The Grand tour of Switzerland in 12 days

Known as "the smallest metropolis in the world" or "the city of peace", Geneva is an international city. Start your visit with a stroll along the lake - with its famous water fountain - then through the narrow streets of the old town, stopping in front of St. Peter's Cathedral and the Reformation Wall. Feel the international charm of the city by visiting the UN headquarters (Palais des Nations) and enjoy its Latin character by discovering its renowned cuisine and wines.

Take a train from Geneva to Lausanne (from 30 to 45 minutes). In the morning, visit the medieval city of Lausanne, its cathedral and its steep alleys, especially on Saturdays when a lively market is held there. After having lunch in the center, two possibilities: Art lovers will be able to climb the heights of Lausanne to visit the Hermitage Foundation, which always offers very beautiful temporary exhibitions, while sportsmen and women traveling with family can descend on the docks of Ouchy and visit the Olympic Museum. In the evening, exit in one of the connected areas of Flon.
Alternatively, get off at the port of Ouchy and embark on a boat from the CGN (General Navigation Company) for a cruise on the lake to Chillon. Visit the castle, then take the boat (or bus VMCV 1) to Vevey. After a lunch in Vevey, take the vines to Chexbres, very beautiful village. Balade through the vineyards of Lavaux, to Saint-Saphorin (30 minutes), or to Cully (2 hours). Then take a SBB train to Lausanne/Geneva from either of these villages.

Visit Montreux, the "pearl of the Riviera", especially during the Jazz Festival in July (but book a hotel well in advance!). On foot or by bike (on loan to Lausanne and Vevey), follow the walk along the lake to the Château de Chillon. In the evening, take a train to Freiburg (the journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes) and spend the evening in a lively bar.

One of the most beautiful medieval cities in Europe and one of the most lively in Switzerland thanks to its many students. In the early afternoon, take a train (about 25 minutes) to Bern (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and its 6 km of arcades that make it easy to visit even in wet weather!

Early in the morning, take a train to Interlaken (about 1 hour), located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The city does not have much interest in itself, but it is an excellent starting point for hiking or excursion, especially to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station (3,454 m), from which the imposing silhouette of the great Aletsch glacier can be measured.

Leave Interlaken for Ascona, a long journey of about 4 hours.

Nicknamed the pearl of Lake Maggiore, Ascona is an invitation to return to Ticino to explore the other villages along the lake. Enjoy refined Italian cuisine or simply sunbathe on a pedal boat..

Still a long journey by train 5 hours 30 but for an unavoidable destination: Grisons.

Relax in the charming resort but with the family atmosphere of Saint Moritz, with winter skiing or summer hiking, especially around the lake of St. Moritz (1 hour).

Plan an average of 4 hours by train from St. Moritz. A small town south of Lake Constance with many customs that are still very much alive. Admire the picturesque facades of the houses. In the evening, continue the journey to Zurich (1 hour 40 minutes).

Stroll through the narrow streets of the old town and the shores of the lake, not to mention a shopping break in the chic Bahnhofstrasse. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts: the Kunsthaus. In the evening, take a train to Lucerne (4 hours 30 minutes).

In the morning, visit the old town of Lucerne (and cruise on Lake Lucerne if you have time). Then meet in Basel (1 hour 10 minutes from Lucerne). Stroll through the picturesque alleys of this city of culture and history, located on the banks of the Rhine. Admire the town hall, and the cathedral known to house Erasmus' tomb.