Day trips from Zürich

by The Flamingo

Now that the borders are slowly opening for this summer and people are trying to get back to a somewhat normal reality, it’s a good time for a “come and visit” type of article. Switzerland is truly beautiful, nature wise especially. Turquoise lakes, snowy peaks, lush forests, spectacular waterfalls, and medieval castles are some of the perks I enjoy while living my expat life in this place. But what I fancy the most and I find very hard to replace, is the fact that Switzerland is a small country, in the heart of Europe…so the real perks of Switzerland are in fact: France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. 

Not all of these neighbouring countries are day trips material, but you can reach the Italian seaside in less than a day by car and the Austrian ski resorts in a couple of hours. 

Cities and towns in Switzerland are small and not that rich in sightseeing, they can be visited in a day, museums and all. So, if planning to visit for other reasons than skiing, day trips outside the cities are a must.

Zürich is not the most beautiful Swiss city, but it has the advantage of a good geographical position. The tip is to rent a car to avoid all the unnecessary high costs of Swiss public transport system and to have some flexibility and speed. Here are some ideas of day trips people can enjoy while visiting Zürich, Switzerland, trips that I’ve already tested and are truly wonderful and doable without too much hassle.

1. The Swiss escape

On a beautiful September day our family planned a trip rich in experiences, both historical, cultural and natural. From Zürich we went south to the town of Spiez, where a medieval castle is looming over the beautiful Thunersee (Lake Thun). The castle is a typical Swiss castle, with decorated rooms, art expositions (I was lucky to admire a Chagall exhibition), some interactive medieval adventures and an amazing tower with views towards the azure Lake Thun, green hills, a small harbour, dreamy chalets and vineyards. The gardens are also fairytale-like with many bellevue points. 

After spending a few hours in Spiez, we headed down along Lake Thun towards Interlaken, (which is more famous than beautiful in my opinion) and then to our actual goal Lauterbrunnen. I’m sure you have seen the famous waterfall in postcard-like pictures. It’s one of those landscapes that are really famous around the world. The village around the waterfall is a fairytale in a valley between two very abrupt cliffs. It’s full of typical Swiss mountain houses named chalets. The waterfall is high and spectacular. A trail goes under the mountain and ends under the waterfall, with beautiful views over the valley and village. 

In the late afternoon we reached our final destination, Grindelwald. This is a mountain resort, famous for its ski slopes. But what impressed me the most were the tall peaks bathed in the orange hues of the sunset. It was my first closeup experience with the Swiss Alps and remained unforgettable. 

By dinner time we were back in Zürich, so a perfect 12 hour getaway. 

2. The French escape

Alsace is the closest French region to Zürich. This particular day trip towards Alsace, we did twice, one last fall and again during the festive winter season. From Zürich it’s only a 2 hour drive to Colmar, the beautiful French village, very famous for its specific atmosphere, especially during Christmas. Colmar didn’t disappoint, it’s as beautiful and romantic as they say. You could spend a whole day just enjoying the restaurants, walking the narrow alleyways and admiring the very typical architecture mix, both French and German. 

Or you could spend a few extra hours and head up to Strasbourg for lunch. It is less than an hour away from Colmar. Strasbourg is the bigger version of Colmar, it has a bit of a city feel to it, but charming nonetheless. The Notre Dame Gothic cathedral is really impressive, one of the most beautiful places of worship I have ever visited. 

Don’t forget to do a little shopping while in Alsace, the wines are half the price they are in Switzerland. There are also some wineries along the way. 

I think this trip is worth taking any time, regardless of the season. Colmar and Strasbourg have very much to offer cultural wise. 

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3.   The German escape

Unlike France, towards Germany there are a lot of day trips that can be accomplished without too much time on the road. All of them are unique and beautiful, so I had a hard time picking just one. 

Konstanz is the nearest German city to Zürich. I personally like it a lot, especially for its position on Bodensee (Lake Boden). This lake is particularly large, exactly on the border and hosts towns from Switzerland, Germany and Austria. It’s only an hour away from Zürich. But what is really precious in Konstanz is its island: The Island of Mainau. 

Mainau is a floating botanical garden on Bodensee. On the island there is a small chateau and an exquisite baroque cathedral, also a huge playground for kids to spend hours on end. The gardens are enormous, with all kinds of vegetation, a butterfly house, a zoo and my personal favorite, a majestic orchid greenhouse. The island is known for its fields of tulips, but can be visited from April until fall for its variety of flowers.

If you find yourself outside the warm season, then better change the Mainau trip with a trip to Hohenzollern Castle. This German Gothic castle is two hours away from Zürich, on the top of a hill surrounded by forests, beautiful in any season. We visited around Halloween and everything was decorated “cornucopia” style, truly beautiful. 

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4. The Liechtenstein escape

The small country of Liechtenstein is only 50 minutes away from Zürich. You can tour it in a day. Vaduz is the capital, it’s coquette, full of restaurants and German architecture. The royal’s castle thrones on top of the hill above Vaduz. Unfortunately the castle is not open to visitors, it can be admired only from the outside. What impressed me on this trip was the landscape, very much Swiss style, with high mountains and deep valleys and the large Rhein river floating in turbulence on the border. The Burg Gutenberg was our last stop after Vaduz. Being situated on top of a high hill covered in vineyards, it hosts breathtaking views over the mountains, the valley and Balzers village underneath. 

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This here is a small 4 to 5 days vacation, including also a day in the city of Zürich. It’s a perfect little escape from the day to day life. Switzerland has a lot to offer, as well as the neighboring countries. I will delve deeper in another touristic article on some amazing sights and day trips that can only be enjoyed in Switzerland and nowhere else.

Photos from Flamingo‘s archive and Pixabay.