonix, Mont Blanc, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.

What can I say about Switzerland after several trips? It is breathtaking. But what impresses me most is not simply the mountains or lakes. It is how nature and human life fit together so perfectly. Wooden houses sit below huge mountains, church towers rise beside turquoise lakes, trains disappear into green valleys and waterfalls fall almost directly behind villages. Sometimes Switzerland really does look like someone designed the scenery for a postcard.

Here are my Top 10 Beautiful Scenes to Visit in Switzerland.

Why Is Switzerland So Beautiful?

For me, Switzerland is one of the easiest countries in Europe to visit if your main goal is simply to see beautiful landscapes.

The Bernese Oberland alone combines turquoise lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and famous mountains such as the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald and Lake Brienz are all close enough that you can experience very different landscapes without travelling across the entire country.

But Switzerland is not only about high mountains. Lucerne combines a historic city with a lake and alpine views, Ticino feels almost Mediterranean, while Lavaux gives you vineyards dropping towards Lake Geneva.

That variety is one reason I keep wanting to return.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Switzerland?

I have experienced Switzerland in both winter and summer, and they almost feel like two different countries.

Summer is my favourite season for a first trip, especially from June to September. The valleys become incredibly green, waterfalls are flowing, hiking trails are more accessible and the long daylight hours give you much more time to explore.

My summer 2026 trip through Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald showed me exactly the Switzerland I had imagined from postcards: green meadows, wooden chalets, blue skies and dramatic mountains everywhere.

Winter is completely different but equally beautiful. Snow transforms the alpine villages, and Switzerland becomes perfect for skiing, snowy train journeys and Christmas-style mountain scenery.

If hiking and photography are your priorities, I would personally choose summer or early autumn.

Top 10 Beautiful Scenes to Visit in Switzerland

1. Lauterbrunnen

If I had to choose only one place that represents the classic image of Switzerland, Lauterbrunnen would probably be it.

The village sits at the bottom of a dramatic U-shaped valley surrounded by almost vertical cliffs. Wooden houses, green meadows and a little church fill the valley floor, while waterfalls drop from the cliffs around them.

Lauterbrunnen Valley has 72 waterfalls. Its most famous is Staubbach Falls, which drops almost 300 metres beside the village.

I visited Lauterbrunnen again during my summer 2026 Alps road trip, and even though I had already seen countless photos before arriving, the real landscape still surprised me. Photos somehow make everything look smaller. When you actually stand inside the valley, the cliffs feel enormous.

Do not only stop for the famous village viewpoint. Walk further into the valley towards Staubbach Falls and Stechelberg. The easy Lauterbrunnen–Stechelberg route is around 8 km and passes through the valley surrounded by waterfalls.

For photography, early morning is especially beautiful when the village is quieter and the light is softer.

2. The Matterhorn and Zermatt

Few mountains in Europe are as instantly recognisable as the Matterhorn.

Its almost perfect pyramid shape has become one of the symbols of Switzerland, and the mountain dominates the landscape around Zermatt.

The best thing about visiting the Matterhorn is that you do not need to be a serious mountaineer to enjoy spectacular views. From Zermatt, you can take mountain railways and cable cars to viewpoints such as Gornergrat, Rothorn and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.

Gornergrat sits at 3,089 metres and offers views across glaciers and 29 peaks above 4,000 metres, including the Matterhorn itself. (Zermatt)

If you visit during summer, the Five Lakes Walk is another famous option because you can photograph the Matterhorn reflected in alpine lakes.

Weather matters a lot here. Clouds can completely hide the Matterhorn, so I would avoid planning only a few hours in Zermatt if seeing the mountain is one of your main reasons for travelling there.

3. Grindelwald

Grindelwald is another place where Switzerland looks almost too perfect.

The village lies directly beneath the enormous north face of the Eiger, with traditional chalets scattered across green slopes and snowy mountain peaks rising behind them. The whole Jungfrau region around Grindelwald is filled with some of Switzerland’s most famous alpine scenery.

I returned to this region during my summer 2026 Alps road trip, and driving through the mountains towards Grindelwald was already part of the experience. You constantly want to stop because another mountain view appears around every corner.

One of the most popular excursions is Grindelwald First. From there, you can walk the First Cliff Walk or continue towards Bachalpsee for one of the classic mountain-lake scenes in the area.

Grindelwald also works very well together with Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken. If your time in Switzerland is limited, I would concentrate several days in this region instead of rushing around the whole country.

4. Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe

Jungfraujoch gives you a completely different version of Switzerland.

Instead of green valleys and wooden chalets, you suddenly enter a world of snow, glaciers and high alpine peaks.

Jungfraujoch sits at 3,454 metres and is home to the highest railway station in Europe. From the top, you can see the Aletsch Glacier and surrounding four-thousand-metre mountains.

You can reach it from the Interlaken and Grindelwald area. One of the fastest routes goes through Grindelwald Terminal, where the Eiger Express takes you towards Eigergletscher before continuing by railway to Jungfraujoch.

This is one of those Switzerland experiences where I would check the weather carefully before committing. Mountain excursions here are expensive, and paying for a panoramic view when everything is hidden behind clouds is definitely not ideal.

Even in summer, bring warm clothes. At this altitude, temperatures can be very different from those down in Interlaken.

5. Iseltwald and Lake Brienz

Iseltwald is tiny compared with many destinations on this list, but that is exactly why I like it.

The village sits directly beside Lake Brienz, surrounded by mountains and unbelievably blue-green water.

I visited Iseltwald during my 2022 Switzerland trip, using Interlaken as my base. It does not need a long sightseeing checklist. The attraction is simply walking slowly along the lake, looking at the traditional houses and enjoying how peaceful the village feels.

This is one of the places where I really understood what I love about Switzerland. Nothing is excessively dramatic by itself: a lake, some houses, mountains and a small village. But everything together creates a perfect scene.

If you stay in Interlaken, Iseltwald is easy to combine with other destinations around Lake Brienz. I would give yourself enough time to sit by the water rather than arriving only for a photograph and immediately leaving again.

6. Interlaken

Interlaken may not have the most dramatic single viewpoint on this list, but it is one of the best places to base yourself for exploring Switzerland’s famous alpine region.

The town sits between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the mountains of the Bernese Oberland rising around it. Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoch and the villages around Lake Brienz can all be explored from here.

I first stayed around Interlaken during my 2022 trip and returned again in summer 2026.

What I like most about Interlaken is convenience. Switzerland is expensive, so constantly changing hotels can quickly increase both the price and the effort of your trip. Using Interlaken as a base lets you make several day trips while returning to the same accommodation each evening.

For a panoramic view, head up to Harder Kulm, or simply spend time beside Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

Interlaken is also famous for adventure sports, particularly paragliding. Even if you do not want to jump from a mountain yourself, you will probably see colourful paragliders floating above the town on a clear summer day.

7. Lucerne

Lucerne gives you something slightly different from the Bernese Oberland.

Instead of a small alpine village, you get a beautiful historic city sitting directly beside a lake and surrounded by mountains.

I travelled from Innsbruck to Lucerne during my 2022 Europe trip, and it was one of the places that made that journey feel unmistakably Swiss.

The most iconic landmark is Chapel Bridge, the historic covered wooden bridge crossing the River Reuss beside the Water Tower. Today it remains Lucerne’s most photographed landmark.

But my favourite part of Lucerne is the complete scene around it: the bridge, old buildings, waterfront, Lake Lucerne and mountains in the distance.

If you have more time, combine the city with a trip onto Lake Lucerne or Mount Pilatus. One classic route to Pilatus combines a boat journey with the cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad.

Lucerne is a good choice if you want Swiss scenery without spending your whole trip hiking.

8. Oeschinensee

If turquoise mountain lakes are what you imagine when you think about Switzerland, Oeschinensee deserves a place very high on your list.

Located above Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland, the lake is surrounded by steep mountains and belongs to the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage area.

The colour of the water can look almost unreal on a sunny summer day.

From Kandersteg, a cable car takes you towards the mountain station, followed by a walk to the lake. Switzerland Tourism estimates around 15 minutes for the cable-car ride and roughly another 30 minutes along the panoramic trail.

If you enjoy hiking, spend longer here instead of treating Oeschinensee as only a photo stop. There are trails above the lake where the higher perspective makes the water and surrounding mountains look even more impressive.

This would fit very naturally into a longer Bernese Oberland trip with Interlaken.

9. Rhine Falls

Rhine Falls is one of Switzerland’s most famous natural attractions and a nice change from the mountains and turquoise lakes that dominate most of this list.

Located near Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe by volume. The water rushes over a wide rocky ledge with incredible force, especially in late spring and summer when the flow is stronger.

What makes Rhine Falls interesting is how close you can get to the water. There are several viewpoints around the falls, but one of the most exciting experiences is taking a boat toward the large rock in the middle of the waterfall. From there, you can climb to a viewing platform surrounded by rushing water.

For photography, I would visit in the morning or later afternoon when the light is softer. The classic viewpoints around Laufen Castle are especially good because you can see the waterfall from several different heights.

Rhine Falls is also quite easy to add to a Switzerland itinerary. It is around an hour from Zurich by public transport, so you can visit it as a half-day or full-day trip without changing hotels.

If your Switzerland trip already includes several days around Interlaken and the Alps, Rhine Falls gives you something completely different: not another mountain panorama, but the raw power of water in one of the country’s most famous natural scenes.

10. Lavaux Vineyards and Lake Geneva

For the final place on this list, I wanted something different from another alpine valley.

Lavaux stretches above Lake Geneva between Lausanne and the Montreux area, with rows of vineyards built into steep terraces overlooking the water.

The UNESCO-listed vineyard region covers around 800 hectares, making it Switzerland’s largest contiguous vineyard area.

What makes this landscape beautiful is the combination: green vineyard terraces in the foreground, the enormous blue lake below and mountains rising on the opposite side.

You can walk between wine villages such as Saint-Saphorin, Epesses and Cully or take the Train des Vignes through the region.

If your Switzerland trip already includes many mountain destinations, Lavaux offers a nice change of atmosphere while still giving you the incredible scenery the country is famous for.

Is Switzerland Really That Expensive?

Yes. This was honestly one of the reasons Switzerland stayed on my bucket list for so long.

But I do not think you need to avoid Switzerland completely because of the cost. You just need to travel differently.

I normally try to save money by staying in one convenient base for several nights, buying groceries for some meals instead of eating at restaurants every time, comparing transport passes before booking individual journeys, and choosing carefully which mountain cable cars or expensive excursions are really worth paying for.

Interlaken is especially useful for this style of travelling because you can reach several famous destinations from one base.

And Switzerland is also one of those destinations where some of the best experiences are completely free: walking through Lauterbrunnen, sitting beside Lake Brienz, exploring alpine villages or simply stopping beside the road to admire a mountain view.