Swiss Cities

Lausanne, the second-largest city on Lake Geneva, combines a dynamic commercial town with the locality of a holiday resort. The capital of the canton of Vaud is also a lively university and convention town. Sports and culture are given a high profile in the Olympic capital.

At the northern end of Lake Maggiore in the canton of Ticino is Locarno, the city with the mildest climate in Switzerland, enjoying 2300 hours of sunshine every year. Locarno lures the visitors with its southern charm, Mediterranean climate and sub-tropical vegetation. Locarno hosts a well-known International Film Festival.

Lucerne, the gateway to central Switzerland, sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama. Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and watch shops, the beautiful lakeside setting and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, the town is a destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.

Lugano – the largest town in the holiday region of Ticino, is not only Switzerland's third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. With Mediterranean flair, Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town. Thanks to its mild climate, Lugano is a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom.

The small town of Martigny located on the Rhone elbow in the Lower Valais is the hub of the pass routes across the Simplon, Great St. Bernard and Forclaz. Its cultural heritage from the Celtic and Roman periods and Mediterranean flair and tasty gastronomy are its winning features.

There are 15 km of lakeside to stroll along, snow-capped mountains, a lake with steamships plying up and down, and hotels with the charm of the Belle Epoque - such is the Riviera on Lake Geneva where many international stars, such as Barbara Hendricks, live.

Built out of yellow sandstone, Neuchâtel(or Neuenburg as German speakers call it) is located on the northern shore of Lake Neuchâtel and nestles against the Jura hills. The medieval centre of the town with its many cafes and restaurants, shops and numerous theatres and museums exudes French charm and is ideal for a gentle stroll

"Munot", the impressive mediaeval fortress towers over Schaffhausen Old Town. The houses in the Old Town are richly adorned with bow windows and expensively painted house-fronts. The narrow alleys invite you to stroll, shop and sit around.

Vineyards and castles are key features of Sierre and Sion. With the towers of the ruined castle of Tourbillon and fortified church of Notre Dame de Valère rising skyward, Sion is recognisable from afar. Here, in the capital of the bilingual canton of Valais the past and the future blend together seamlessly. Boasting an international airport as well as good railway and postbus connections, Sion is regarded as one of Switzerland's main hubs. The old town, castles and museums bear testimony to bygone times.

Solothurn is one of those towns where quality certainly has the edge on quantity. Its Old Town is one of the finest in Switzerland and its has a culture whose fame spreads far beyond its region. Several of its cultural highlights are spread over the whole year such as its renowned Film and Literature Days and its Classic Open-air Concerts with world-class voices.