The SPLT Journal

Switzerland, region by region

Notes on the most beautiful corners of the country and the best things to see in each, from the vineyard terraces of Lavaux to the peak of the Matterhorn. Written for travellers who would rather take the scenic road.

Terraced vineyards of Lavaux descending to Lake Geneva with the Alps beyond

Lake Geneva · 6 min read

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces: A Slow Afternoon Above Lake Geneva

A UNESCO World Heritage landscape of stone terraces, open cellars, and lake views stretching from Lausanne to Montreux. Here is how to see it well.

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The castle and village of Gruyères on a green hill in the Fribourg countryside

Fribourg pre-Alps · 6 min read

Gruyères: A Medieval Village, a Castle, and the Cheese That Named It

A car-free hilltop town in the Fribourg pre-Alps, home to a thousand-year-old castle, a working cheese dairy, and some of the best rolling countryside in Switzerland.

The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau seen across Lake Thun from Interlaken

Bernese Oberland · 7 min read

Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region: Where the High Alps Begin

Two lakes, three of the most famous peaks in the Alps, and the gateway town between them. A guide to the most iconic mountain landscape in Switzerland.

Mount Pilatus rising above Lake Lucerne and the city waterfront

Central Switzerland · 6 min read

Lucerne and Mount Pilatus: A Lake, a Wooden Bridge, and a Dragon Mountain

Central Switzerland's most beautiful city, its medieval covered bridge, and the sheer peak of Pilatus rising straight from the lakeshore.

The Matterhorn reflected in an alpine lake near Zermatt, framed by larches

Valais · 7 min read

Zermatt and the Matterhorn: Switzerland's Most Famous Mountain

A car-free alpine village beneath the most recognisable peak on earth, reached by mountain railway and surrounded by some of the finest high-alpine scenery in Europe.

The view from Mount Rigi over Lake Lucerne and the surrounding Alps

Central Switzerland · 6 min read

The Swiss Lakes and Mount Rigi: The Queen of the Mountains

A gentle summit at the heart of central Switzerland, ringed by lakes and reached by Europe's first mountain railway, with one of the widest panoramas in the country.