Best area to travel to in Switzerland in March
A traveler named onthefly is transitioning from Italy to Switzerland, arriving on March 27 and staying until March 31. They seek advice on scenic travel routes and city suggestions for a short trip, focusing on culture, art, and UNESCO sites, while planning to buy a Swiss Travel Pass for convenience.
- Consider staying two nights in Wengen and two nights in Lucerne to minimize travel time.
- From Malpensa, take the scenic train route via Brig to reach Wengen.
- The Golden Pass route from Wengen to Lucerne offers stunning views, so don't miss it.
- Use local trains and the Swiss timetable for easy travel planning.
- For art lovers, don't miss the Paul Klee Museum in Bern and the Rosengart Collection in Lucerne.
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Hi!
We will be finishing up our travel in Italy and starting our travel in Switzerland the morning of March 27 from Malpensa, Italy from the train station. We will have a few days to explore Switzerland as we make our way to Zurich for departure to USA March 31 @ 10:00 a.m. We would like to have maximum scenic beauty (no problem in Switzerland!) for the amount of time available for us in Switzerland. We do not ski and won’t be hiking, but trains, walking in towns, UNESCO sites, architecture, art, and history is what we like.
2) We would buy our Swiss Travel Pass from your site. What would be a scenic/ practical route to take from Malpensa to arrive in Berne (or another town) and make our way to Lucerne, or go directly to Lucerne? We could stay in Wengen a day or so and base there for the surrounding activitie, we do want to see Lake Thun. We would divide 4 nights among cities, any suggestions?
Thank you so much!
onthefly
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Hi onthefly,
I would probably stay two nights in Wengen (or Thun considering your interests) and 2 nights in Lucerne. Every time you change a base you lose time with the logistics.
If you take the train from Malpensa to Wengen get off the train in Brig and take the opportunity to proceed on the local train via Goppenstein and Spiez to Wengen. This is far more scenic than the fast trains through the long tunnel. Use the Swiss timetable to plan your trips.
From Wengen it’s easy to do a day trip to Bern. I can recommend the Paul Klee museum (Zentrum Paul Klee) in Bern. You could also consider to visit the Jungfraujoch.
From Wengen to Lucerne you can take the Golden Pass route which starts in Interlaken Ost. Have a look as well at things to do in Lucerne.
Hello!
Thank you Chantal for your knowledgeable answer! Your help is very much appreciated! I may need to call on your help again 😁
Sincerely,
onthefly
Hi onthefly-
Chantal has given very good advice.
<<“maximum scenic beauty…”>>
Wengen and the Jungfrau region are spectacular. In my opinion, that is the most wonderful High Alpine experience in Switzerland…and a probably the high point of all Swiss scenery for a visitor. Lots to see and do, even if you do not take the exorbitantly expensive trip to Jungfraujoch.
http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
Please keep in mind that late March is still pretty much Winter up there, so many hikes at higher altitudes, may not be accessible. That includes those seen in the attached photos.
However, seeing this comment –
<<“walking in towns, UNESCO sites, architecture, art, and history is what we like.”>.
suggests other options to me.
One of the benefits of traveling in Switzerland ( or a disadvantage, because there are too many) is the number of options and choices. So, I’ll mention some other options, which won’t necessarily fit a simple travel schedule. 😉
Zürich and Winterthur have a few of the finest art museums in Switzerland.
http://www.bundesmuseen.ch/ro emerholz/index.html?lang=en
http://www.rietberg.ch/en-gb/home.aspx
Basel is known for its art museums.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Museums_in_Basel
In Central Switzerland, Luzern stands out.
For example- The Rosengart Collection in Luzern, 3 minutes from the main station, has one of the best collections of Paul Klee in Europe, as well as superlative Picassos. Luzern has a quite nice old town, if you can elbow your way through the tourists. In late March, that won’t be a problem.
http://www.rosengart.ch/en/we lcome
There is quite nice, quite small Picasso museum in Luzern Old Town.. Maybe the correct term is “was” – I can’t find reference to it on the internet. Oh well – here are a few more:
http://www.luzern.com/en/muse ums?pn=11
One of the nicest old towns in Switzerland, because of the UNESCO World Heritage Abbey and Abbey Library, is in St. Gall. (Sankt Gallen).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abbey_library_of_Saint _Gall
http://www.myswitzerland.com/ en-us/st-gallen.html
A lot fewer tourists than Luzern, but, quite a bit out of the way.
And, the old town in Bern is quite nice to wander in, and very accessible as Chantal noted.
http://www.myswissalps.com/be rn
The Old Town in Bern is a Unesco World Heritage site.That’s a start.
Slowpoke
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Hi Slowpoke!
Thank you for your extensive information! It’s great to have these options and we will enjoy reading about them as we plan our trip to Switzerland.
Sincerely,
onthefly
Hi Onthefly,
We don’t sell Swiss Travel Passes ourselves, but we do offer a list of trusted retailers you can buy from: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/price.
Hi onthefly –
<<” It’s great to have these options and we will enjoy reading about them as we plan our trip to Switzerland. “>>
There is wealth of information available from many sources. Don’t hesitate to ask more questions.
By the way, I short-changed Luzern in my reply above.
Once again, my pictures tend to be the ones I took in warmer months, often on hikes, but I’ve attached a few that I’ve collected over the years near Luzern. I use the German spelling of the name when I refer to the city, since it is in the German-speaking region and that is what you will see on signs. The lake boat rides on Lake Lucerne ( der Vierwaldstätersee is the German name) are quite nice, and there is a limited schedule available, even in March.
http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/
( By the way, the Hotel Schiff is mentioned in one photo. It is now apartments. The views from the river side of the Hotel des Alpes are similar but the angle for Pilatus is not quite as nice).
http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne/hotels
Slowpoke
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Hi Arno & Slowpoke,
Thank you for your prompt replies to ensure a great visit to Switzerland!
onthefly
Slowpoke,
Your pictures of this amazing area are stunning, thank you for sharing them! With all your information and enthusiasm about Wengen and the surrounding area, I know it will be spectacular!
Many thanks,
onthefly
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