From Hanzel and Gretel inspired towns to major cities, welcome to my favourite expeditions from Zurich.
If you’re anything like me, you want to see as many cities as possible in a four-week itinerary. Which can be tricky when you’re lugging around a 20-kilo suitcase through cobblestoned streets and wonky staircases and can’t decide between the 2,000 urban centres in the continent.
This is exactly why I always recommend day trips.
Zurich is quite a central location for exploring Switzerland and offers so many hidden gems along the way. From the cheese capital to large cities, here are my most loved day trips from Zurich.
Uetliberg Mountain
20 minutes from Zurich
This little day trip has been adopted as Zurich’s ‘very own mountain’ and honestly surprised me! 871 meters above sea level, this mountain offers some pretty spectacular views of the city, nearby alps and Zurich lake.
In summer there are popular hiking trails and mountain biking opportunities, with a winter wonderland and toboggan runs throughout winter.
How to get there?
Mountain access is via funicular from Uetliberg station. Once you reach the top, you’ll find a restaurant and a trail that leads to lodges, other restaurants and the mountain peak. This is the spot that they call the ‘Top of Zurich.’ This spot has yet another restaurant, hotel and kiosk with the most delish and affordable raclette dishes.
This is where I sat, staring at the alps, drinking my Bailey’s hot chocolate and wishing to never go home.
St Gallen
One hour from Zurich
St Gallen is yet another gorgeous small town that the whole family agreed we’d happily live in one day. It’s one of those Swiss towns that has a mix of both historical landmarks and classical architecture. The old town is the easiest place to get those 20,000 steps with a range of boutiques, restaurants, cafes and local goods to explore. Right in the centre, in the main courtyard is an absolutely insane cathedral that you have to check out (I know I say this a lot about churches but the ceiling paintings are absolutely gorgeous).
Another spot you cannot miss is the Abbey Library, a Medieval monastic library with a diverse range of incredible artefacts from various centuries and cultures, including an ancient Egyptian mummy tomb.
If you’re in the mood for an adventure in the afternoon, catch the Mühleggbahn funicular to the residential area of St. Georgen with to find the Drei Weieren lakes and parks or drive ten minutes down the road to Peter and Paul’s Wildlife Hiking Park to spot an assortment of native animals.
How to get there?
St Gallen is an easy hour drive along the highway from Zurich. However, if you don’t have a car, you can catch the train from Eurocity to Munich or Intercity 1 to St Gallen.
For more information about transportation options, head here.
Lucerne
40 minutes from Zurich
Lucerne is one of those cities that I didn’t get to spend enough time in! We enjoyed our little winter mountain expedition so much that we didn’t get to the city until after dark.
The city is a little smaller than St Gallen but still offers worthy attractions such as the Chapel Bridge (Kappelbrücke), Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke) and Jesuit Church.
For an additonal activity/day trip, I will most definitely recommend the mountain we got sidetracked on, Mount Titlis! It’s an hour drive from Lucerne and won the 10th Asia Trophy for the highest point in Switzerland. It has a super cool Glacier cave, revolving cable car, toboggan park, snow play park, skiing tracks and a cliff bridge walk with breathtaking views of the alps.
How to get there?
To get to Lucerne, it’s about a forty minute drive along the motorway. For public transportation options, there are direct buses from Zurich Bus Station three times daily or the train from Zürich HB (main station) to Lucerne (Luzern) Station every thirty minutes.
To get to Mt Titlis, you’ll have to catch the 45-minute train to Engelberg followed by a cable car to the peak.
La Gruyère
Two hours from Zurich
Last but certainly not least is the most charming little village of La Gruyère, the homeplace of the cheese!
This village is literally the definition of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale and offers gorgeous mountain views that are perfect in all seasons.
If you’re keen to try some cheese fondue, any of the restaurants along the old town are the way to go. Ask for the Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese mix, it’s the best tasting one!
How to get there?
It’s about a two hour drive by car, otherwise you can catch the train from Zürich HB to Fribourg/Freiburg or Bulle and transfer to the Gruyères line. Once arriving, there’s a short walk up the peak to reach the hilltop town.
Trust me, its totally worth it.
There you have it, a list of my all-time favourite day trips from Zurich!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Happy travels,
Jacqui.
