Beautiful villages in Switzerland you must see!
I understand that the rugged beauty of Norway’s fjord-side villages and wild windswept scenery of Iceland have left you wanting for more. That is why I am going to whisk you across these insanely beautiful villages in Switzerland!
Quaint wooden chalets on mountain slopes, meadows carpeted in wildflowers and sparkling blue lakes are a must see in the Swiss alps. In this post we’ll visit the most beautiful villages of Switzerland and have our own ‘Sound of Music’ moment !
With the help of stunning photos, I will explain which are the most picturesque small towns and hamlets of Switzerland, how to reach those places, where to stay, what time fo the year to visit and tons of such helpful info. so that you can have the most memorable holiday in Swiss Alps.
The prettiest small towns in Switzerland are all in a mountainous region called the Bernese Oberland. These car-free mountain villages are absolutely gorgeous. You can either choose to stay in any of these villages or stay in a more centralized hub so you can explore all these villages according to your choice and return to any that captures your fancy.
In the Bernese Oberland area, we highly recommend staying in Interlaken, a slightly bigger town and a perfect base to explore the region. We had an excellent stay at Hotel Rugenpark B&B during our visit.
Interlaken has tons of BnBs and hotels. It has excellent bus and train connectivity to the below villages. Interlaken is neither too busy/ cosmopolitan like Geneva or Zurich nor too quiet. Lots of restaurants and an upbeat nightlife make it a perfect place to wind down after glorious day of sight seeing.
8 Most beautiful villages of Swiss Alps :
1. Lauterbrunnen
This is the most beautiful village located in lower altitude of Bernese Oberland. Known as the valley of 72 waterfalls, the hamlet of Lauterbrunnen nestles snuggly between tall cliffs. Quaint churches, gushing waterfalls, grazing cows in meadows make up the serene pastoral sights. Lauterbrunnen is unbelievably gorgeous with crisscrossing glacial streams, cliffs and meadows.
Staubbach falls is the iconic waterfall in this valley. Its a must see and great place to start with. Use Lauterbrunnen as your first stop to explore further.
How to reach Lauterbrunnen ?
Hop on the Interlaken Ost from Interlaken and enjoy the 20 minute train ride across beautiful landscape to reach this village. There are several trains each day and the ticket costs less than 5 Euros!
2. Wengen
Perhaps Switzerland’s best kept secret, Wengen is absolutely delightful. Wengen sits perched up in the mountains directly overlooking the valley village of Lauterbrunnen. Wengen is easily reachable by mountain train from Lauterbrunnen station. The windows roll down so feel free to stick your head out like a dog. We did.
(I only promised sound travel advice on this site , who said anything about being mature?! )
The train tumbles and heaves past tunnels and forest before arriving at the quiet town of Wengen.
How to reach Wengen ?
If you are extremely fit then you can hike to Wengen but there is significant elevation gain. We took the cog rail from Lauterbrunnen to wengernalp station in Wengen and got spectacular views along the way. You can get back to Lauterbrunnen in the same train.
3. Stechelberg :
Stechelberg is another tiny village located at the valley floor. It is a pretty village but not much to do around, so once you’ve seen it, take the cable car up to Murren for more adventures. A 5 km hike/walk along fairly flat ground from Lauterbrunnen will get you to Stechelberg. You can also take a bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg.
4. Murren
Located right above Stechelberg is another stunning mountain village of Murren. Perched above the scenic valley, it offers mind blowing vistas. Beautiful chalets are converted into hotels and airBnBs. This is a popular spot for paragliding and other mountain activities. Lots of clearly marked trails and picturesque scenery make Murren a must see village of Switzerland.
How to reach Murren?
Take the Gondola from Stechelberg that goes all the way to Schilthorn but get down in the middle at Murren stop. You will see the overcrowded gondola proceeding to Schilthorn for overpriced touristy experience while you enjoy the scenic beauty of this pretty village all for yourself! Unrivalled views of Eiger,Monch and Jungfrau make this one of my favorites villages of Switzerland.
5. Gimmelwald :
Whatever you do, don’t miss this little beauty. Gimmelwald is a precious little gem of a village that brought back all the stories of Heidi I read as a girl. It is the ultimate alpine village you see on postcards and chocolate boxes. Blessed with surreal beauty, Gimmelwald will take your breath away.
How to reach Gimmelwald ?
A 30 minute walk down the slope on clearly marked trail from Murren will get you in the charming village of Gimmelwald.
6. Grindelwald :
Perhaps one of the more famous scenic villages of Switzerland, Grindelwald is a name many will recognize. Home to a once-spectacular glacier, Grindelwald’s location in the Jungfrau region makes it a popular ski resort. We however visited in summer and the place looked simply outstanding with low lying clouds kissing the rooftops of wooden chalets.
How to reach Grindelwald ?
You can drive from Interlaken or take the train Interlaken Ost for about 5 Euros and enjoy the scenery. Trains in Switzerland are extremely efficient and scenic. They are perhaps rivalled only by those in Norway. Multiple trains travelling per day gives you ample option to choose.
7. Wilderswil :
Alpine cottages with their delicate welcoming demeanor adorn this village. Lots and lots of wildflower meadows to bring out the kid in you. Wilderswil is almost unheard of and rarely features in any guide book. This insider scoop is only available here!
How to reach Wilderswil ?
Just a 5 minute drive from Interlaken will bring you to this fairytale hamlet with plum and apricot orchards. You can also take the train costing about 1Euro to Wilderswil.
8. Iseltwald : The most beautiful village in Switzerland
No account of beautiful Swiss villages is complete without the mention of sparkling lakeside hamlets. The place we stayed – Interlaken, itself means between lakes. Thun and Brienz are two beautiful lakes of Canton of Berne giving the town its name.
Less than 15 minutes from Interlaken is Iseltwald. A hidden gem that receives hardly any tourists. Most tourists are busy with cliched lake cruises leaving quaint villages like Iseltwald for you and me!
How to reach Iseltwald ?
Take a bus from downtown Interlaken to Iseltwald. The journey will take about half hour including all stops. For a quicker option you can drive your rental car or take a cab to get to the village in under 15 minutes.
Our favorite time to visit Switzerland is May. All the photos you see above are taken in May. The weather is warm, wildflowers are blooming, peak season has not yet begun so crowds are lesser and prices are lower!
Hope you loved the photos and have decided to go to Switzerland ! (Because frankly, do you need more convincing?)
P.S : All the images on this site and in this post are ours (even though they look unrealistically beautiful!)
7 thoughts on “Beautiful villages in Switzerland you must see!”
Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Fantastic blog and amazing style and design.
Hi Deepti
Your blog has been very helpful in planning our travel
Needed your suggestion on travel logistics. We would be there for about 11 days. We are planning an itinerary very similar to yours. We would start from Geneva. Plan to visit towns like Montreaux, Vevey, Gruyeres and then onward ti Interlaken.
We are three of us. Should we get the travel pass or should we take a car and then buy individual tickets to each place?
Hi Kritika,
Thanks for those kind words :). During our Switzerland trip, we did NOT take a travel pass, because when we did the math (for our itinerary, interests and number of people), it turned out cheaper to not take one. But if you plan to visit expensive places like For Example Piz Gloria Schilthorn, then it makes sense to buy the Swiss travel pass, Because the gondola ride from Stechelberg to Schilthorn alone costs 90 – 100 Euros per person but is free with the Swiss Travel Pass since 2018, and many such experiences (like mountain train to Jungfrau). In these cases you will get your money’s worth and the pass would have paid for itself.
Since we did not visit a ton of museums, or ride in premium panorama trains or go on boat cruises , it turned out very pocket friendly to not have a Swiss travel pass (which cost 500 – 800 Euros per person). So I would say it all depends on what kinds of activities you have planned in your itinerary. Switzerland is so supremely beautiful and it can be enjoyed with very little money if you know exactly what experiences you want and have planned ahead. Wishing you a lovely trip Kritika !
Hi Deepti,
Your blog is amazing and pictures stunning. I am planning a 10 day trip in June and would definitely follow your suggestions on exploring the quaint villages. Do you have further recommendations for the rest of the trip.
Thanks,
Rahul
Thanks a lot Rahul! In Switzerland we spent all our time in these regions. After that we went to Basel, where we spent a night and next day onwards explored the Black Forest Region in Germany before leaving Europe. If Black Forest region interests you, then you can add that too !
Your blog is amazing , you have explained everything so well . For me this is my third trip to Switzerland but this is the first time I am there for 15 days with a Swiss travel pass to explore all the beautiful places and Trains like Bernina , glacier , gorthard etc. have you been to Croatia? For we are going onwards to Zagreb and down south for 10 days . Love your pictures. I am in Switzerland in June 6 th onwards . Thank you
Sara
Thanks so much Sara 🙂 Yeah We’ve been to Croatia and absolutely adored Dubrovnik, the medieval old town and gorgeous coast! Your trip sounds so fun, Have a great holiday !