Winter In Switzerland: Highlights And Tips From My Recent Swiss Vacation

Planning to travel to Switzerland in winter? Join me in this episode as I share my highlights and observations from my recent winter trip to Switzerland.

Whether visiting the Christmas markets in Switzerland, sledding or skiing, or enjoying scenic winter train rides is top of your itinerary wish-list, you’ll get plenty of helpful advice.

I share my thoughts on the Montreux Christmas market (widely regarded as one of the best Christmas markets in Switzerland), visiting the beautiful cities of Zurich, Lucerne and Basel during winter, and why sledding is a great activity to try during winter in Switzerland.

When Christmas is over, there are plenty of things to do in Switzerland in January, too. From mountain excursions to museum visits and visiting festivals like the LILU Light Festival in Lucerne, I cover them all in this episode.

If you’ve been wondering what there is to do in Switzerland in winter for non-skiers, this episode is for you!

Safe travels,

Carolyn

👉 Show notes - Episode 121 

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Transcript

Announcer

Are you dreaming of visiting Switzerland? Planning a trip to Switzerland is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you choose which are the many scenic cities, towns, and villages to visit? Which mountaintop excursions should you take? And what's the best way to get around Switzerland? And of course, how much of the country can you realistically see within your time frame? If you've asked yourself off any of these questions, this is the podcast for you. This is the Holidays to Switzerland Travel podcast. And in each episode, your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, chats with Swiss travel experts to answer your most commonly asked questions provide practical tips and take you on a virtual visit to the most popular destinations, and of course, some hidden gems to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. You'll hear plenty of conversations about Swiss cheese and chocolate, too. Are you ready to plan your trip to Switzerland? Well, let's get started.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Hi there. Welcome to this week's episode. It's not long since I returned from my first winter visit to Switzerland in 14 years, and what a wonderful trip it was. I usually visit during the warmer months, so it was a real delight to visit some of my favourite destinations and see them with their winter coats on. In this episode, I thought I'd share with you overview of my itinerary and tell you about some of the highlights of my trip. And even if you're not planning to visit Switzerland during the winter, this episode will give you some fresh ideas and help you to plan your own dream trip to Switzerland. So please keep listening. So we flew into Paris this time and started our trip with a couple of nights there. From Paris, we took the TGV, the fast train, down to Geneva, and then connected to a regular, just a regional train to Montreux. We spent two nights in Montreux, one night in Zurich, and then we headed off to Germany, where we spent two weeks with our family for Christmas and New Year. Germany is my husband's country of birth, so we returned there to spend a couple of weeks with family, as I said.

Carolyn Schönafinger

After that, it It was back to the Jungfrau region, and we stayed in Grindelwald for six nights before heading off to Lucerne for two nights. Now, we originally had other plans. We were actually going to leave Switzerland and head over the border into France. But we decided to change our plans at the last minute, and we went back to Grindelwald for two nights before spending one night in Basel and then making our way home. Just a little bit of info about what it was like when we were in Switzerland during winter. We hardly had any rain at all while we were in Switzerland, but the majority of the days were overcast. We had about three blue sky days out of the 14 that we were in Switzerland, so we made sure that we visited the mountains on those sunny days. As I said before, we even changed some of our plans and made a return visit to Grindelwald when we noticed that the weather forecast for the following week was for sunny days. And I was constantly checking the Meteo Swiss app for weather updates so I could plan what we were going to do each day.

Carolyn Schönafinger

There was lots and lots of snow in Grindelwald. We were really lucky there, and also on Mount Rigi when we visited, but there was very little snow at lower elevations. And the time I'm talking about here is early January. We were in Switzerland until about the 17th of January. Top temperatures during the day were about one degree celsius on average, which is around 33 degrees Fahrenheit, but they dropped down to lows of around minus 8 degrees celsius or 17 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. Now, we'd packed adequately and we were never cold, although going outside required a very good coat, warm, waterproof shoes, and good thick socks, a scarf, woollen hat, and gloves. So every time you stepped outside, there was lots and lots of layers and accessories going on. And these were all stripped off very quickly when we were going back indoors or getting onto trains. In fact, we probably struggled more with how warm it was indoors rather than the cold outside, because all the buildings, the shops, and the hotels, and public areas all seem to be heated very, very warmly. Some of the new experiences that we had on this trip, which I really loved.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Well, there were many of them, so let me start with Montreux. I was really excited to finally visit the Christmas market there because I'd been reading about it and seeing photos of it for many, many years, and of course, seeing the flying Santa Claus. Now, the Montreux Christmas market is different to many of the other Christmas markets in Switzerland as the stalls, and there's over 130 of them, line the Lakeside Promenade. In lots of other places, the stalls are set up around a public square, but here they're up along the promenade, as I mentioned. So there's just a row with stalls on either side, and it's great to wander along there. There were lots of different products for sale, from food and drink to Christmas artefacts, handmade jewellery, toys, and lots, lots more. And at the Christmas market in Montreux, there's a really large market hall where you can find a huge variety of food, and of course, mild wine and cider. For me, the highlight, though, was the flying Santa. So this is Santa Claus, flies in a sleigh pulled by reindeer across Lake Geneva in front of the market hall.

Carolyn Schönafinger

It's just something that you've got to see. It's incredible. This happens every evening at 5: 00 PM, 6: 00 PM, and 7: 00 PM. Of course, the children love to see it, but it's just as impressive for adults as well. If you think I'm getting a bit excited about something that doesn't sound that much fun for adults, have a look on YouTube and find a clip of Santa Or maybe I'll even include one in the show notes that you can have a look at. Whilst in Montreux, we also took the cogwheel train up to Rochers-de-Naye, which is a small mountain just behind or just beside Montreux. And that's where you can visit the home of Santa Claus. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great the day we visited, so the visibility at the top of the mountain was practically zero. So we couldn't enjoy the fantastic views that I'm assured are on offer in good weather. We did visit Santa's home, though, and here children can meet Santa Claus and receive a special gift. There are lots of Christmasy declarations throughout the the home, and all the children we saw were having a fantastic time. The cogwheel train takes around 50 minutes each way, and it does book out.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So if this is something that you'd like to do, be sure to book well ahead. We also visited the Queen, the Studio Experience, whilst we were in Montreux. This is a free exhibition inside the Montreux Casino, which is dedicated to the rock band Queen. And that's open all year round, so it's not only a Christmas thing that you can do. And lastly, whilst we were in Montreux, we enjoyed a delicious fondue at Tube a Fondue, which is a little restaurant at the Mona Hotel on the Lakeside. The tube, the part of the Tube a Fondue, is a clear plastic dome in the lakefront garden of the hotel, and guests can choose from a variety of fondues. We chose the meat fondue or fondue chinoise, and this is when strips of meat are served to your table, and then you cook them in a fondue pot of boiling water. And it came with a variety of sauces and French fries and a green salad. And it was just delicious. As far as I know, this only happens around the time of the Christmas markets or certainly only in winter. So if that's something that you're keen to do, check out the website of Montreux Riviera Tourism or the Mona Hotel to get details about that.

Carolyn Schönafinger

After Montreux, as I said, we went on to Zurich for just the one night, but I was really, really keen to visit some of the Christmas markets there. The one I loved the most was the one in front of the Opera House because I thought that had the most atmosphere. And there was lots and lots of families and friends meeting up there after work. We were there on a Friday evening, and it was great to see people just having a great time chatting over a mulled wine or a Brat burst or some other tasty treat. Other new experiences that I enjoyed in Zurich were seeing the Lucy lights, which is thousands of fairy lights around Bahnhofstrasse. The lights are strung up and it's just like a million stars in the sky. It's really something very, very atmospheric. It was great to see. We were also entertained by the singing Christmas tree. Now, it's a little hard to explain what the singing Christmas tree is, but basically, it's a tiered platform, which is decorated with the branches of pine trees. And then choir members stand on each level of the platform and perform Christmas songs.

Carolyn Schönafinger

It was really fantastic. The evening we were there, it was a young people. I don't know if they were from a school or if just a young choir members, but they put on a fantastic performance, and it was really worth seeing. Now, after our afternoon and evening visits to the Christmas markets in Zurich, we returned to our hotel, which was the beautiful B2 Hotel, and it's right next door to the Hurlimannbad and Spa, a thermal wellness centre. And I've been wanting to visit this one for a long time, too. So it was great to incorporate that with the Christmas market trip. The hotel and the spa centre are both housed in a former brewery, which is pretty unique. But the hotel is also home to 33,000 books, which are on display in the library, which also doubles as a restaurant. So that's something It was pretty impressive. We ended our day with a soak in the thermal waters of the Hurlimannbad pools. And there are two large indoor spa pools and a rooftop, Infinity Pool, overlooking Zurich, which gave us amazing views. It was very, very impressive. I'll tell you more about the hotel and the spa in an upcoming episode, but I did want to let you know before then that the B2 Hotel has a great offer just for the Holidays to Switzerland audience.

Carolyn Schönafinger

When you add our promo code HTSWISS, when you make a reservation directly on the hotel's website, you'll receive free entry to the spa, valued at 42 Swiss francs per adult. Plus, you'll receive a complimentary glass of wine to welcome you to the hotel. How good is that? I'll include the link to the B2 Hotel's website and the promo code in the show notes for this episode. So after our stint in Germany, we visited the Jungfrau region, and here I went sledding for the first time, and it was lots and lots of fun. We've sledded, firstly from Allmendhubel to Murren, and also from Grindelwald First down to Grindelwald. Sleds are readily available for rent in the region, and they typically cost between 10 and 15 francs to rent. Now, my advice, if you haven't been sled before, get some tips from a local or from the person who is renting you to sled and have a practise on a beginner's level trail first. It's not especially difficult, but you can quickly gather speed when you're going down a hill, and there are some very sharp bends on some of the runs. On a couple of occasions where there was a really sharp corner or the track was very steep or icy, I decided to pull my sled through that section rather than ride it.

Carolyn Schönafinger

When you rent a sled in Switzerland, you are doing so at your own risk. So don't overestimate your ability and make sure you watch out for other sledders too. As I said, it was heaps and heaps of fun, but there were times when I was like, What am I doing? I'm going a bit too fast here, and I had to really put my feet down and jam them into the snow to slow me down. When visiting Mount First, before we sledded down, I braved the First Cliff Walk for the first time. And we also enjoyed a couple of winter hikes on snowy trails. And I also rode the world's steepest cable car, which opened in mid-December from Stechelberg to Murren. That's part of the newly redeveloped cableway up to the Schilthorn. The first two sections are open, Stechelberg to Murren, that's the world's steepest. And then the next section of cableway from Murren to Birg is also opened. The final section of the new cableway from Birg to the Schiltorn summit will open in mid-March. In Lucerne, our visit coincided with annual LILU Light Festival. So it was great to see a number of light displays around the city.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Each evening during the festival, which goes for about 10 days, various buildings such as the Jesuit Church and the Chapel Bridge's Water Tower, and even the façade of the train station are illuminated, and it's really quite spectacular. Wandering around the old town, you'll head into a little square and there's a light display or illumination on the side of the buildings, as well as those other more famous buildings that I just mentioned. We also visited Basel for the first time, and I was really impressed. We've been passed and through Basel numerous times over the years, but we never actually stopped and visited. So it was great to stay a night and have a look around. The old town is very attractive, and there are lots of beautiful buildings, including the Minster, the Town Hall, and Spalentor, which is one of the original city gates. Although our time in Basel was very limited, as I said, we just had the one night there, but it's another city I would be very happy to return to. There's lots of museums there to visit. It would be great to cruise on the Rhine and also to visit the point where the borders of Switzerland, Germany, and France intersect.

Carolyn Schönafinger

On this trip, we travelled entirely by public transport in Switzerland. This time we used a Eurail Flex pass, which I'd bought because we were also visiting France and Germany on this trip. During our six-day stay in the Jungfrau region, we had a Berner Oberland Pass, and that also covered our travel between Interlaken and Lucerne. Our As I always do, I love the convenience and flexibility that having a rail pass offers. So you can change your plans like we did. And it's easy to do that because you can hop on and hop off as you wish with most of the rail passes. When we returned to Grindelwald for the second stay, our Berner Oberland Pass had run out, so we purchased tickets for each mountain excursion that we did. And because our Eurail pass was still valid at this time, we were able to get discounts for our excursions to Mount First and up to the Eiger Glacier. We had first-class passes, and we were always able to find space on the trains. In the Jungfrau region, I did notice that second class carriages were very busy, but mainly with skiers heading to the mountains. Of course, they were carrying their skis and poles as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So just be aware that even though it's a lower season for tourists, there are definitely a lot of Swiss heading up to the mountains to go skiing. So what are the pros and cons of travelling in winter? Well, for me, the pros are that there were fewer other tourists, the beautiful wintery landscapes that we could see wherever we went. And if you haven't experienced snow before, it's definitely a pro of travelling in winter. I know looking out the window each morning, if there'd been a big snow dump overnight, it was just amazing to see the inches and inches of snow on the top of cars, the ground even more snowy than it was the day before. If you've never seen snow before, it's definitely a pro and something that you should experience. The I guess, are the shorter daylight hours. During the time we were in Switzerland, it didn't usually get light until at least eight o'clock in the morning, and then it was mostly dark by around 4: 30 in the afternoon. So you've definitely got less time to be out and about sightseeing and doing things during the day. So that's one thing to take into consideration.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Of course, you'll need to take plenty of warm clothes, and this can mean added bulk in your suitcase, but it's definitely very manageable. On the way over on the flight, I actually carried my thick coat with me and wore my sturdy boots so that I didn't need to be worrying about squashing them into my suitcase, and that worked fine. The other thing that you need to allow for in wintertime is a little extra time to get around. And here I mean more so when you're walking rather than from a public transport point of view. Paths can be very slippery and icy, so extra caution is needed. So if you think it would normally take you 10 minutes to walk from the hotel to the train station, allow extra time, because you really need to walk a little slower to take extra care. So that's really an overview of my visit to Switzerland in winter. If you're planning to visit the Christmas markets or go skiing or sledding in Switzerland, or you'd just like to enjoy a winter vacation sometime in the future, I hope these little insights have been helpful for you. You'll find the links to get more information about each of the places and the activities that I've mentioned in the show notes for this episode.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Now, if you've loved what you've heard and you are keen to experience a winter vacation in Switzerland yourself, but the planning and the logistics all seem a bit daunting, take a look at the offers from our partners. From itinerary planning to rail packages and group and private tours, there's something to suit everyone, no matter what style of vacation you prefer. Our partners also offer generous discounts to the Holidays to Switzerland audience, and you can find the promo code and more details in the show notes. And don't forget that great offer from B2 Hotel as well. As I mentioned earlier, you can receive free entry to the Hurlimannbad and Spa, and a free glass of wine when you book directly on their website. The links and all the promo codes are in the show notes at holidays2switzerland.com/episode121. Thank you very much for joining me today. Look forward to chatting to you again next week. Tschüss.