𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒓-𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅

Switzerland is special in many ways. The country boasts of many resort destinations that are car-free. Imagine, no traffic noises, clean air and just pure nature! Demand for car-free destinations is growing. No-noise vacations, child safety and environmental concerns are the driving factors behind it. These are also some of the reasons why vacations in Switzerland are so popular among families. So here, I am bringing you my list of the most beautiful car-free villages in Switzerland.

Places which are included:

1. Zermatt

2. Murren

3. Wengen

4. Bettmeralp

5. Saas-Fee

6. Rigi

7. Stoos

8. Riederalp

1. Zermatt

Zermatt is a car-free mountain resort located in the Swiss canton region of Valais. The city lies at the foot of the famous Matterhorn and can only be reached by train, which is part of the scenic Glacier Express route. The town's touristic development is closely linked to what is most probably the world's most famous mountain. Explore the well-preserved chalets that line the streets of Zermatt and enjoy the true charm of a typical Swiss mountain village. There's plenty of shopping and fine dining in what remain to be old half-timbered houses.

A cogwheel railway operates between Zermatt and the classic Mt. Gornergrat at 3883 m/12,700 ft in elevation for the best views of the Matterhorn. Embark on this once in a lifetime opportunity to witness summits of Swiss, Italian, and French Alps all in one panoramic view. The Gornergrat mountain railway departs every 24 minutes from Zermatt, bringing visitors up to a viewing platform at 3,089 m/10,134 ft.

At 3,883 m/12,739 ft, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is Europe’s highest accessible point that can be reached by cableway. The 360° panorama view includes 38 peaks and 14 glaciers of the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps.

6 interesting things to do in Zermatt:

1. Watch the sunrise on the Matterhorn- Wake up early and head over to Kirchbrücke bridge to photograph the sun’s first rays lighting up the Matterhorn’s peak.

2. Mountain excursion to Gronergrat- one of the most inspiring panoramas can be seen from the Gornergrat. The panorama showcases 29 mountains above 4,000 m, including Dufourspitze, Switzerland’s highest peak at 4,634 m, and the famous Matterhorn and not to forget the Gorner Glacier.

3. Go paragliding

4. Wander through the beautiful village- Its pedestrian-friendly streets are lined with Swiss chalets filled with shops, restaurants, and hotels.

5. Enj0y a cheese fondue

6. Hike the 5 Lakes trail- If you love hiking, this is the trail for you. Witness exceptional views including the classic scene of Matterhorn reflecting in Stellisee, one of three lakes you can observe a mirror image of the mountain.

Gorner Glacier

Matterhorn reflecting over Lake Stellisee

2. Mürren

Lying at the foot of the Schilthorn, Mürren has nevertheless remained a cosy mountain village. It is perched on a shelf of Alpine pasture forming a balcony overlooking the steep cleft of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Destinations like Mürren are hard to find which offers unadulterated alpine scenery, mountain culture, and exciting activities! Here, 700m above the Lauterbrunnen valley, the only noise comes from cowbells and the sound of the wind accompanied by the murmur of a handful of tourists.

A double-cable ropeway leads up onto the plateau from Lauterbrunnen, while a cableway runs from Stechelberg, past raging waterfalls and craggy rock faces, into the centre of the car-free village of Mürren.

From Mürren, a cable car takes its breathtaking ride up to the Mt. Schilthorn summit. From up there you can enjoy exceptional panoramic views and sip cocktails in the revolving Piz Gloria summit restaurant.

Few interesting things to do in Mürren:

1. Take A Ride To The Schilthorn- The spectacularly located restaurant at the top, the Piz Gloria was used in the shooting of the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” in 1969. Even if you decide to skip the restaurant, there is a big viewing platform on the top (see the image below), which gives you the same amazing view regardless.

2. Take In The Views & Falls In Lauterbrunnen

3. Get Wet At The Trummelbach Falls - They are Europe's largest subterranean water falls.

4. Head To The First Ski Resort For Adventure- A recent addition to the top of the First cliff walkway from Tissot (pictured below). It runs along the cliff just below the restaurant at the gondola, so even if you don’t want to walk far, you can see the views and give yourself a small thrill while imagining a fall from that height!

Skyline viewing platform-Schilthorn

First Cliff walk-Tissot

3. Wengen

The holiday resort lies on a wind-protected sun terrace at the foot of the Jungfrau, 400 metres above the Lauterbrunnen valley at an altitude of 1274 m. Wengen is a fashionable and well-equipped mountain resort in the Bernese Oberland. Accessible only by cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen – it is traffic-free and well known for its pure mountain air. With its nostalgic timber houses, the many dispersed holiday chalets and hotels, this Bernese Oberland holiday resort has retained all the character of a picture-postcard mountain village.

Few interesting things to do in Wengen:

1. Explore the town of Wengen, watch the mountains change colour at sunset

2. Enjoy some fine dining at Hotel Schönegg

3. Follow the cowbells- Stick your head outside your window and listen to the cowbells.

4. Enjoy a fondue, Raclette or both.

5. Hike to Kleine Scheidegg from Wengen

6. Step aboard a cogwheel train for a spectacular journey to the 11,332-feet (3454-meter) high railway station at Jungfraujoch

Wengen Mannlichen Cablecar

4. Bettmeralp

The car-free village of Bettmeralp can only be reached via the large-cabin cable car from Betten valley station or the aerial tramway from Betten valley station via Betten Dorf, the first Unesco World Heritage Site of the Alps. There are various possibilities to park your car at the bottom station-Betten. Picturesque Valais chalets, helpful and friendly residents, a vibrant village centre with shops, bars and local grocery stores: anyone who sets foot on car-free Bettmeralp for the first time is immediately blown away by the charm of this picturesque village at 1970 metres above sea level. When you think of Ski-in and out of your chalet or vacation rental, this is exactly what you can expect from most of the Bettmeralp accommodation.

Few interesting things to do in Bettmeralp:

1. Have a meal at Hotel Aletsch- Their terrace has an incredible view and they very cleverly have a toy room to keep kids begging to go back.

2. Take a hike to Moosfluh

3. While you are hiking there, visit the prettiest chapels in Switzerland called Maria zum Schnee (pictured below)- You cannot drive to the Chapel Maria zum Schnee. You have to hike to it or take a cable car.

4. Grab some post-hike drink at Albi's- It's a bar in the middle of the main street where all the young and cool people go.

5. During summer visits, definitely take the guided Glacier walks.

Chapel Maria Zum Schnee

5. Saas-Fee

Saas-Fee is a charming mountain resort, at a height of 5906 ft (1800 m) and in the middle of a gigantic mountain panorama. Often called the Pearl of the Alps, it is not as famous as its better-known neighbour Zermatt, but just as charming. Visitors travel to Saas-Fee for various reasons. The car-free resort is a favourite place not only due to its mild climate. Hike along 217 miles (350 km) trails and you have not seen it all. Or take a look from above: reach the Felskinn (9843 ft/3000m) by cable car and then board the highest underground funicular railway, the Metro Alpin to get to the Allalin at 11483 ft (3500 m). Or take time for a break at the highest revolving restaurant in the world-Drehrestaurant Allalin. Stay at least for an hour to get around once and then step into the ice pavilion.

Few interesting things to do in Saas-Fee:

1. Take the Alpin Express lift- To get up to the summit, you need to take two long cable car rides and a fast funicular up through the mountain.

2. Feed Marmots in their natural habitat- You will need to get a Cable Car up to Spielboden ski resort to see them and it’s at 2450 metres above sea level.

3. Visit Allalin Ice Pavilion- The ride there alone will be an adventure – travel up the highest underground funicular railway in the world, the ‘Metro Alpin’ which whisks you up to 3,500 m to an ice grotto with amazing ice sculptures and even an avalanche simulator.

4. If you need a further adrenaline rush after a day on the slopes, give the Feeblitz a go – one of the highest toboggan/roller coaster runs in the Alps.

5. Visit Saas Museum, a small house/museum showing what life was like in the Saas Valley one hundred years ago and gives an interesting insight into historic mountain village life through clothing and artefacts on display.

Saas Museum

Feeblitz Toboggan

6. Rigi

Located in the heart of Central Switzerland, Mt. Rigi- Queen of the Mountains is easily accessible from every direction. With the cogwheel railway from Vitznau and the cable car from Weggis, the car-free Rigi Kaltbad is the place to relax. Rigi is a mountainous region near Lucerne and is a typical Swiss green landscape with meadows, forests and grazing cows. Rigi Kulm is the highest point (1798 m) and offers great views of Lake Lucerne, the Alps in the south and the plains in the north, all the way to Germany. Also, there is a restaurant and hotel for an overnight stay.

Few interesting things to do in Rigi:

1. Take the classic hike to the viewpoint at Kanzeli- Känzeli is one of the most popular viewpoints in Mount Rigi because of its easy access – only about a 15-minute walk from Rigi Kaltbad. A BBQ area, plenty of seating space and a telescope make it an ideal spot for visitors young and old.

2. Or take the Panorama hike- The terrain is flat most of the way, so it’s an extremely easy walk, a portion of the hike is along the cliff.

3. Visit the Mineral Garden and Spa in Rigi Kaltbad designed by Mario Botta. From May through September, guests can night bathe by candlelight! The baths are heated with a log wood boiler using wood from the Rigi forests.

4. Paraglide over the breathtaking landscape

Kanzeli Viewpoint

7. Stoos

The village of Stoos is set in a delightful alpine landscape at the foot of the Fronalpstock mountain, on a sunny alpine plateau of the same name at about 1300 m. Stoos is a great choice for an easy, impressive and relatively affordable outing in the Swiss Alps. The steepest funicular in the world whisks you up the mountain to an adorable alpine village. From there, you can ride chair lifts up to a panorama viewpoint with spectacular views of Lake Luzern and the surrounding mountains. Going uphill is rarely this comfortable. The cabins of the steepest funicular in the world adapt to the most extreme inclination. In this way, the passengers are always on a horizontal surface. But there isn't much time to enjoy the comfortable ride, as it takes just four to seven minutes to go up the 743 metres of altitude.

Few interesting things to do in Stoos:

1. Visit Holloch- One of the world's largest cave system. Take a guided tour to experience an underground world you have never seen before.

2. Visit Hüttenhotel Husky-Lodge- Unforgettable experience with Siberian huskies

3. Visit and stay at Swiss Holiday Park- Switzerland’s largest holiday and leisure resort is perfect for a family holiday.

4. Take the chairlift to Fronalpstock- There is a safe observation deck, enclosed with a high fence, safe for kids of all sizes. You get a dramatic view of Lake Luzern.

5. The hotel at the top of Fronalpstock is a brilliant place to stay for landscape photographers.

6. Treat yourself to some delicious apple strudel with vanilla sauce in the restaurant at the Fronalpstock and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

Viewing platform at Fronalpstock

8. Riederalp

Riederalp is located in southern Switzerland in the eastern end of the Valais region. The trail is accessed by a cable car and gondola. The Jungfrau-Aletsch region as a landscape of exceptional beauty has been included in the list of UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites. The holiday resort of Riederalp offers an impressive panorama view of the 4000-metre-high peaks of the Valais Alps, including the Matterhorn and Dom. Discover highlights such as the two viewpoints Hohfluh and Moosfluh, which look out over the Great Aletsch Glacier, or the Pro Natura Centre in the Villa Cassel. To reach, drive to Mörel, the base of the Riederalp cable car station. There is a small parking lot right next to the station.

Few interesting things to do in Riederalp:

1. Walk on the Aletsch footbridge- The 124-metre Aletsch footbridge offers a dramatic way of crossing the impressive Massa gorges, 80 metres above the ground. The bridge lies along a magnificent 5-hour hike between Belalp and Riederalp.

2. Visit the beautiful Lake Blausee- Lake Blausee lies at 2207m and its water can heat up to 20 degrees during the summer. Access to the lake is easy and visitors will find fire pits for grilling. Access from Riederalp by the Riederalp-Moosfluh cableway. (leave the cabine at the intermediate station)

3. Visit the Alpine Museum in Riederalp to witness the cheese making process

4. If you love golf, then visit the Riederalp Golf club- The golf course is situated on a plateau high above the Rhone valley, in the village of Riederalp, which offers views of all the 4000-metre summits of the Valais Alps.

5. Do the Toboggan run in Moosfluh- A breathtaking scenic view is awaiting on the sledge run in Moosfluh, which stands out from other runs thanks to its location half-way between Riederalp and Bettmeralp.

Riederalp Aletsch Footbridge

Lake Blausee