A Swiss Story - 6 Peaks In Switzerland That You Must Visit

Switzerland, Europe’s mountain playground, is a classic tourist draw that remains consistently popular. A small, politically neutral, central European nation whose chocolate, cheese and mountains win the hearts of all who visit. Visitors from the world over travel here to ascend the slopes of the Alps, breathe the crisp air, and feel on top of the world. When they come down from the mountains, they find thriving, cosmopolitan cities that are steeped in history and culture. In this blog, we take a look at some of Switzerland's best tops, from mountains to glaciers, that make up the perfect Swiss Story:

Schilthorn

The cable car station at Stechelberg

Stechelberg is a short bus ride  away from Lauterbrunnen Station, which serves as the  depot for trains to Jungfraujoch. Cable cars depart Stechelberg and go all the way up to the summit of the Schilthorn. This peak earns its fame for being a shooting location for James Bond movie “In Her Majesty's Secret Service”. The Schilthorn is often overlooked as tourists prefer travelling the railway up to the Jungfraujoch. Apart from offering Bond World merchandise, this mountain provides stunning views of nearby peaks. A trip to the Schilthorn can be wound up in two hours and it is certainly worth it on any tour of Switzerland.

Klein Matterhorn

When one looks around from the Klein Matterhorn, the tall
snowy peaks make a glorious sight. Far below, the town of
Zermatt can be seen, in a valley surrounded by the peaks.

The Matterhorn, which is the signature peak of Switzerland, is only accessible to mountaineers. Thus, the most suitable way of seeing it is by using the various other viewing platforms around the mountain. One such viewpoint is situated near the town of Zermatt, called the Klein Matterhorn, which is a ridge located near the Matterhorn. This ridge is the highest accessible point by cable car in Switzerland and offers views of the mountain from the south eastern side, which makes an entirely different picture from how the Matterhorn is displayed on most postcards and brochures. In tourism, this place is often referred to as “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise”.

Jungfraujoch

The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau come in view as the train winds
up it's way to the Jungfraujoch. Although most of the journey 
from Kleine Scheidigg to Jungfraujoch is through a tunnel, the
train stops at a number of viewing stops on the way.

Switzerland’s most visited place is the Jungfraujoch, a saddle connecting the Jungfrau and Mönch peaks in the Bernese Oberland. Complete with its restaurants, a glacier cave, an ice palace (a tunnel carved in ice with ice sculptures in it) and an open area for skiing or simply treading in the snow, Jungfraujoch draws well over a million tourists a year. Trains to Jungfraujoch begin in the Lauterbrunnen valley, climbing right up to eleven thousand feet to the final viewing platform. Often advertised as the “Top of Europe”, it is the highest accessible point by train in the continent.

Görnergrat

When the train climbs up the Görnergrat, the Matterhorn
provides for a really beautiful picture of the place.

Overlooking the town of Zermatt, in the Canton of Valais, lies the Görnergrat, a rocky ridge on the Monte Rosa peak. Görnergrat offers the perfect mountain panorama, with more than twenty peaks of over four thousand metres visible from the top. It is accessible by the Görnergrat Rack Railway, which opened in 1898, and has been taking tourists right up to the top ever since. The Görnergrat station is the terminal stop of the railway, which winds up the mountain via Rifelalp and Riffelberg. The station and its surrounding forms the Zermatt ski area. There is a restaurant at the top and a hotel, located at the south-western tip.

Titlis

If nothing else interests you about the Titlis, the unique
Titlis Rotair will.

Mount Titlis is famed all over the world for being one of the most stunning mountains in Switzerland. It is accessible by cable car from Engelberg, which is an hour's train ride away from the city of Luzern (Lucerne). Perhaps the most striking feature of the Titlis experience is the Titlis Rotair, the world's first 360° rotating cable car, that provides the best views of the white landscape all the way to the top. It is this cable car which earned Mount Titlis its fame. At the top, a large open ski area with ice flyers (a glacier chairlift) and a glacier park offer an entire day’s worth of snowy retreat.

Glacier des Diablerets (Glacier 3000)

A system of open Ice Flyers (chair skilifts) take visitors from
the cable car station to the glacier park.

No trip to Switzerland can be properly summed up without a compulsory visit to Glacier des Diablerets, a glacier situated near the resort town of Gstaad in south-western Switzerland. Apart from the wonderful views that this place offers, there is also a glacier park and a paid sledge ride in the snow, drawn by huskies and wolfdogs. The station also has a souvenir shop and a suspension bridge, popularly advertised as the “Skywalk".



Switzerland is a land of dreams. A traveller's paradise. Been to any of these wonderful places? Tell us too! Share your experiences in the comments below.