The essential guide to Switzerland

Every season is a great season to visit Vermont. In addition to skiing and snowboarding in the winter, outdoor enthusiasts can hike, bike and fish in the warmer months. Year-round, the state has a thriving cultural scene with performing arts, museums and galleries.

With its cobbled historic downtown, fascinating museums and lively dining and bar scene, Bogotá can keep you busy for days. After you’ve made the most of the city’s cultural and historical experiences, consider a day trip to Bogotá’s lush and evergreen hinterland, where you’ll find misty cloud forests, quaint towns, striking mountains and lots of outdoor activities. Most of these places can be reached on a bus, but if you rent a car, you might be able to combine a few of them into a one – or two – day trip. 

Visitors will find variety in a segment of southeast France tucked up near the Pyrenees Mountains.

Perfectly punctual and impeccably polished, Switzerland's trains combine convenience and beauty. The country’s rail routes reach into its most remote corners, whether winding up to wind-beaten Alpine passes, skirting brilliantly blue lakes or gliding through valleys carpeted with wildflowers. To experience them at their best, make for the 800-mile Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, a series of train trips that encompass 11 lakes, five UNESCO World Heritage sites and four of the country's cultural regions. It’s a wonderful way to take travel at a slower pace, combining sleek city sophistication with high-altitude alpine adventure.

Would you rather spend the night in a luxury hotel or a wine barrel that's been converted into a tiny home? 

Increasing the use of public transport and minimising car dependency are two significant ways to help Europe reach ambition climate and energy-saving targets. At the heart of achieving both is the continent's railways.

Cozy cabins, unique tiny homes, luxury apartments — I've booked them all through Airbnb. 

Most visitors to Central Switzerland base themselves in Lucerne in order to explore the glorious landscape that surrounds it, but don’t forget to make some time for the city itself.

On May 29th, 1953, legendary mountain climbers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest by navigating the extreme terrain of Mount Everest, a feat no human had ever achieved. To celebrate this monumental accomplishment, the Chinese watch brand that’s racked up more awards than many of its Swiss competitors, CIGA Design, has just released the U Mount Everest Homage Edition watch to celebrate this anniversary and showcase what is, arguably, the pinnacle (pun intended) of mechanical watchmaking: the central tourbillon.

Switzerland’s largest city may not (yet) draw the crowds of its other Western European counterparts, but it has more than enough of its share of panache to lure travelers and keep them engaged, entertained, and edified. The eminently walkable city, in spite of streets that zig and zag, is also increasingly bike-friendly. To wit: in 2024, Zurich will host Cycle Week, the national biking festival, and serve as the location for the annual Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships. But you don’t need to ride competitively to enjoy Zurich’s myriad charms—gorgeous waterfront location, historic Old Town, sophisticated shopping, and artsy neighborhoods among them.

Known as the “playground of Europe,” this small mountainous country offers a wealth of Alpine adventures, from skiing and sledding down powdery slopes to exploring an extensive network of biking and hiking trails. But there is more to Switzerland than its breathtaking scenery. Here are 10 of the top ways to experience it.

With its storybook alpine scenery, cultured lakeside cities, and miles of peerless pistes, Switzerland packs a lot into its landlocked borders. We consulted resident experts, from museum curators and musicians to hiking guides and authors, for their insider tips.