Where not to go

On my first trip i saw all the places said to avoid. They were all very memorable and I don't regret seeing any of them. However, I didn't return on the trips the following years due to so many other things to see. Blausee and Aare Gorge are were not my main attraction of the day. They are good alternatives for rain and foggy days. Maybe 2022 had less crowds.

I think once the big attractions were under my belt, my interests evolved to seek out more solitude mountain views and small villages.

2022 had WAY less crowds, as Asia was still closed to Switzerland for COVID. In 2022 crowds were almost non-existent. 2023 the crowds started to pick up significantly and by 2024 it was nuts. 2025 was even worse.

In July/August you can expect to walk in a line of people for the walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, stand in a line out the street to get on the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp on the way to Murren, find no seats available to sit on any of the boats on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, lines for adventure activities at Grindelwald First 3-5 hours PER activity, the train station at Lauterbrunnen an insane push fest, the famous photo spot of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with the church/waterfall has a huge line of people waiting for their photo moment, etc. etc. The hiking is still incredible and 95% of the tourists don't go on any of the hikes, so it's still incredible if that's your intent, but for all the selfie spots, it's all very instagram vs reality moments. Same with Zermatt & Luzern.

Thanks for posting this. None of these places are on our itinerary, but I wasn’t familiar with these two and their videos will be helpful in some of our other planning.

Interesting and valid view I am sure in peak season. The Blausee is certainly not a ‘must do”on a first trip to CH, but we once included it on a hike from Kandersteg and entered via the rear to an almost empty and pleasant place on a fine autumn day. No doubt a great deal different in July!

I like Interlaken as a place to wander along the river, visit a non-Swiss restaurant (excellent Thai and Lebanese available!) and shop at the big COOP. But happily we retreat to one of the villages.

The Jungfraujoch or Schilthornbahn is an experience and one or the other is enough, one time in one’s life. They each have schlocky parts but each is a unique opportunity and certainly not something one can do here in the US.

Sadly, people follow the pictures on Instagram and don’t research deeply enough, spending a lot of time and money pursuing the sights others choose to show. Rick Steves contributes to this too. The Cinque Terre is a good example of overexposure and that was without Instagram influence…

I gave up on recommendations from "influencers" on social media.

A couple of years ago an influencer who described herself as a "traveler and not a tourist" suggested people bypass Rome completely because it was full of tourists.

While Rome is full of tourists, it is also one of the most interesting cities in the world and needs to be seen at least once.