6 of the best views in Switzerland

Switzerland’s awe-inspiring scenery is no secret. We’re talking cloud-skimming mountains, wide glacial valleys and alpine lakes dotted with picture-perfect towns, castles and waterfalls. Your camera roll is bound to get a mega upgrade after a visit here.

Check out six of the most unmissable views in the Swiss Alps which you can see for yourself.

The Matterhorn is one of the most famous mountains in the world, with arguably the most iconic shape. For a particularly striking perspective, ride the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt up to the Rotenboden station before taking a 10-minute stroll to Riffelsee Lake. Seeing the pyramid-like peak reflected perfectly on the surface of the alpine lake is a special sight.

The Gornergrat’s one of the many must-do mountain railways and summer lifts in Switzerland, and it's been chugging its way up to 3,089m since 1898. Winding through tunnels, forests and ravines, it stops at four stations – so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. Keep an eye out for spotting some of the local wildlife up there too, like ibex, chamois and marmots.

The 2,970m Schilthorn summit and its revolving Piz Gloria restaurant is a place where jaws go to drop. Made famous as the villain’s mountaintop hideout in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, you can spot over 200 mountains on a clear day from up here – including the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. You can even see as far as Mont Blanc in France and the Black Forest in Germany.

After reaching Stechelberg from Wengen by bus, you’ll ride a series of four cable cars to get to the summit, with impressive panoramic views the whole way up. Once you’ve soaked up the scenery on the terrace, you can’t miss having a meal at the restaurant – which of course has a James Bond-themed menu. Afterwards, visit the interactive Bond World exhibit to learn more about how the film was made.

Tying together wow-worthy views with an unforgettable experience is the First Cliff Walk, which you can do from Grindelwald. Up at 2,167m, this walkway wraps around a cliff face before jutting out to a stop-you-in-your-tracks viewing platform. Gaze for miles across the town and Jungfrau region.

Head here by catching the 25-minute gondola up to the First Mountain – one of the best things to do on a visit to Grindelwald. After you’ve done this, you might want to explore the other walking trails from the top of the First gondola, such as the family-friendly Marmot Trail where wildlife-spotting is on the cards. Or for thrill-seekers, you can fly above the ground at over 80km/h on the First Glider and First Flyer ziplines, or pedal down the hill on a mountain cart – a cross between a go-kart and sled.

For immense 360-degree views of the Bernese Alps, including the Matterhorn and Weisshorn peaks, make the trip to this dramatic hanging bridge.

The bridge itself is as snap-worthy as the scenery that surrounds it. Opened in 2017, it’s the third longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world at 494m long, hanging 85m above a lush alpine valley. Take a short train ride from Zermatt to Randa, then set off to walk through forest and meadows to get here – it takes between three and four hours as a round trip, but it’s well worth the journey.

No holiday to Switzerland would be complete without visiting the Jungfraujoch. Known as the ‘Top of Europe’, this is the glacier ridge that links the Jungfrau and Mönch peaks. The sight of mountains and glaciers from the Sphinx Observatory viewing deck at over 3,500m is blow-you-away material. And with snow and ice cover year round, you get a real winter wonderland experience here even in summer – so be sure to wrap up warm for your visit.

While you’re up here, there’s plenty of other things to do. See the glittering tunnels and sculptures of the Ice Palace, try tubing and sledging on the Aletsch Glacier, or pick up a sweet treat at the Lindt chocolate shop. You can also tuck into a meal at the world’s highest Indian restaurant.

You’ll ride on the Jungfrau Railway for the trip to the top, which has its base station at Kleine Scheidegg. You can get to this station from Interlaken via Lauterbrunnen, or another option is to catch the Männlichen cable car from Wengen before walking the popular Panorama Trail. This is one of the best easy walks in Switzerland, and finishes up at Kleine Scheidegg station.

Another unmissable viewpoint you can get to from Interlaken is the Two Lakes Bridge. Here you’re treated to uninterrupted views of Lake Thun on your right, Lake Brienz on your left and some of the country’s most famous peaks – the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau – straight ahead.

Take the funicular from town up to the Harder Kulm mountain and stroll right to the edge of the platform jutting out from the cliff. Snap away at the scene, and if you dare, look straight down through the glass panel all the way to the valley floor below. Next to the bridge is the Harder Kulm restaurant, which looks like a mini castle with its red-tiled roof and turret. Pop in for a drink or bite to eat, and sit out on the terrace to soak up the views.