A heady mix of art, culture, food, and exhilarating Alpine activities, get ready to explore Switzerland. Tailor your vacation to your tastes by hiking the national park, gazing across Lake Geneva, or skiing in the Alps. Or, just sit back in a trendsetting café after an afternoon of taking in architecture and artistry in Zurich.

For a touch of Alpine luxury, visit Switzerland’s mountain villages. Vals offers lush valleys set against grand mountains. Hike or ski to take in stunning views, then visit the thermal baths to soak and relax. Grindelwald, a picturesque village nestled in the foot of the Bernese Alps has world-famous ski slopes such as Eiger and Kleine Sheidegg. Melchsee Frutt, a village that borders Lake Melchsee, offers fantastic views of the peaceful surroundings. Gstaad is frequented by high society and international jet setters. Fairytale castles like the one in Gruyères lie in wait on picturesque cobbled streets or on the shores of Zurich lake. Rapperswil Castle towers above a quintessential Swiss town and home to the area's oldest vineyard.

Popular with city and culture lovers alike, Zurich is full of exciting things to see and do. Marvel at 13th-century architecture such as the Fraumunster, a church that features some of the most beautiful stained-glass windows in the world. Be sure to stop and take in the rose window at the northern transept of the building, created by Augosto Giacometti in 1945. The green-fingered will delight in Sukkulenten-Sammlung, home to more than 4,000 species of succulents. For more of Zurich's natural beauty, the city's botanical garden showcases indigenous flowers and trees.