Swiss city tips: Art & culture

Every summer in July, the Festival de la Cité keeps spirits high with the varied programme that it brings to Lausanne's old town.

Eastern Switzerland is internationally recognised for its textile tradition and for its outstanding expertise in this industry. A trail through the city of St. Gallen will teach you lots of interesting facts about Eastern Switzerland's textile industry.

The “Mirror, mirror” exhibition at the Technorama Winterthur brings together over 40 enjoyable and thought-provoking experiments from the virtual world behind mirrors.

Zurich boasts a wealth of public art, with some 1,300 works of art around the city just waiting to be discovered. The easiest way to explore them is on an e-bike.

One pass, six museums. The Ascona-Locarno region is a cultural hot spot.

This self-guided tour allows you to discover Lugano from the perspective of its street art.

From the past to the present: There are a whole host of architectural jewels from the 20th and 21st century to discover on this walk through Lugano.

A slightly different angle on a museum tour by #letsmuseeum: Museum guide Fanny takes groups on a personal journey through life in the Kunst Museum Winterthur.

Is it the Aare River that lets inspiration flow or the milk which used to be given out during school breaks? There’s hardly another city in Switzerland that has produced as many writers as Olten.

At the heart of the vibrant city of Zug lies the medieval Old Town with a flourishing creative and designer scene.

The bell tower of the Gothic cathedral, high on the hill on which the Old Town is built, is home to the city’s most enigmatic resident.

Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life for a short while and enjoy a picnic in the museum garden of the Oskar Reinhart “Am Römerholz” collection. Stately chestnut trees and outdoor sculptures are scattered throughout the verdant park, making it the perfect spot to slow down and recharge.

Discover the fascinating art of mechanical watchmaking in the Initium watchmaker's workshop. Using a screwdriver and tweezers, watch lovers can try for themselves and assemble a clockwork with great finesse and dexterity.

Sniffing out good food in Zurich: The city’s foodie scene has been shaped by a number of well-known restaurants over the decades.

Take a look behind the scenes at one of the last haute couture workshops in Switzerland.

The Abbey of St. Gall has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, and has plenty of impressive treasures just waiting to be discovered in its library, vaulted cellar and new exhibition hall.

Many famous Swiss bands hail from Bern. Music has a long tradition in Switzerland's capital.

The newly created Rehberger-Weg is a 6-kilometre path from the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein to the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen.

St. Gallen has so much to offer when it comes to museums. Attractive, internationally renowned exhibitions and countless historic collections make for a diverse museum landscape. The open art Museum is particularly worth a visit.

Winterthur offers a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of great artists and copy their works.

The hotel special for girlfriends who have not seen each other for a long while: spend a relaxing break in Basel and devote yourself to having a really great time together on your city trip.

Designed for children aged 5–12, the Sunday Early Bird workshop explores photography in a variety of ways.

As one of the few museums in Europe dedicated to this art form, the paper mill preserves historical techniques at an authentic site. Participants are shown these traditional techniques and given the opportunity to have a go at making paper and printing themselves.