The best things to do in Switzerland this autumn

The three glass domes of the botanical garden’s palm houses might make you worry about an alien invasion. But despite their exotic and often stunning appearance, all the plants inside the spheres appear to be earthlings. Take an early morning stroll across the vast grounds or just sit and relax for a while on a sunny afternoon. 

The Richterswil Horn is a popular local park, no doubt due to its stunning location on the shores of Lake Zurich. Offering access to a range of water sports as well as beach volleyball and lake swimming in the summer months, the Horn hosts annual events and there’s a great children’s playground.

An observation tower at the top of Uetliberg offers panoramic views, and The Planet Trail ridge walk takes you all the way to the Felsenegg, from where you can take the cable car down to Adliswil. If you prefer to head straight back to town there are various hiking (and biking) trails downhill.

It's not the MoMa, the Louvre or the Tate, but Zurich's art museum has a lot to offer and a good collection of modern art. Lovers of Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti will be thrilled to walk through the ground floor rooms dedicated to this artist alone, and the likes of Van Gogh, Monet and Chagall are displayed in small but bright rooms on the top floor.

This park less than half an hour away from the city of Zurich consists of two parts: the Sihlwald forest and Langenberg, Switzerland’s oldest wildlife park. Most of it is accessible at all times. There is an educational forest trail, and in Langenberg visitors can watch native or formerly native animals such as bears, bison and hares.

Originally a run down area full of decaying warehouses, Zurich West is now an alternative heart of the town. Its main attraction is the Viadukt, a stretch of shops, restaurants and bars built into the arches of the old railway viaduct that runs between the bank of the river Limmat and Hardbrücke station. Nearby Frau Gerolds Garten offers cute little shops, an urban garden and some seasonal attractions.

Posters, design, applied arts and graphics are the four pillars of the massive collection at the Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich’s museum of design. Dating as far back as 1875, exhibits chart the technical and aesthetic milestones of industrialisation’s evolution through crafts, furniture, prints, fashion, photographs, film, fine art pieces and everyday commercial products and packaging. 

The view over the city from its rooftop pool is simply amazing, and that alone would almost be worth the entrance. But on top of that, you can also relax in the huge wooden tubs of the old brewery in the basement and – for an additional fee – enjoy the Irish-Roman spa with its steam baths and shallow pools. 

The natural reserve around the Katzensee is just minutes outside the city and an all year round hotspot for bird- and nature-watching. Take the family on a walk around the lake – it won't take much more than an hour. For those who prefer a Sunday afternoon on wheels, the circular route around the lake has a separate track for cyclists.

Zurich’s zoo has risen to international fame for its ‘Masoalahalle’: a large dome filled with the wildlife of Madagascar. Don’t worry – they’ve not included any predators, so it’s safe to walk around and climb the steps to the viewing platform. And don’t miss the elephant park with its modern outside spaces and large indoor area. 

The Quartier des Bains is to Geneva what Chelsea is to New York and Löwenbräu is to Zurich, a hip art district in a former semi-industrial zone. Just off the centrally located Plainpalais and in the vicinity of the MAMCO (Modern art museum) and CAC (Contemporary art centre), a constellation of 12 galleries and additional four cultural institutions have formed an association to promote contemporary art.

Known as Geneva’s local mountain, the Salève is actually just over the border in France. But the Genevois are justified in staking their claim, as this natural haven is just 20 minutes by bus from the city centre. It’s refreshing to slip out of Geneva’s money-focused commercial centre and head so easily into nature.

On the last Sunday of every month the Lake Geneva area’s best and most picturesque flea market hits Nyon. Over a kilometre of stalls line the lake front and surrounding narrow winding streets. The price of exhibiting is low so there’s always a good range on offer, from second hand toys, clothes and trinkets to upmarket trendy metal furniture, vintage scarf collections and retro design stands. 

It’s a fascinating and rather humbling experience to visit this museum, which documents the work of the Red Cross from the humanitarian vision outlined by founder Henry Dunant in 1863, through its work during so many conflicts and natural disasters since then.

There’s never a bad time to hang out in Carouge. Its shuttered townhouses are attractive, it’s packed with great restaurants and nightlife and the area’s numerous independent shops and artisanal workshops mean the shopping is more interesting than in the centre of town. 

This café-restaurant is part of Geneva’s Bains des Paquis, a 1930s-era public swimming baths and spa on Lake Geneva’s right bank. As such, it’s a great place to hang out in the sun right next to the lake, whether for coffee, drinks or a light bite. 

This leafy idyll in the heart of Geneva sits just below the Old Town in the university district. As such it’s a favourite hangout of students who lounge about on the grass in summer instead of studying in the nearby library. Within the park is the Reformation Wall, a huge stone carving depicting the forefathers of the Reformation movement, including John Calvin, credited with founding protestant Geneva as we know it today.

An antidote to big-name chain cafés and a pocket of calm amid the bustle of Rue de Carouge, Les Recyclables is a delight. Half café, half secondhand bookshop, it lures you in for a drink or lunch and tempts you with a selection of new reading material. The café itself is friendly and cheerful, and the food is imaginative and well-presented. There’s even occasional live music in the evenings.

Off the tourist trail, this fascinating museum is a must-see for those seeking an alternative to the mainstream, exactly what ‘art brut’ – literally ‘raw art’ – is all about. Since 1976 this museum has presented the collection of Jean Dubuffet, who sought to gather art from all over the world created by untrained artists on the fringes of society.

Worth a visit on a rainy day is this small museum housed in the former bishop’s palace next to the cathedral. Its detailed exhibits chart Lausanne’s rich history from its origins in Roman times, through its importance as a trade route during the Middle Ages, its political and social history – particularly in the 17th century – and the huge physical changes it underwent over the centuries to make its hilly landscape more accommodating.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays Lausanne’s pedestrian streets take on a pleasing bustle with the arrival of the market. Multiple fruit and veg stalls set up shop on Rue de Bourg and the central Place de la Palud, or head up to Place de la Riponne for cheeses, bread and an ever-expanding flea market selling paperbacks, CDs, bric-a-brac and second-hand furniture.

At the top of Lausanne’s broad sweep from hilltop to lakeside, this forest is a pretty spot for a Sunday stroll or cycle along the leafy trails. The focal point is the lake and petting zoo – ideal for kids – and its chalet restaurant which serves Swiss classics such as fondue. In winter if the lake freezes solid enough, people go skating here. For the best view in town, head up the helter-skelter staircase of the Sauvabelin tower, which looks out over the town, lake and mountains. Visit in autumn and the turning leaves can be spectacular.

You’d be forgiven for not realising that Switzerland is a wine-producing country, as only one percent of the one million hectolitres it produces each year actually makes it to foreign markets. But take a bus a short ride from Lausanne into the Lavaux vineyards and you’ll quickly see how dominant vines are in this part of the country.

Lausanne’s Olympic Museum is absolutely worth a visit even if you don’t consider yourself a sports-fan. The huge permanent exhibition is divided into different themes, explored through artefacts from Olympic history and audiovisual material. Elsewhere, temporary exhibitions delve deep into stories of iconic athletes from across the decades. There’s also plenty of interactive content throughout the Museum to keep things engaging and immersive, including lots of activities for children and younger visitors.

A peaceful spot for a stroll, the city’s botanical gardens sit on the Montriond ridge, once a glacial moraine and now a grassy knoll sporting far-reaching views of the lake and mountains. The gardens themselves house 6,000 plants spread over terraces and in hothouses, and there's a small museum with a programme of regularly changing exhibitions. Once you’ve explored, head to the top of the hill and you’ll easily find a spot of grass to yourself from where to gaze at the mountains and contemplate life.

In an 18th-century villa rising from immaculately tended gardens overlooking Lake Geneva, 100,000-plus original photographs make up the extraordinary collection of the Musée de l’Elysée. One of the first museums in Europe purely dedicated to the photographer’s art, it first made a name for itself with exhibitions of 20th-century masters such as Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn and Ella Maillart as well as earlier work that showed the art form’s first steps.

Lausanne’s lakefront district is the city’s playground. It’s where people come to while away a Sunday afternoon by strolling along the shore of Lake Geneva with an ice-cream, swimming in the lake or at the Bellerive Plage open-air pool or hiring an SUP (stand-up paddleboard). Scattered with posh hotels dating from the 19th century, there’s an extravagant air about the place and you can enjoy some quality people-watching in one of Ouchy’s numerous bars and cafés. 

The new-look Museum of Communication in Bern helps you discover the many weird and wonderful means we have used to connect with each other throughout the centuries. From gestures and body language to media, telecommunications and pop culture, it's all brilliantly brought to life over 2,000m² of interactive exhibits.

Located in Rheinfelden just a short distance from Basel, the Sole Uno Wellness World offers an array of ways to relax. This large wellness facility includes three types of saltwater pool, a fire and ice pool, themed showers, and saunas and hammams. Try relaxing steam or an invigorating shock to the system depending what you think you can deal with.

Less than half an hour from Bern, Solbad Schönbühl boasts the largest natural brine spa in Switzerland. A plethora of water in all its many forms awaits vistitors in need of a pick-me-up: temperatures in the salt pools go as high as 35℃, while the accompanying sauna world offers a traditional Finnish sauna, a bio-sauna and a large herbal steam bath. 

Billed as a ‘theatre for young and old’, Basel’s well-known puppet theatre is exactly that, staging afternoon performances aimed at children, with darker tales for adults during the evening. Performance styles vary wildly – if you thought puppetry was just Miss Piggy or Big Bird you’ll be thoroughly surprised by the cast of characters performing here, from life-size puppets to stringed creations and cute hand puppets.

Bern’s Rose Gardens date from 1765 and as you might expect, this public park is a pleasant spot to while away a sunny day. You can sunbathe on the grass or stroll around appreciating the 220 varieties of roses in their immaculate beds. As a bonus, there are few places in Bern that offer such a beautiful views of the River Aare and the Old Town. 

The mighty Rhine river is the heart of Basel, so why not enjoy a cruise as you glide along the picturesque Swiss scenery and treat yourself to some onboard entertainment. Cruises vary in duration and distance according to operators, but one popular option is the Basel to Rheinfelden trip, where you’ll pass through two locks and see marvellous countryside scenes along the way.

It’s testament to the strength of Zentrum Paul Klee’s collection of works by Bern’s favourite artistic son (near enough anyway – the prolific 20th-century painter, teacher, musician and poet was technically from Münchenbuchsee, nine kilometres up the road), that it’s not totally upstaged by Renzo Piano’s inspired building-landform hybrid.

Held on Petersplatz every Saturday, Basel’s popular fleamarket is a great place to rummage for a few choice finds at a bargain price, including vintage handbags, old manual cameras, silverware and china plates, secondhand clothes and children’s toys. 

This laid-back eaterie has a lovely location adjacent to Bern’s celebrated Rose Gardens, and it’s no surprise that the outdoor terrace is the principal attraction for having lunch here. The lunch and dinner menus are dominated by Mediterranean creations, plus Swiss faves if you want to keep things traditional. 

Whether you’re local or just visiting town, the Dampfbad in northern Basel’s St. Johann is the perfect retreat. Combining an oriental hammam with two steam rooms and a range of massages, it’s an oasis of calm in muted beiges and greys.