Hidden gems of Central Switzerland: 12 places the locals love
Many a «hidden gem» list names places that have had their own souvenir shop for years. This list was put together by the editorial team of a regional magazine in canton Schwyz. It names places we would send friends to, but not coach parties. All twelve can be reached within about ninety minutes from Lucerne or Zurich, and several of them stay quiet even in August. Please leave these places as you found them, so that they stay quiet and beautiful for the next guests too.
1. Glattalp, the cold basin with the fine summer
A tiny cable car takes you from the Bisistal up into the karst basin where the lowest temperature ever measured in Switzerland was reached (about −52 °C). In summer a walk around the turquoise lake awaits you there, with marmots, a mountain inn and a great deal of quiet. More on this: Glattalp: the coldest place in Switzerland and how to visit it.
2. Bödmerenwald, the spruce primeval forest
On the Pragel heights above Muotathal grows one of the largest spruce primeval forests in the Alps. It has never been felled; its trees are gnarled and so thickly mossed that they might have come out of a legend. Anyone walking here on a foggy morning soon forgets the time. More about the valley: The Muotatal.
3. Wägitalersee, the quiet lake near Zurich
The water of the Wägitalersee shimmers green as in a fjord. A flat circuit of 9 km leads around the lake, and you can swim from the meadow shores. On quiet mornings the mountains are mirrored in the water. Yet the lake lies only about an hour from Zurich HB and appears in hardly any foreign guidebook. More on this: Bisistal and Wägital.
4. Rigi Scheidegg, the quiet side of the Rigi
The view is as wide as on the rest of the Rigi, yet only about five per cent of the visitors come here. The small railway from Kräbel leads onto the gentle eastern shoulder of the massif. The Scheidegg is linked with Kaltbad by the level panorama path along the old railway line. That way you get to know the famous mountain from its quiet side. Walking ideas are in the article Hikes on the Rigi.
5. Gersau, the former republic by the lake
For centuries this village by the lake was a sovereign republic in miniature. Today Gersau is a sunny place at the foot of the Rigi where palms really do grow along the shore. It has a fine lakeside promenade, a car ferry across the water and the wild Hochflue at its back. The tour up the Hochflue: Steep climb from Gersau up the Rigi Hochflue.
6. Hölloch, 210 kilometres of cave beneath the meadows
Many people know the Swiss summits, but few know that the longest cave in the country runs beneath a farming valley near Schwyz. Guided tours range from an easy round to an expedition. Everything about a visit: Hölloch: inside one of Europe's largest cave systems.
7. Lauerzersee, the warm little lake with the island
Between Schwyz and Goldau lies a shallow, reed-fringed lake that warms up quickly in summer. In it lies the small island of Schwanau with a ruined castle, a chapel and a restaurant, reached by boat. Behind it rise the Mythen, a fine subject for photographs.
8. Ibergeregg, the pass with a view
The high road between Schwyz and Einsiedeln passes at its highest point through a moorland landscape with an open view of the Mythen. In summer panoramic high-level paths start here; in winter the area is good terrain for snowshoe walks. Afterwards you can warm up and eat at the pass restaurant.
9. Illgau and the three-cableway tour
This easy walk from our tour portal links the gondola up to the Rotenflue with two tiny village cableways around sunny Illgau above the Muotatal. In between lie 7.6 kilometres on paths across terraces. The little cableways also serve as school buses. That shows nicely how naturally cableways belong to everyday life here. All the details: From the Rotenflue over the Ibergeregg to Illgau.
10. Alpthal and Brunni, the valley behind Einsiedeln
Where pilgrims once travelled, a dead-end valley leads through meadows to Brunni, below the back side of the Mythen. Here you will find paths for families, small alpine inns and a quieter starting point for the climb up the Grosser Mythen. More on this: Grosser Mythen.
11. The terrace of Morschach in the evening
Morschach is not unknown, but in the evening the village is often underrated. When the day visitors have gone back down, the terrace village above Brunnen keeps the wide view over the lake until sunset. Everyone who stays a little longer can enjoy it. More about the area: Brunnen on Lake Lucerne.
12. The Muotatal, a valley with a character of its own
Weather prophets, the natural yodel, husky treks and Suvorov's crossing of the Alps in 1799 shape this valley. It lies only twenty minutes from the lake and has kept much of its own nature without putting on a show for visitors. Our detailed article: The Muotatal.
Building hidden gems into a journey
Rather than ticking off all twelve places in a short time, it is worth combining two or three of them with the well-known destinations. Good pairings are the Stoos and Illgau, the Rigi with the Scheidegg and Gersau, Einsiedeln and the Alpthal, and the Hölloch with the Bödmerenwald and the Glattalp. How such detours fit into a three-day journey is shown in our suggestion: Central Switzerland itinerary. The buses into the quiet valleys do not run often. Check the return journeys, therefore, before you lose yourself too long in the calm.
Frequently asked questions
What are the real hidden gems of Central Switzerland? Our list is headed by the high, quiet corners of canton Schwyz, above all the Glattalp, the Bödmerenwald, the Wägitalersee, Rigi Scheidegg and the Muotatal.
Are the places reachable without a car? Yes, all twelve can be reached by public transport. For several of them the journey is even part of the experience, for instance the cableways of Illgau or the Rütli boats.
When is it quietest? In June and in September and October the lifts and inns are running, but far fewer guests are about than at the height of summer. It is quieter still on weekday mornings, because most day trippers come at the weekend and set off later in the day.
Do hidden gems suit families? Several suit them very well. The Lauerzersee, the Sattel side, the three-cableway tour from Illgau and the Alpthal all work well for families with children of any age.
