Sports in Switzerland
The destination sections in this guide are full of specific details on local ski trails, hiking trails, boating, fishing, and more. But here we’ve assembled a roundup of sports highlights—some of the very best ways to get outdoors and enjoy Switzerland’s magnificent scenery. Most activities can be enjoyed independently, but if you like to have someone else sweat the details, we’ve also listed some of the region’s best outfitters.
Biking
Cycling is a great way to experience the Swiss countryside and get around within its cities, most of which are very bike-friendly—Zurich will even rent you a bike for free, against a 20CHF deposit. Otherwise, you can usually rent a bike for a small fee at a given town’s railroad station and return it at another. In addition, bikes can be transported on passenger trains for a nominal fee. You should reserve your bike a day or so in advance at the station from which you plan to start.
Switzerland’s tourism website provides a list of “Swiss Bike Hotels,” all of which are located close to road or mountain biking routes and supply would-be cyclists with bike storage, air for their tires, and equipment rental. Many four- and five-star hotels provide visitors with free bikes (or even e-bikes, the best option for navigating Switzerland’s hillier towns and villages).
You can view a list of official cross-country cycling routes on the Swiss tourism website, www.myswitzerland.com; you’ll also find no shortage of online tour providers, from Eurobike to Bike Switzerland, willing to guide you around.
Curling, Hockey & Skating
You might only know it from the Winter Olympics, but that game with the stones and the brushes is a hot team sport in Switzerland, particularly popular in Davos, Villars, Gstaad, and Zermatt.
Ice hockey is also huge—especially in Davos, home of the Spengler Cup and the impressive Valliant Arena—but the Swiss national team has a notoriously poor track record compared to the likes of Sweden and Finland. It’s only won two Olympic medals, both bronze, the most recent of which was in 1948.
Likewise, Switzerland has produced few famous figure skaters, but ice skating is one of the country’s most popular winter pastimes, and every resort town has at least one natural or artificial rink. The best, again, is in Davos.
Fishing
In this relatively small country, there are at least 32,000km (20,000 miles) of rivers and streams, as well as 1,349 sq. km (526 sq. miles) of lakes. These waters are situated at heights between 210m and 1,965m (689–6,445 ft.) above sea level, and vary in configuration and fauna as much as in altitude. Such a wide choice of conditions presents anglers with a fascinating range of challenges. For those who know how to adapt themselves, there is excellent sport in store. With few exceptions, fly-fishing, spinning, and ground fishing, with natural or artificial bait, are permitted in most waters. Trout can be found in lakes and rivers up to altitudes of 1,800m (5,904 ft.), and lake trout have been known to weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb.). You need a license to fish, but they’re easily acquired through municipal authorities, beginning at 50CHF per day. Regulations vary from place to place, so to be sure you’re legal; inquire at a hotel or local tourist office.
Golf
There are more than 30 golf courses in Switzerland, 24 of them with 18 holes. Not a lot for a whole country, you may think, but they’re located so strategically that, wherever you happen to be, you’re likely to find a course nearby. They even cover all altitudes: The lowest course is in Ascona, which lies a mere 210m (689 ft.) above sea level, while the highest are in St. Moritz, at 1,692m (5,550 ft.), and Riederalp, at 1,920m (6,297 ft.). All the local clubs cater to visitors, who have the advantage of being able to play on weekdays while the locals earn their daily bread. If you left your clubs at home, a set can be rented locally. Should you want to improve your swing, pros are available, too. For more information, contact the Swiss Golf Association (www.swissgolf.ch). Another tool is the website of the Swiss Golf Network (www.swissgolfnetwork.ch), which includes information on all major golf courses in Switzerland.
Hiking
With 48,000km (29,760 miles) of well-marked, well-maintained walking paths, Switzerland is a Valhalla for hikers. The trails lead through valleys, over lowlands, up hills to meadows, and into the heart of the Alps. Whether you choose a gentle walk or a rigorous trek, you’re sure to see miles and miles of unspoiled beauty.
Paths are graded by difficulty: a simple yellow sign for an easy stroll, a red stripe for an intermediate-level mountain excursion, and a blue one for a challenging alpine route. Most of these are closed off when it snows, replaced by pink arrows that mark groomed winter hiking trails. All signs tell you approximately how long the hike will take, erring on the slow side. When you pass another hiker, etiquette is to nod and say “Grüezi” (the all-purpose Swiss-German form of greeting, pronounced “grootsy”). To truly fit in, do this at the last possible minute, minimizing opportunity for awkward small talk.
Many hotels offer walking or hiking excursions, with a serious tour possibly entailing 4 to 7 hours of hiking each day. You can also opt for a multi-day trek through the Alps, staying overnight at a series of mountain huts that offer simple, clean accommodation and sell food, beer, and schnapps.
Topographic maps, hiking maps, and books can be ordered online or found at your nearest bookstore. These include Walking Switzerland—The Swiss Way, which describes numerous hikes and a selection of inn-to-inn tours in the mountain areas. Also of interest is 100 Hikes in the Alps, containing an interesting section on Switzerland. Walking Easy in the Swiss Alps is a 192-page book featuring day walks in six alpine villages, including Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Champex, Kandersteg, Lauterbrunnen, and Samedan/St. Moritz.
A specialist in walking and hiking tours is Mountain Travel Sobek (www.mtsobek.com; tel. 888/687-6235). You can wander with this U.S.-based adventure company across all of Switzerland, from alpine mountains of the Bernese Oberland to lakeside vistas in Ticino. Most nights are spent in old-fashioned hotels or hikers’ lodges, with at least 1 night in an alpine refuge. Hikes are ranked as easy, moderate, or strenuous; one of the most challenging tours, the “Mount Blanc Circuit” is a 12-day hike that covers parts of Switzerland, Italy, and France. Backroads (www.backroads.com; tel. 800/462-2848) also leads several guided weeklong Alpine treks, as well as a combination hiking-cycling-kayaking trip through the Bernese Oberland.
Join the Club
Recognizing the allures (and the very real dangers) of climbing up the rocky crags that dot the surface of Switzerland, the 150,000-member Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), founded in 1863, promotes hiking, mountaineering, and ski tours in the high Alps. Although its primary function is to organize alpine rescue services, it also lobbies politically to protect alpine ecology. Working closely with equivalent associations in Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, the club has built mountain huts at strategic spots throughout the country, often hauling in building supplies by helicopter during the short summer season when construction is possible. The huts are modest, with bunk rooms sleeping 10 to 20 people. If you’re a member of the club, you can reserve a night’s lodging (without food) for as little as 26CHF per person. With breakfast and dinner included, this comes to about 50 to 80CHF, still a bargain compared to Swiss hostels and hotels.
Applicants for membership in the club must be at least 10 years of age and should apply to whichever branch of the club interests them the most. (Membership in any regional club grants the right to discounted accommodations at huts throughout the country.) To learn more, contact the organization’s headquarters in Bern (www.sac-cas.ch; tel. 031/370-18-18). If you’re looking for a particularly active regional branch, consider joining the group in Zermatt. Membership fees range from 75CHF to 130CHF, depending on the individual branch you join. Membership includes a subscription to the organization’s German- or French-language magazine, Die Alpen, and the above-mentioned discounted accommodations at the mountain shelters maintained by the club.
The organization is affiliated with mountain-climbing schools throughout the country Guides that are accredited by the Swiss Alpine Club are available at many other resorts as well, and usually remain in close contact with the staffs at the local tourist offices.
Skiing
Skiing in Switzerland, a tradition that goes back 200 years, is big business—an estimated 40 percent of the tourist dollar is spent on it. The country’s 200-plus ski resorts boast some 1,700 mountain railways and ski lifts, plus an army of ski instructors, and a plethora of shops that rent or sell some of the best ski equipment in the world. Most slopes are nothing short of spectacular, as are the facilities, which cater to every type of skier from the beginner to the Olympic champion.
Switzerland’s high prices have led to competition from resorts in Austria and even Italy, but if you’re serious about skiing, the Swiss Alps should be on your bucket list. Lift tickets are actually cheap compared to the U.S., and even cheaper with early-bird and hotel package deals like those found in St. Moritz and Arosa-Lenzerheide—so with careful accommodation planning and few meals out, you won’t have to spend your entire savings on a ski holiday here.
The main ski season runs from Christmas to late March, although at the very highest resorts, the season begins around mid-December and ends around Easter. (At Zermatt’s Klein Matterhorn, skiing can even continue through the summer.) Even at some of the resorts at lower elevations, ski season might begin before Christmas if there are suitable weather conditions and snow is adequate. January and February are the peak months, during which reservations are the most difficult to come by.
Resorts’ tourist offices will offer maps depicting the various slopes, but it’s also worth bookmarking their websites, which will tell you which trails are open or closed in real time. (From mid-December through March, you can also get information on conditions in major Swiss ski areas by linking up with the Switzerland Tourism Office’s snow report at www.myswitzerland.com.) A color scheme signals each piste’s difficulty: blue for beginner, red for intermediate, black for advanced. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the resort’s signs before hitting the slopes. Obviously, avalanche zones are particularly important to learn.
The Swiss Ski and Snowboard School is the most famous institution of its kind in Europe. Federally run, it provides on-site instruction for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers of all ages. The majority of instructors speak English. Most of these ski schools—found at all major resorts—reduce their charges for five half-day classes. However, all-day classes are usually recommended. Check with the tourist office in the regions you visit for information about local branches of the school.
Experienced skiers may wish to take a popular spring ski tour, the Haute Route, which crosses the French Alps into Switzerland. It’s a weeklong tour that is usually offered between March and May. Led by a professional guide, skiers stop overnight and for noon rests at cabins maintained by the Swiss Alpine Club (see the box above for more information on this club).
Snowboarding
Every Swiss ski resort offers snowboarding as well, but the one region that’s truly dedicated to it is Laax-Flims in the western part of Graubünden. Not mentioned in the section, it’s popular with a barely-legal crowd of international rich kids, who stay in hotels equipped with turntables and PlayStations. Slightly older boarders head to the Jakobshorn in Davos, which offers ideal slope conditions, snowboard schools, and a snowboard hotel.
Sledding
Skiing might be Switzerland’s top winter draw, but sledding is its homegrown snow sport. The wooden “Davos sledge” was invented here in the 19th century, and kids and adults alike still use it to glide down specially prepared toboggan tracks all over the country. Switzerland is also home to the world’s oldest bobsled track, St. Moritz’s Olympia Bob Run, which well-heeled visitors can experience by booking a 269CHF, 75-second “taxi” ride.
For Nonskiers
The number of nonskiers at ski resorts is growing—to as many as one out of two winter guests, in towns like St. Moritz, Gstaad, and Davos. From sunbathing on mountain terraces to day hikes in the forest, sleigh rides to sightseeing excursions, these resorts offer plenty of alternatives for the slope-averse. And of course, you don’t have to ski to enjoy the après-ski party scene. This usually involves hot spiked drinks and boisterous sing-alongs to wacky German-language pop hits, although the classier spots serve cocktails and import DJs from Zurich and Ibiza.
Spa Vacations
Before the alpine sports deluge, tourists went to Switzerland to convalesce—either by breathing in the fresh high-altitude air, or by soaking in the country’s thermal springs, many of which have been bathing destinations since the Roman days. Today, dozens of spa resorts across the country keep the tradition alive. The maladies that visitors come to heal from are less life-threatening and more existential than in years past, but you can still go the medical route at clinics like Lake Geneva’s Clinique La Prairie, where visitors shell out over 20,000CHF a week for a “revitalizing” treatment involving lamb fetus extract.
Then again, there’s something to be said for good old-fashioned “taking the waters.” St. Moritz is Switzerland’s historic spa central: The mineral springs in the lower part of town, St. Moritz-Bad, have been famous for thousands of years, and factor prominently into treatments at the Ovavera pool and spa complex as well as the nearby Kempinski hotel. But the best thermal spa we tried was in the underrated town of Scuol a few hours away, where bathrobe-clad guests bathe in a maze of indoor and outdoor pools and drink from fountains fed by iron-rich, naturally bubbly underground streams.
Even if you’re not near a spring, chances are you’re not far from a spa. Swiss hotels pride themselves on their superior “wellness” facilities, complete with Jacuzzis, saunas, steam rooms, expert treatments, and that curious German foot circulation pool called a “Kneipp path.” Saunas in Switzerland are traditionally “textile-free,” although demure guests are allowed to cover their nether regions with a towel. That said, as the proportion of Middle Eastern guests at luxury hotels increases, some of their wellness areas have gone from mandatory nudity to a “clothing optional” or “swimsuits required” policy; be sure to check the signs before stripping down (or not).
The nicer spas will offer an “Aufguss” (infusion) at certain times—this is a peculiar Teutonic ritual in which a staff member pours therapeutically perfumed water (or melts perfumed ice) over the sauna’s oven, releasing scented steam that they then fan over you with a theatrically wielded towel. If you partake, there are certain unspoken rules you ought to follow: Stay silent throughout the 10-minute duration, try not to leave the room no matter how toasty it gets, and be sure to applaud your Aufgussmeister afterwards.
Hornussen, Schwingen & Steinstossen
For the majority of the Swiss, the sport of choice is walking, followed by swimming, and, only then, skiing. However, there are a few uniquely Swiss sports as well: Hornussen, Schwingen, and Steinstossen. And while these sports may not be included in the Olympics, they do call for a certain amount of athletic prowess.
One of Switzerland’s greatest writers, Jeremias Gotthelf, praised Hornuss in 1840, writing, “There is not any game which calls for as much strength, agility, and coordination between hand, foot, and eye.’” The sport was first practiced in the 17th century and stems from war games that had the objective of avoiding projectiles sent flying in the air. Today, Hornuss can be most accurately described as a cross between baseball and golf. “Batters” on one team use a stick with a wooden block at the end to whack a heavy puck towards the opposing team, who must try and stop the flying disk with heavy wooden paddles. The game’s name, German for “hornet,” comes from the buzzing sound the disks makes as it flies through the air.
In the wrestling game Schwingen, strength counts above all. Two wrestlers, or Schwinger, face each other in the middle of a pit with the goal of grabbing the adversary’s oversize shorts, to unbalance him, and bringing both his shoulders down to touch the ground. This sport of attack and defense was once a training technique for soldiers preparing for war.
You can witness both of these national sports, plus the stone-hurling strength competition known as Steinstossen, at the Eidgenössisches Schwing- und Älperfest, held every 3 years in a different location around Switzerland. Over 50,000 spectators witness the games, with over three times as many coming for the raucous festival that follows.
