Welcome to Swiss Explained, the media platform, blog, guide and discovery hub dedicated to Switzerland in all its forms.
Our slogan perfectly summarizes our mission:
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
On SwissExplained.com, our goal is simple: help you understand Switzerland better, discover it more easily, travel through it more intelligently and, above all, enjoy everything this country has to offer.
Switzerland is not just watches, chocolate, banks, mountains and trains that arrive on time.
Although, to be fair, that is already a pretty good start. 🇨🇭
Switzerland is also thousands of landscapes, cities with very different personalities, lesser-known villages, hiking trails, lakes, mountain passes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spectacular railway lines, local traditions, surprising habits, languages, cultures, a fascinating political history, unusual institutions and countless practical tips that you usually discover only when you really know the country.
That is exactly why Swiss Explained exists.
On https://swissexplained.com/, we want to gradually build a genuine gold mine of useful information about Switzerland.
Guides.
Tips.
Best deals.
Recommendations.
Analyses.
Photos.
Videos.
Walks.
Hikes.
Discoveries.
Reviews.
Comparisons.
Hidden gems.
Ideas for day trips.
Practical information.
And, of course, a lot of Switzerland.
Swiss Explained – Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
SwissExplained.com: a different way to understand Switzerland
There are already many websites dedicated to Switzerland.
And some of them are excellent.
There are official websites.
Tourism websites.
Regional tourism boards.
City websites.
Cantonal websites.
Transport company websites.
Booking platforms.
Travel magazines.
International travel guides.
Travel agencies.
Specialized blogs.
But many of these platforms naturally have an institutional, corporate or commercial approach.
They show you what they are expected to show you.
At Swiss Explained, we want to take a different approach.
A more direct approach.
A freer one.
A more human one.
A more practical one.
And sometimes a much more critical one.
We want to tell you what is great about Switzerland.
But also what is not quite as great.
We want to explain where you should go.
But sometimes also where it may not really be worth going.
We want to share our best experiences.
But we also want to warn you when something feels overrated, overpriced, complicated or simply less interesting than the marketing suggests.
Because a real guide should be able to say:
“This place is amazing.”
But also:
“This place looks great on Instagram, but there are probably three much better places within twenty kilometres.”
Welcome to the spirit of Swiss Explained.
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
Swiss Explained is created by insiders who know Switzerland
One of the biggest differences with SwissExplained.com is our relationship with Switzerland.
We are not simply discovering the country during a four-day trip before writing an article called “10 Amazing Things to Do in Switzerland.”
We know Switzerland from the inside.
We grew up here.
We have lived here.
We know its regions, habits, quirks, transport systems, cities, countryside and many of the small details that can be difficult to understand when you are only visiting for a short time.
And that local knowledge changes everything.
Because there is sometimes a big difference between Switzerland as presented in glossy brochures and Switzerland as people actually experience it.
On Swiss Explained, we want to tell both stories.
Spectacular Switzerland.
And practical Switzerland.
The postcard.
And what exists behind the postcard.
The famous places.
But also the places almost nobody talks about.
The tourist destinations.
But also the places locals genuinely enjoy.
That is what we want to build step by step on SwissExplained.com.
Switzerland explained by people who really know it.
Travel in Switzerland with Swiss Explained
Are you planning a trip to Switzerland?
Then SwissExplained.com is for you.
Whether you are coming for two days, one week, one month, or simply planning a day trip from a nearby region, we want to publish dozens and eventually hundreds of resources to help you.
Because travelling in Switzerland can be extraordinary.
But sometimes you need to know how to do it properly.
Which route should you take?
Which city should you visit?
Which train should you choose?
Which hotel should you book?
Which mountain should you discover?
Which lake is really worth visiting?
Should you rent a car?
Can you travel everywhere by public transport?
How much does a weekend in Switzerland really cost?
What should you avoid?
Which places are truly worth the journey?
Which stunning locations are much less famous?
When should you book?
How can you save money?
How can you enjoy Switzerland without turning your bank account into a post-apocalyptic landscape?
These are exactly the kinds of questions we want to answer on Swiss Explained.
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
The best deals in Switzerland
One important word in our slogan is Deals.
Because Swiss Explained is not here simply to show you beautiful landscapes.
We also want to help you enjoy Switzerland intelligently.
On SwissExplained.com, we will regularly publish useful deals related to tourism, transport, activities, hotels, restaurants, leisure and different experiences across Switzerland.
Some deals may be temporary.
Others may be available all year round.
Some will concern a specific region.
Others may be useful for almost every traveller.
Our goal is to gradually build a huge database of practical knowledge.
Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive.
And that reputation did not come out of nowhere.
But travelling smartly in Switzerland can make a huge difference.
The exact same trip can sometimes be very expensive or much more affordable simply depending on whether you know the right tricks.
That is exactly the type of information we want to share on Swiss Explained.
Walks, hiking and trekking in Switzerland
Switzerland is probably one of the most interesting countries in Europe for people who love walking.
You can go from a very easy walk around a lake to a spectacular alpine hike.
You can walk through vineyards.
Cross forests.
Follow rivers.
Walk along lakes.
Discover villages.
Climb toward breathtaking viewpoints.
Explore the Jura.
Walk through the Alps.
Discover the Pre-Alps.
Cross valleys.
Or simply stroll through a beautiful historic town.
On SwissExplained.com, we want to share ideas for walks, hikes and trekking routes for different fitness levels.
Not only the hikes that appear in every single travel ranking.
We also want to look for alternatives.
Local trails.
Lesser-known routes.
Variants.
Short walks for people who only have a few hours.
Places accessible by train.
Routes that can be combined with sightseeing.
Locations that are perfect for photography.
And walks where you can enjoy a fantastic landscape without necessarily turning the day into an eight-hour expedition involving crampons, an ice axe and a rescue helicopter. 😄
The goal is always the same:
Swiss Explained – Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
Discover the most beautiful landscapes in Switzerland
Yes, of course we are going to talk about landscapes.
A lot.
Because creating a media platform about Switzerland without talking about landscapes would be a little like launching a website about Italy and never mentioning food.
Switzerland is a very compact country, but the diversity of its landscapes is impressive.
Lakes.
Mountains.
Valleys.
Forests.
Countryside.
Vineyards.
Plateaus.
Glaciers.
Rivers.
Gorges.
Villages.
Historic towns.
Industrial landscapes.
Railway landscapes.
And sometimes a few totally unexpected places.
On SwissExplained.com, we want to document this diversity through articles, photographs, videos and reports.
Not simply to show pretty images.
But to explain what you are looking at.
Where is this place?
How can you get there?
What is its history?
When should you visit?
What can you do nearby?
How much time should you plan?
What are the main points of interest?
Can you reach it by public transport?
Is it worth visiting all year round?
That is what Swiss Explained is all about.
Showing.
But above all, explaining.
Swiss Explained and Swiss trains
It is impossible to understand Switzerland without talking about trains.
Railways are part of the Swiss landscape, the country’s territorial organization and the daily life of millions of people.
And because the subject is huge, we have created a dedicated area:
Train Swiss Explained is the railway-focused branch of the wider Swiss Explained universe.
On train.swissexplained.com, we can go much deeper into everything related to trains, railway networks, train travel, interesting routes, rolling stock and discovering Switzerland by rail.
While SwissExplained.com focuses on Switzerland as a whole, Train Swiss Explained can specialize deeply in the railway world.
This collaboration allows the two worlds to connect.
Are you reading an article about a hike?
We can explain how to reach the starting point by train.
Are you discovering a region?
We can show you the railway lines that cross it.
Are you looking for a panoramic journey?
Train Swiss Explained can become your starting point.
Switzerland and railways are deeply connected.
So it made perfect sense for Swiss Explained and Train Swiss Explained to work together.
Travelling around Switzerland by train
For many visitors, taking the train is already part of the Swiss experience.
And we want to help the readers of SwissExplained.com understand how to travel by rail more easily.
Which lines should you choose?
Which landscapes can you see from the train?
Which routes are particularly interesting?
How can you combine train travel and hiking?
How can you plan a full day without a car?
Which railway stations can become starting points for excursions?
How can you efficiently travel through several regions?
When is a car actually useful?
All of these questions can be covered in collaboration with Train Swiss Explained on train.swissexplained.com.
The idea is not simply to talk about trains for train enthusiasts.
The idea is also to use the railway as a gateway to the whole of Switzerland.
Hotels in Switzerland: recommendations, reviews and discoveries
Finding a hotel in Switzerland can become… an experience.
There are beautiful hotels.
Historic hotels.
Luxury properties.
Modern hotels.
Family-run hotels.
Unique accommodation.
Budget options.
Hostels.
And hotels located in truly incredible places.
There are also occasionally rooms whose prices appear to have been calculated after checking the GDP of Luxembourg.
On Swiss Explained, we want to review, compare and recommend different types of accommodation.
The goal is not to focus only on luxury.
A simple hotel can be excellent if it is clean, well located, pleasant and fairly priced.
On the other hand, an expensive hotel is not automatically exceptional.
We want to look at things practically.
Location.
Value for money.
Comfort.
Public transport access.
Surroundings.
Services.
Overall experience.
And the real value for different types of travellers.
Because the best hotel depends on who you are.
A hiker does not have the same needs as a couple spending a romantic weekend.
A family does not have the same priorities as a solo traveller.
A railway enthusiast may not choose exactly the same location as someone who came to ski.
This diversity is exactly what SwissExplained.com wants to cover.
Restaurants, cafés and bars in Switzerland
We are also going to eat.
Someone had to sacrifice themselves for science. 😄
Swiss Explained will gradually publish discoveries and reviews of restaurants, bars, cafés and other interesting venues.
Traditional places.
Trendy places.
Small local addresses.
Fine dining restaurants.
Affordable places.
Unusual venues.
Terraces.
Bars with great views.
Places that are perfect after a hike.
Restaurants located conveniently near a railway station.
And probably quite a few surprising experiences along the way.
Once again, we want to keep an independent approach.
If we like something, we will explain why.
If something disappoints us, we may also say so.
Partnerships on Swiss Explained
Swiss Explained may naturally work with hotels, restaurants, tourism companies, destinations, brands, transport operators and other partners.
And we want to be completely transparent about this.
Whenever content comes from a paid partnership, this will be clearly indicated.
If a venue invites us or offers us a service as part of a collaboration, we may also disclose that where appropriate.
Because a partnership itself is not a problem.
A lack of transparency is.
We want to be able to work with interesting companies while keeping the trust of SwissExplained.com readers.
A collaboration can even allow us to create richer content, discover places we might not otherwise have access to or offer special advantages to readers.
But transparency will always remain essential.
Practical tips for travelling in Switzerland
Switzerland has its own habits.
And some of them can be surprising.
On Swiss Explained, we also want to talk about all the small details that can make travelling in Switzerland much easier.
Organization.
Transport.
Timetables.
Bookings.
Payments.
Languages.
Local behaviour.
Regional customs.
Seasons.
Weather.
Equipment.
Budget.
We want to gradually answer the questions travellers actually ask.
Not only the questions tourism brochures would like them to ask.
What you should be careful about in Switzerland
A good guide should not only tell you what to do.
It should also explain what to avoid.
On SwissExplained.com, we therefore want to speak openly about common mistakes and travel traps.
Extremely crowded places.
Periods that may be best avoided.
Bookings that need to be made in advance.
Activities that are less interesting in bad weather.
Unnecessary expenses.
Poorly planned routes.
Overrated tourist attractions.
Mountain-related risks.
Seasonal limitations.
Cultural differences.
And all those things you usually learn only after making the mistake yourself.
The idea is simple:
if our experience can help you avoid a mistake, we might as well share it.
That is exactly the spirit of Swiss Explained: Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
Understand Swiss history
Swiss Explained will not simply be a tourism website.
We also want to explain Switzerland.
Really explain it.
And to understand a country, you need to understand its history.
How was Switzerland formed?
Why does it have such an unusual political structure?
How did its cantons develop?
Why do several languages coexist?
Why are some regions culturally so different from others?
How did Switzerland become the country we know today?
We want to publish accessible but detailed articles about Swiss history.
Without turning every article into an unreadable academic thesis.
But also without reducing several centuries of history to three stories about William Tell.
The goal of SwissExplained.com remains the same:
understand quickly without staying superficial.
Understand Switzerland Quickly!
Swiss geopolitics explained
Switzerland is also fascinating from a geopolitical point of view.
Its location in the heart of Europe.
Its relations with neighbouring countries.
Its federal structure.
Its neutrality.
Its international relationships.
Its institutions.
Its agreements.
Its economic specificities.
Its different linguistic regions.
All of these subjects can seem complicated.
We want to make them understandable.
On Swiss Explained, we will therefore also publish analyses of Swiss politics and geopolitics whenever they help people better understand the country.
Because a curious traveller does not always only want to know where to eat fondue.
Sometimes they want to understand why this country works in such a unique way.
And that is exactly why the word Explained is in our name.
Swiss cities with Swiss Explained
Zurich.
Geneva.
Bern.
Lausanne.
Basel.
Lucerne.
Fribourg.
Neuchâtel.
Biel/Bienne.
St. Gallen.
Lugano.
Winterthur.
Sion.
La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Montreux.
Locarno.
And many more.
Every Swiss city has its own personality.
Some are famous all around the world.
Others deserve much more attention.
On SwissExplained.com, we want to gradually publish guides dedicated to Swiss cities.
What should you visit?
Where should you walk?
Where should you eat?
Which neighbourhoods are worth exploring?
Which museums should you visit?
Which places are best for photos?
How do you get there by train?
What can you do in one day?
What can you do over a weekend?
Which places are less well known?
The goal is not only to publish yet another “Top 10 Things to Do.”
We want to understand the cities.
Their identity.
Their history.
Their atmosphere.
Their geography.
And their small local peculiarities.
Switzerland beyond the major cities
But Switzerland is certainly not limited to its biggest cities.
A huge part of the country’s charm is found elsewhere.
In small towns.
In villages.
In valleys.
In the mountains.
In the Jura.
In the countryside.
In border regions.
In places international guides rarely mention.
Swiss Explained wants to highlight this Switzerland too.
Because some of the best memories do not necessarily come from places with eight million hashtags on Instagram.
Sometimes they come from a small railway station, a village, an improvised walk or a restaurant found completely by accident.
Switzerland through all four seasons
Switzerland changes dramatically with the seasons.
And that deserves to be explained too.
Summer offers hiking, lakes, terraces and long days.
Autumn transforms the landscapes.
Winter opens up a completely different mountain world.
Spring brings valleys and cities back to life.
On SwissExplained.com, our recommendations will naturally evolve with the seasons.
We want to give you good reasons to come back regularly.
A place recommended in July may not be the same place we recommend in December.
A beautiful hike in September may be impossible a few months later.
A city may become especially interesting during a particular event.
That is why Swiss Explained is designed as a living media platform.
New things to discover every day
We want to publish new content regularly.
Articles.
Photos.
Videos.
Guides.
Analyses.
Recommendations.
Best deals.
Discoveries.
Updates to older content.
New tests.
New ideas.
That means a visit to SwissExplained.com today will not be exactly the same as a visit a few weeks from now.
So come back regularly.
Save the website.
Share it.
Explore the different categories.
And check what has just been published.
Swiss Explained should gradually become a huge living library dedicated to Switzerland.
Photos and videos of Switzerland
Some places are difficult to describe using words alone.
So we are going to show them too.
On Swiss Explained, photographs and videos will play an important role.
Landscapes.
Trains.
Cities.
Mountains.
Roads.
Villages.
Lakes.
Restaurants.
Hotels.
Hikes.
Atmospheres.
Events.
Our goal is to help readers understand what places really look and feel like before visiting.
Not just through a perfect promotional photograph taken at 5:43 a.m. on a June morning with the sky edited until it looks radioactive.
We want to show places as they can actually be experienced.
Blogs and vlogs about Switzerland
Some SwissExplained.com content will be highly structured.
Other content will be more spontaneous.
We also want to publish blogs and vlogs that allow us to share an experience directly from the field.
An improvised walk.
A discovery.
A railway line.
A hotel.
A city.
A restaurant.
A hike.
An activity.
An event.
This variety of formats is part of the identity of Swiss Explained.
Sometimes you will want an ultra-detailed guide.
Sometimes you will simply want to watch five minutes of Switzerland.
We want to offer both.
The Switzerland Explained YouTube channel
The Swiss Explained universe also continues on YouTube with the channel:
@SwitzerlandExplained
The Switzerland Explained YouTube channel naturally complements SwissExplained.com.
It allows you to discover certain topics in video form and directly see landscapes, locations, journeys and different aspects of life in Switzerland.
The website allows us to go deep into the information.
Video allows us to show it.
The two formats complement each other perfectly.
An article can provide details, advice, practical information and useful links.
A video can bring the atmosphere.
The images.
The movement.
The reality on the ground.
And sometimes simply the pleasure of watching Switzerland go by.
A media platform about all of Switzerland
We do not want to limit Swiss Explained to a single region.
French-speaking Switzerland interests us.
German-speaking Switzerland interests us.
Ticino interests us.
Romansh-speaking regions interest us.
The Alps interest us.
The Jura interests us.
The Swiss Plateau interests us.
Major cities interest us.
Villages interest us.
Basically, if it is in Switzerland, there is a good chance we are interested.
The long-term goal of SwissExplained.com is to cover the country as widely as possible.
Swiss Explained for international visitors
If you are planning your first trip to Switzerland, Swiss Explained can help you quickly understand the country.
That is exactly the meaning of our slogan:
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
We want to prevent you from spending fifty hours searching for information scattered across twenty different platforms.
On SwissExplained.com, you will gradually find information about destinations, transport, itineraries, accommodation, activities, hiking and practical travel advice.
Swiss Explained for people who already know Switzerland
But Swiss Explained is not only for international tourists.
Have you lived in Switzerland for ten years?
Are you Swiss?
Do you think you know your region perfectly?
Great.
We will try to surprise you too. 😉
Because nobody knows all of Switzerland.
Even when you live here.
There is always a valley you have never visited.
A city you have never explored.
A railway line you have never travelled.
A walk you have never done.
A restaurant you have never tried.
A museum you have ignored.
A village you have seen from the motorway but never actually visited.
Swiss Explained can therefore also be a source of inspiration for people who already live in Switzerland.
Weekend ideas in Switzerland
You do not always need to fly somewhere to enjoy a great experience.
Switzerland offers countless weekend possibilities.
City weekends.
Hiking weekends.
Lake weekends.
Railway weekends.
Food weekends.
Mountain weekends.
Romantic weekends.
Discovery weekends.
On SwissExplained.com, we want to gradually publish practical ideas for building these short trips.
With itineraries.
Transport.
Accommodation.
Activities.
Alternatives.
And recommendations.
Swiss tips you may not find elsewhere
This is one of our main goals.
We want to find the small pieces of information that make a real difference.
The shortcut you only learn through experience.
The best time to visit.
The station where it is better to get off.
The quieter trail.
The neighbouring village that is actually more interesting.
The place two streets away that costs half as much.
The viewpoint nobody mentions.
The ticket that should be booked differently.
The place where you can simply stop for fifteen minutes and enjoy an incredible view.
It is the accumulation of these small pieces of information that can turn SwissExplained.com into a genuine gold mine.
Swiss Explained also wants to save you time
Time is part of travel.
If you only have three days in Switzerland, you probably do not want to waste one of them trying to understand something we can explain in five minutes.
Once again, that is at the heart of the slogan:
Understand Switzerland Quickly!
Understand quickly.
Decide quickly.
Travel smarter.
And spend your time on what really matters.
Accessible information without being superficial
We also want to find the right balance.
Swiss Explained must remain easy to read.
But easy to read does not mean simplistic.
An article can be accessible while still being extremely detailed.
An analysis can be serious while still being enjoyable.
A historical explanation can be precise without reading like a tax form.
That is the philosophy we want to develop on SwissExplained.com.
Inform.
Explain.
Entertain.
Inspire discovery.
Why the name Swiss Explained?
Because everything is in the name.
Swiss. Explained.
Switzerland, explained.
Not simply shown.
Not simply sold.
Not simply photographed.
Explained.
Why a place is interesting.
Why a railway line exists.
Why a city has a certain identity.
Why a landscape looks the way it does.
Why a tradition exists.
Why one region works differently from another.
Why certain deals are worth considering.
That is the entire logic behind Swiss Explained.
SwissExplained.com and Train.SwissExplained.com: two complementary platforms
Remember these two addresses:
to discover Switzerland as a whole.
And:
to explore the railway world in much greater depth and discover Switzerland through its trains.
The two platforms complement each other.
The same trip can begin on SwissExplained.com, continue on Train Swiss Explained, and end in front of a hiking trail, a lake, a mountain or a great meal.
That is exactly the ecosystem we want to build.
Swiss Explained: tips, guides and best deals
Three words summarize our approach especially well.
Tips.
Practical advice.
Guides.
Detailed resources designed to help you understand and discover.
Deals.
Great offers and useful opportunities.
That is why our slogan is:
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
And we intend to take it seriously.
Come back regularly to SwissExplained.com
Swiss Explained is a living project.
New content will regularly be added.
A new hike today.
A hotel tomorrow.
A railway report next.
A historical analysis.
A recommendation.
A deal.
A city.
A restaurant.
A video.
A landscape.
A current topic.
An unexpected discovery.
There will always be something more to add.
Because even a small country can produce a gigantic number of stories.
Share Swiss Explained
Do you know someone planning a trip to Switzerland?
Send them SwissExplained.com.
Do you know someone who loves trains?
Show them train.swissexplained.com.
Do you know someone who lives in Switzerland but constantly complains that they never know what to do at the weekend?
You now know what to send them too. 😄
The more Swiss Explained grows, the more places we will be able to test, regions we will be able to discover, videos we will be able to produce, guides we will be able to create and great deals we will be able to share.
Our goal: build a huge modern and practical encyclopedia of Switzerland
In the long term, our ambition is big.
We want SwissExplained.com to become one of those websites you naturally open whenever you have a question about Switzerland.
What should I visit?
What should I do?
Where should I go?
How do I get there?
Which hike should I choose?
Which train should I take?
Where should I stay?
What should I eat?
What should I understand?
What should I avoid?
What is the history of this place?
What is happening in this region?
Is there a better alternative?
We want to gradually answer all of these questions.
Not in a few weeks.
But article after article.
Video after video.
Photo after photo.
Guide after guide.
Swiss Explained: Switzerland as we actually experience it
In the end, that is probably the best way to summarize the project.
We want to show Switzerland as we know it.
A beautiful Switzerland, obviously.
But also a real Switzerland.
With its qualities.
Its contradictions.
Its extraordinary places.
Its occasional absurdities.
Its sometimes impressive prices.
Its landscapes that usually make up for them.
Its trains.
Its mountains.
Its cities.
Its lakes.
Its restaurants.
Its hotels.
Its stories.
And above all, its thousands of things waiting to be discovered.
Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
You now know what Swiss Explained is.
A media platform.
A blog.
A guide.
A discovery platform.
A space dedicated to travel in Switzerland.
A collection of recommendations.
A library of great deals.
A source of analyses.
A place to discover photos and videos.
A gateway to Swiss landscapes.
A guide for preparing your hikes.
A source of ideas for your weekends.
A place to understand Swiss history and geopolitics.
A partner of Train Swiss Explained for exploring the Swiss railway world.
And above all, a project that will continue to grow.
So add SwissExplained.com to your favourites.
Come back regularly.
Explore the latest articles.
Discover the videos.
Read our recommendations.
Travel through Switzerland with us.
And when you want to go even deeper into the railway world, visit train.swissexplained.com.
You can also follow our video content on YouTube with @SwitzerlandExplained.
Welcome to Swiss Explained.
Welcome to SwissExplained.com.
And remember our mission:
Swiss Explained — Understand Switzerland Quickly! Tips, Guides & Best Swiss Deals.
Switzerland may look small on a map.
But once you really start exploring it…
you quickly discover that there is a lot to explain. 🇨🇭