The Atlas Obscura Guide To Switzerland

164 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Switzerland

Updated October 4, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Switzerland

View of the museum bar

Gruyères, Switzerland

H.R. Giger Museum

The bizarre visions of H.R. Giger, tucked away in a Swiss medieval city.

Berggasthaus Aescher Wildkirchli

Wasserauen, Switzerland

Berggasthaus Aescher Wildkirchli

This 170-year-old Swiss guesthouse built into the side of a mountain is best accessed by a cable car.

Saut de Brot

Boudry, Switzerland

Saut de Brot

This lovely little bridge hidden in a Switzerland gorge is essentially a fairytale.

Hammetschwand Elevator

Ennetbürgen, Switzerland

Hammetschwand Elevator

The tallest outdoor elevator in Europe rockets passengers on a dizzyingly precarious ride to the top of a mountain.

Beautiful Cave Entrance

Beatenberg, Switzerland

St. Beatus Cave

Caves famous for the dragon-slaying saint who lived there.

Trift Bridge

Gadmen, Switzerland

Trift Bridge

This amazing pedestrian suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps would give Indiana Jones nightmares.

The child eater

Bern, Switzerland

The Child Eater of Bern

A nearly 500-year-old sculpture depicts a man eating a sack of babies, and no one is sure why.

Neuheim, Switzerland

Höllgrotten Caves

These spooky and unusual stone formations create an underworldly landscape.

See All 164 Things To Do in Switzerland

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland

Oepfelchammer

A 200-year-old tavern challenges guests to finish a glass of wine while hanging from a ceiling beam.

Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Schilthorn Piz Gloria

A cablecar-station-turned-revolving restaurant with 360-degree views of the Swiss skyline.

Zurich, Switzerland

Haus Hiltl

Featuring a meatless buffet fit for kings, this family-owned Zurich eatery is considered the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the West.

Kaltbach, Switzerland

Kaltbach Cave

A 22-million-year-old sandstone cave is a natural habitat for award-winning cheese.

See all 8 Places to Eat in Switzerland

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Switzerland

Museums 31

Architecture 19

Art 16

Mountains 12

Architectural Oddities 11

Literature 9

Statues 9

History 8

Water 8

Fountains 7

Bridges 7

Science 7

Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

Places To Stay 4

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has been to L’horloge Fleurie (The Flower Clock)
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wants to go to Museum Tinguely

Stories About Switzerland

The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln inspired tiny, edible imitations.

Why Swiss Christians Once Nibbled on the Mother of Christ

Schabmadonnen are part of a long tradition of edible relics.

by Emma Cieslik

September 4, 2024

Naughty cartographers with too much time on their hands.

Swiss Maps Are Full of Hidden Secrets

Find the Easter eggs—or the naked lady.

by Frank Jacobs

February 23, 2024

This forged Paraguayan passport was one of thousands that helped spare Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

The Master Forgers Who Saved Thousands of Lives During World War II

From the Polish embassy in Switzerland came a campaign that spared many from Nazi extermination.

by Nina Strochlic

December 4, 2023

This ancient dodecahedron found in Avenches, Switzerland, once the Roman city of Aventicum.

The Mysterious Dodecahedrons of the Roman Empire

The first of many of these puzzling objects was unearthed almost three centuries ago, and we still don't know what they were for.

by Frank Jacobs

However long this snowman effigy, known as the Bӧӧgg, takes to burn will determine the remaining length of winter.

To Banish Winter in This Tiny Wisconsin Town, Burn a Swiss Snowman

The burning of the Bӧӧgg is like a fiery version of Groundhog’s Day, but with fireworks and sausages.

Whey bathing at Berglialp in Switzerland.

The Return of Swiss Cheese Baths

Melting into a tub of whey has a long history in the Alps.

by Oriana Pauli

Mithraeum elements included a tauroctony, or depiction of Mithras sacrificing a bull.

An Ancient Roman Cult's Rituals Included Feasting, Fire, and Floor Cleaning

To uncover new clues about the secretive world of Mithraism, scientists considered evidence right at their feet.

by Nathaniel Scharping

Luge, in this case two-man, was first introduced to the Winter Olympics in 1964 in Innsbruck, Austria.

How in the World Did Luge Happen?

The secret of the slide, from ancient Germanic tribes to tony Alpine resorts.

by Dan Nosowitz

February 14, 2022

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