Towns in Switzerland That Feel Straight Out of a Fairytale
Switzerland is roughly the size of Maryland and New Jersey combined, yet it contains one too many places that resemble fairytale settings. Its medieval towns are on hilltops, car-free villages cling to cliffs and drop into waterfalled valleys, and castles built centuries ago still host visitors who arrive by cable car. These are 10 Swiss towns with postcard scenery that visitors must see.
Lauterbrunnen
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The Lauterbrunnen Valley has 72 waterfalls, an incredible number for a village that’s less than 200 square kilometers in size. The village is inside a glacially carved gorge with walls rising about 1,000 meters on either side. J.R.R. Tolkien visited it in 1911 and reportedly based the elven valley of Rivendell on it. The population hovers around 2,500, but the scenery draws way more tourists there annually.
Grindelwald
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Grindelwald is 1,034 meters above sea level, with the Eiger’s north face looming directly overhead. The north face, nicknamed “The Murder Wall” by mountaineers, has claimed over 60 lives since climbers began attempting it in the 1930s. Despite that reputation, the village below is cheerful, with a cable car network that zips visitors up to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, at over 3,000 meters.
Gimmelwald
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Accessing Gimmelwald typically requires a cable car, hiking trails, and agricultural access routes. The village is 1,363 meters above sea level and has a population of approximately 130 people. Many residents bear the surnames Von Allmen or Feus. Despite tourist interest, locals still practice traditional Alpine farming. Rick Steves, the American travel writer, once offered high praise, calling Gimmelwald one of the most authentic mountain villages in Switzerland.
Zermatt
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The only vehicles allowed on Zermatt’s streets are electric taxis and horse-drawn carriages. It’s why the air is so clean and the environment so quiet. The Matterhorn mountain rises 4,478 meters just outside town and appears on the “Toblerone” chocolate packaging. Zermatt has been a resort town since the 1800s, and its tourism infrastructure is well-maintained.
Gruyères
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Gruyères is a medieval walled town on a hill in the canton of Fribourg. Its castle dates back to the 13th century and is one of the best-preserved in all of Switzerland. The town is also home to the H.R. Giger Museum, dedicated to the Swiss artist who designed the creature in the 1979 film Alien.
Appenzell
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Appenzell’s main square is lined with buildings painted in distinct colors, each decorated with detailed murals. The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden was the last in Switzerland to grant women the right to vote in cantonal elections, doing so only in 1990 after a Federal Supreme Court ruling. That history aside, the town itself is remarkable. The embroidery tradition here goes back centuries, and the local cheese, Appenzeller, has been produced using a secret recipe.
Murten
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Murten is a bilingual town, with residents speaking both French and German. The medieval rampart walls, built in the 13th century, are fully intact and wide enough to walk along. They give a clear view over Lake Murten and the surrounding countryside. The town played a role in the Battle of Murten in 1476, where the Swiss Confederation defeated the Burgundian forces of Charles the Bold.
Stein Am Rhein
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Roman soldiers were stationed in this town before it had a name. Today, Stein am Rhein sits on the Rhine River with its medieval square intact. Every building facade is covered in painted frescoes depicting historical scenes, coats of arms, and figures from Swiss mythology. The monastery of St. George, founded in the 11th century, still stands at the edge of town.
Saas-Fee
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There are 13 peaks over 4,000 meters in the village of Saas-Fee, including the Dom, the highest mountain entirely within Switzerland. The Feegletscher glacier above town feeds meltwater streams that run straight through the village center. Cars have been banned since the mid-20th century, so the streets remain quiet. Tourism has driven the local economy since the 19th century, but the landscape makes it easy to forget that anyone planned this view.
Lucerne
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The Lion Monument in Lucerne was carved directly into a sandstone cliff in 1820 to honor the Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution. Mark Twain called it the most mournful piece of stone in the world. A short walk away, the Chapel Bridge stretches 204 meters across the Reuss River, decorated with the few 17th-century paintings that survived a fire in 1993.