I've visited most of the major American tourist spots in Switzerland, plus less frequented Visp/Sion/upper Rhone Valley.
If you know Switzerland well, where do you recommend that is off the tourist radar? Cities, towns, nature all in play.
Thank you!
There are few places completely off the tourist radar in Switzerland, but I've definitely noticed that certain nationalities gravitate towards certain destinations. Obviously a lot of tourists also have limited time, so they understandably tend to hit the "top 10" sights and skip smaller destinations. If you are a repeat visitor or have more time, there are many other options. If you're a hiker or walker, there are literally hundreds of choices!
Nature: Berner Oberland is great and rightly prioritized by many American visitors because of its convenience and beauty, but when I want to go to the mountains in the summer, I usually avoid the whole region (unless I have visitors from the US!). If you want to enjoy spectacular mountain scenery without massive crowds, especially in early summer up until mid-July before European summer vacation starts, head somewhere like Arosa or the Engadin in Graubünden. These are famous as winter sport regions, but offer great hiking and scenery in summer without the BO crowds. Unterengadin in particular is a great place to visit off the beaten path - check out the area around Scuol-Tarasp and Guarda. In the Oberengadin, skip St Moritz and go to Sils-Maria/Celerina/Pontresina instead. Not exactly undiscovered, but beautiful places with fewer tourists, especially earlier in the summer. Grächen and the Saastal near Zermatt are also great outdoor destinations.
Closer to Luzern, I am always amazed at how few Americans visit nearby Engelberg/Brünni, Stoos, Klewenalp or Melchsee-Frutt, especially for hiking. I get that many people let the Swiss Travel Pass dictate their itinerary due to cost concerns, but that leads everyone to visit the same few mountains - so if you're staying in Luzern and have a Tell Pass, for example, be adventurous and try a different mountain - wonderful scenery with fewer crowds than Rigi or Pilatus guaranteed!
Other areas: Maggia Valley region in Ticino; Fribourg and the Schwarzsee; Bielersee wine villages and Neuchâtel; and I have to put in a good word to my home canton Aargau (Hallwyl and Lenzburg castles, Habsburg castle ruin, Augusta Raurica and other roman ruins, Baden, Aarau), can also make for good day trips from Zurich/Basel/Luzern.
Just scribbling here and I need to visit more, but on my list is Parc Ela, Switzerland Nature Park and Savognin in Val Surses. Some will known the Landwasser Viaduct.
It’s in the mountains, but you’ll see few Americans in Glarus.
Unless they’re Americans visiting their ancestors’ hometown. Some of the Swiss settled in Wisconsin, where you’ll find New Glarus.
Far less touristed when we have visited (twice in each) are Pontresina and environs and Bettmeralp. We go in September so they may be more crowded in August. The tour groups do not frequent either, which helps. We also went once to the Saastel in late August and found the visitors mostly Swiss and not very numerous, but it was 2021 so the volume of travelers was down anyway.
Agree with @hopper18 about the "Three Lakes" region of Lakes Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel. Wonderful wines, towns, museums, castles, etc. Other than Neuchatel city itself, saw almost no Americans while in that area.
On the eastern side of the country we also really enjoyed the area around Zouz, Zernez, and the Münster Valley, including going up and over the Ofenpass. We were there for the World Heritage site of Convent of St. John Müstair, but that whole area is really beautiful and again, very untouristed comparatively.
Finally, I highly recommend the northern border along the Rhine River and Untersee. Yes, the tour buses flock to Rhine Falls to the west, but there's a whole string of great villages that are less hectic: Diessenhofen, Stein am Rhein, Steckborn, Arenenberg, Ermatingen. It is also super easy to zip over to Konstanz, which is often overlooked, as well as the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen (both in Germany).
Visit other locations and go up some of the other mountains in the Berner Oberland, of which there are many!
Near Thun are the Stockhorn, Niederhorn and Niesen, all of which I really enjoy. I have yet to go up a mountain here that did not have multiple options for hiking and other outdoor activities, along with a restaurant with amazing views.
The Berner Oberland is a BIG place, it is really just Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren and Grindelwald (what most people here mean when they say BO) where I hear mostly English being spoken all around me, and when on the gondola people with say “whoa” when it swings a bit. 😁 Not something I hear when most of the occupants are Swiss and have been doing this all their lives.
Look under 'geography' in this Wikipedia link to the Berner Oberland to get more ideas:
when on the gondola people with say “whoa” when it swings a bit. 😁
That would be me! 😊
Near Thun are the Stockhorn, Niederhorn and Niesen, all of which I
really enjoy.
Thanks for the suggestions. Adding to my list to check out for my next trip.
