Intro

If you go hiking for several days, not only will you discover the unknown side of Switzerland, you will also get to enjoy a great deal of Swiss hospitality.

Every day, there are new restaurants, hotels or mountain huts to discover. Accommodation along the routes ranges from simple mountain huts to 5-star wellness hotels. There are also guesthouses and campsites located at many stages. There are many cosy mountain restaurants and Swiss mountain huts along the way for tired and hungry hikers.

There is information on where to eat, drink and sleep at each stage on the three long-distance trails of Via Alpina, Alpine Passes Trail and the Jura Crest Trail – both along the way and at the end of the stage. No specific recommendations are provided if the stage ends in a larger town with numerous accommodation options.

Please note: The more remote the region along the route, the smaller the choice of accommodation and the simpler the standard (simple mountain inns or huts).

Hotels

Tradition can also be modern: attractive locations, beautiful houses, a cornucopia of culinary specialities and personal service – – these qualities have made the Swiss hotel industry famous all over the world. After a long day of hiking, you can relax your tired calves and eat to your heart’s content. 

Mountain huts of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC

On some stages, you can spend the night in one of the Swiss Alpine Club’s over 150 mountain huts . Sleeping in the midst of the Swiss mountain landscape – is a unique experience. There is even a lunch menu at almost all the open SAC huts for hikers who wish to have a hot meal along the way.  

Guesthouses and B&Bs

They also offer private and simple accommodation. In remote regions especially, a guesthouse or a mountain inn might be the only available option (instead of a hotel), sometimes only with shared rooms. The same applies for B&Bs

Camping

You can spend the night at a camping site in many stage destinations. 

For the Via Alpina, there is a map showing the camping sites. You can camp on almost all the stages. The camping sites marked on the map are located at stage destinations. If the sites are further than 2km from the route, this is marked separately. 

Bivouacking

The law in Switzerland is not always clear here. According to the Civil Code, forests and meadows are accessible to anyone.. However, restrictions may apply depending on the canton or the municipality. In addition, wild camping is expressly prohibited in certain protected areas or simply not possible due to prohibited access. This applies to the Swiss National Park, the federal hunting districts, the many nature reserves and the wildlife quiet zones (during the closed season). Otherwise, a single night is usually not a problem for a small number of people in the mountains above the tree line – provided campers are considerate. 

See bivouacking leaflet of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC (PDF in German, French, Italian and English)