See the monuments around you in AROpen chests in the app
Around Us is built for your phone — point your camera at the streets and discover the monuments and places around you in augmented reality.Around Us is built for your phone — chests unlock when you walk, explore and capture nearby places.
Swiss villages where the buildings tell the stories and the seasons pass according to local traditions.
Switzerland has villages where history is on every building and traditions still shape daily life. This selection of 20 villages gives an overview of different regional styles: medieval towns high in the Alps, villages with terraced vineyards, and mountain communities where houses show signs of the past. Some are recognized by the association The Most Beautiful Villages of Switzerland, which highlights their history, landscape, building harmony, respect for nature, and local products.
These villages show how people live in the mountains, in the valleys, or by the water. Each has its own character: in Gruyères, the old castle looks over the roofs; in Saint-Saphorin, the terraced vineyards go down to Lake Geneva; in Bosco Gurin, the alpine buildings tell a different story. The cobbled streets, fountains, old churches, and wooden houses create places where time feels different.
Walking through these villages helps you understand how Swiss regions vary from one to another. It also shows why some people choose to stay and keep their special way of life.
Swiss villages where the buildings tell the stories and the seasons pass according to local traditions.
Switzerland has villages where history is on every building and traditions still shape daily life. This selection of 20 villages gives an overview of different regional styles: medieval towns high in the Alps, villages with terraced vineyards, and mountain communities where houses show signs of the past. Some are recognized by the association The Most Beautiful Villages of Switzerland, which highlights their history, landscape, building harmony, respect for nature, and local products.
These villages show how people live in the mountains, in the valleys, or by the water. Each has its own character: in Gruyères, the old castle looks over the roofs; in Saint-Saphorin, the terraced vineyards go down to Lake Geneva; in Bosco Gurin, the alpine buildings tell a different story. The cobbled streets, fountains, old churches, and wooden houses create places where time feels different.
Walking through these villages helps you understand how Swiss regions vary from one to another. It also shows why some people choose to stay and keep their special way of life.
Gruyères sits on a hilltop in the canton of Fribourg, surrounded by pre-Alpine hills. The medieval castle stands above the village rooftops and can be seen from far away. Cobbled lanes run past old stone houses and fountains. Gruyère cheese has been made in this region for centuries and remains central to local life. The village also houses the HR Giger Museum, dedicated to the Swiss artist known for his surreal, otherworldly imagery.
Morcote sits on the shore of Lake Lugano in the canton of Ticino. Once a fishing village, it still has its narrow lanes, old arcades and the hillside church of Santa Maria del Sasso. The architecture and the lakeside setting give it a feel closer to northern Italy than the Swiss Alps. In 2016, it was named the most beautiful village in Switzerland.
Guarda sits in the Lower Engadine valley in Graubünden. The village is known for its houses covered in sgraffito decorations, a technique where patterns are scratched into the plaster to reveal a contrasting layer beneath. Walking through the cobbled lanes, you notice painted facades, stone fountains, and inscriptions in Romansh. The village has changed little over the centuries and gives a clear sense of what traditional Engadine life looked like.
Stein am Rhein sits on the banks of the Rhine and is home to one of the most complete medieval town centers in Switzerland. The half-timbered houses around the town hall square are covered in painted scenes that date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Walking through the old town feels like stepping into another era. Above it all, Hohenklingen Castle watches over the rooftops and the river below.
Saint-Ursanne sits in a wooded gorge in the canton of Jura and is one of Switzerland's best-preserved medieval towns. Walking through its old stone gates, you enter narrow streets lined with stone houses. The collegiate church at the center dates back to the Middle Ages, and the Doubs river flows at the foot of the old walls. The town has kept its character for centuries.
Evolène sits in the Val d'Hérens, one of the more remote valleys in the canton of Valais. The village has kept its character without putting it on display. The dark wooden houses, weathered by time, still stand much as they have for generations. During festivals, some women still wear traditional costumes, which is rare in the Swiss Alps today. The valley carnival is a genuine local event, driven by the village itself rather than by outside interest. Walking through the lanes here gives the impression of a place that knows its own pace and holds onto it.
Grimentz sits in the Anniviers Valley in the canton of Valais. The old wooden chalets here have been darkened by decades of sun, and their balconies are covered with geraniums. Walking through the narrow lanes, you pass stone fountains and old facades that have barely changed over the centuries. The village is a good example of how alpine building traditions have survived in daily life in the Swiss mountains.
Soglio sits on a natural ledge in the Bregaglia Valley, with views over the valley floor and the peaks that close the horizon. The stone houses, narrow lanes and old church give the village a sense of permanence. It belongs to the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Walking through it feels like stepping into a place that has changed little over centuries.
Saint-Saphorin sits on the slopes of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva. The village has narrow lanes, old stone houses, and an uninterrupted view over the water. The vines run down the hillside in rows, and life here has long been shaped by wine growing. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how the landscape and the built environment have grown together over centuries.
Romainmôtier is a small village in the canton of Vaud, built around one of the oldest Romanesque abbey churches in Switzerland. The church dates back to the 5th century and still shapes the look of the village today. The streets are narrow, the houses old, and the pace of life feels slow and contained. Walking through the village, you sense how deeply this place has been shaped by its religious past.
Saillon is a medieval hilltop town in the Valais region, surrounded by vineyards. Its cobbled lanes, arched passageways, and old ramparts speak of a long past. A tower rises above the Rhône Valley, giving the town its distinctive silhouette. Walking through its narrow streets feels like stepping into a place where daily life has changed very little over the centuries.
Rougemont is a village in the Pays-d'Enhaut region, easy to recognize by its wooden chalets covered with hand-carved and painted decorations passed down through generations. The church at the center of the village dates back to the 11th century and anchors the whole place. Walking through the streets, you get a sense of how closely daily life here has always been tied to the mountains and to local craftsmanship.
Rossinière is a village in the canton of Vaud, known for its large old wooden houses. The most famous is the Grand Chalet, built in the 18th century, with a long facade covered in windows and hand-carved details. The houses sit in open meadows, making Rossinière a good example of pre-Alpine rural life. Walking through the village, you notice an architecture that has shaped the identity of the Pays-d'Enhaut region for generations.
Grandvillard sits in the Gruyère valley, in the canton of Fribourg, in a region known for its cheese and farming traditions. Old wooden farmhouses line the roads, their dark facades showing their age without apology. The surrounding hills are green and rolling, and the pace of life here is slow and steady. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how mountain communities have lived for generations.
Ernen is a village in the upper Goms valley, in Valais, that served as the main hub of this mountain region for centuries. Walking through its streets, you notice old wooden houses, a cobbled central square, and a church dating back to the 16th century. Every summer, a music festival fills its old buildings with concerts, drawing visitors from beyond the valley.
Bosco Gurin is the highest village in the canton of Ticino. It was founded by Walser people, a group who came from the German-speaking Alpine regions. That origin is still easy to see today: the stone and wood houses follow a building style more typical of the central Alps than of Ticino. The villagers still speak an old German dialect, which sets Bosco Gurin apart from every other village in the region.
Giornico sits in the Leventina valley in the canton of Ticino, with the Ticino River running through it. The village has several Romanesque churches, including the San Nicolao church from the 12th century, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Switzerland. Stone bridges cross the river, and the narrow lanes are lined with traditional stone houses. Giornico is a member of the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland.
Bergün / Bravuogn sits in the canton of Graubünden and is one of those Swiss villages where the past shows up in the details. Old houses decorated with sgraffito and painted motifs line the streets, giving the village a look that is hard to find elsewhere. The Albula railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage route, passes through here, and the local railway museum helps visitors understand what this line meant for the region. Walking through the village feels easy and unhurried.
Trogen is a village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden built around a large central square. The houses that line it were put up by wealthy merchants and show the broad facades and balanced proportions common in trading towns of the 18th and 19th centuries. Walking across the square, you get a clear sense of how prosperous this place once was. Life here is slower now, but the buildings still carry that history.
Urnäsch is a rural village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, closely tied to old Appenzell traditions. People here still wear traditional costumes during local festivals and gather for celebrations that have been passed down through generations. The surrounding hills are rolling and green, and the wooden houses give the village a grounded, familiar feel. A local museum focuses entirely on these customs, helping visitors understand why this corner of Switzerland has held on to its own way of life for so long.
Gruyères sits on a hilltop in the canton of Fribourg, surrounded by pre-Alpine hills. The medieval castle stands above the village rooftops and can be seen from far away. Cobbled lanes run past old stone houses and fountains. Gruyère cheese has been made in this region for centuries and remains central to local life. The village also houses the HR Giger Museum, dedicated to the Swiss artist known for his surreal, otherworldly imagery.
Morcote sits on the shore of Lake Lugano in the canton of Ticino. Once a fishing village, it still has its narrow lanes, old arcades and the hillside church of Santa Maria del Sasso. The architecture and the lakeside setting give it a feel closer to northern Italy than the Swiss Alps. In 2016, it was named the most beautiful village in Switzerland.
Guarda sits in the Lower Engadine valley in Graubünden. The village is known for its houses covered in sgraffito decorations, a technique where patterns are scratched into the plaster to reveal a contrasting layer beneath. Walking through the cobbled lanes, you notice painted facades, stone fountains, and inscriptions in Romansh. The village has changed little over the centuries and gives a clear sense of what traditional Engadine life looked like.
Stein am Rhein sits on the banks of the Rhine and is home to one of the most complete medieval town centers in Switzerland. The half-timbered houses around the town hall square are covered in painted scenes that date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Walking through the old town feels like stepping into another era. Above it all, Hohenklingen Castle watches over the rooftops and the river below.
Saint-Ursanne sits in a wooded gorge in the canton of Jura and is one of Switzerland's best-preserved medieval towns. Walking through its old stone gates, you enter narrow streets lined with stone houses. The collegiate church at the center dates back to the Middle Ages, and the Doubs river flows at the foot of the old walls. The town has kept its character for centuries.
Evolène sits in the Val d'Hérens, one of the more remote valleys in the canton of Valais. The village has kept its character without putting it on display. The dark wooden houses, weathered by time, still stand much as they have for generations. During festivals, some women still wear traditional costumes, which is rare in the Swiss Alps today. The valley carnival is a genuine local event, driven by the village itself rather than by outside interest. Walking through the lanes here gives the impression of a place that knows its own pace and holds onto it.
Grimentz sits in the Anniviers Valley in the canton of Valais. The old wooden chalets here have been darkened by decades of sun, and their balconies are covered with geraniums. Walking through the narrow lanes, you pass stone fountains and old facades that have barely changed over the centuries. The village is a good example of how alpine building traditions have survived in daily life in the Swiss mountains.
Soglio sits on a natural ledge in the Bregaglia Valley, with views over the valley floor and the peaks that close the horizon. The stone houses, narrow lanes and old church give the village a sense of permanence. It belongs to the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Walking through it feels like stepping into a place that has changed little over centuries.
Saint-Saphorin sits on the slopes of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva. The village has narrow lanes, old stone houses, and an uninterrupted view over the water. The vines run down the hillside in rows, and life here has long been shaped by wine growing. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how the landscape and the built environment have grown together over centuries.
Romainmôtier is a small village in the canton of Vaud, built around one of the oldest Romanesque abbey churches in Switzerland. The church dates back to the 5th century and still shapes the look of the village today. The streets are narrow, the houses old, and the pace of life feels slow and contained. Walking through the village, you sense how deeply this place has been shaped by its religious past.
Saillon is a medieval hilltop town in the Valais region, surrounded by vineyards. Its cobbled lanes, arched passageways, and old ramparts speak of a long past. A tower rises above the Rhône Valley, giving the town its distinctive silhouette. Walking through its narrow streets feels like stepping into a place where daily life has changed very little over the centuries.
Rougemont is a village in the Pays-d'Enhaut region, easy to recognize by its wooden chalets covered with hand-carved and painted decorations passed down through generations. The church at the center of the village dates back to the 11th century and anchors the whole place. Walking through the streets, you get a sense of how closely daily life here has always been tied to the mountains and to local craftsmanship.
Rossinière is a village in the canton of Vaud, known for its large old wooden houses. The most famous is the Grand Chalet, built in the 18th century, with a long facade covered in windows and hand-carved details. The houses sit in open meadows, making Rossinière a good example of pre-Alpine rural life. Walking through the village, you notice an architecture that has shaped the identity of the Pays-d'Enhaut region for generations.
Grandvillard sits in the Gruyère valley, in the canton of Fribourg, in a region known for its cheese and farming traditions. Old wooden farmhouses line the roads, their dark facades showing their age without apology. The surrounding hills are green and rolling, and the pace of life here is slow and steady. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how mountain communities have lived for generations.
Ernen is a village in the upper Goms valley, in Valais, that served as the main hub of this mountain region for centuries. Walking through its streets, you notice old wooden houses, a cobbled central square, and a church dating back to the 16th century. Every summer, a music festival fills its old buildings with concerts, drawing visitors from beyond the valley.
Bosco Gurin is the highest village in the canton of Ticino. It was founded by Walser people, a group who came from the German-speaking Alpine regions. That origin is still easy to see today: the stone and wood houses follow a building style more typical of the central Alps than of Ticino. The villagers still speak an old German dialect, which sets Bosco Gurin apart from every other village in the region.
Giornico sits in the Leventina valley in the canton of Ticino, with the Ticino River running through it. The village has several Romanesque churches, including the San Nicolao church from the 12th century, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Switzerland. Stone bridges cross the river, and the narrow lanes are lined with traditional stone houses. Giornico is a member of the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland.
Bergün / Bravuogn sits in the canton of Graubünden and is one of those Swiss villages where the past shows up in the details. Old houses decorated with sgraffito and painted motifs line the streets, giving the village a look that is hard to find elsewhere. The Albula railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage route, passes through here, and the local railway museum helps visitors understand what this line meant for the region. Walking through the village feels easy and unhurried.
Trogen is a village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden built around a large central square. The houses that line it were put up by wealthy merchants and show the broad facades and balanced proportions common in trading towns of the 18th and 19th centuries. Walking across the square, you get a clear sense of how prosperous this place once was. Life here is slower now, but the buildings still carry that history.
Urnäsch is a rural village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, closely tied to old Appenzell traditions. People here still wear traditional costumes during local festivals and gather for celebrations that have been passed down through generations. The surrounding hills are rolling and green, and the wooden houses give the village a grounded, familiar feel. A local museum focuses entirely on these customs, helping visitors understand why this corner of Switzerland has held on to its own way of life for so long.
Gruyères sits on a hilltop in the canton of Fribourg, surrounded by pre-Alpine hills. The medieval castle stands above the village rooftops and can be seen from far away. Cobbled lanes run past old stone houses and fountains. Gruyère cheese has been made in this region for centuries and remains central to local life. The village also houses the HR Giger Museum, dedicated to the Swiss artist known for his surreal, otherworldly imagery.
Morcote sits on the shore of Lake Lugano in the canton of Ticino. Once a fishing village, it still has its narrow lanes, old arcades and the hillside church of Santa Maria del Sasso. The architecture and the lakeside setting give it a feel closer to northern Italy than the Swiss Alps. In 2016, it was named the most beautiful village in Switzerland.
Guarda sits in the Lower Engadine valley in Graubünden. The village is known for its houses covered in sgraffito decorations, a technique where patterns are scratched into the plaster to reveal a contrasting layer beneath. Walking through the cobbled lanes, you notice painted facades, stone fountains, and inscriptions in Romansh. The village has changed little over the centuries and gives a clear sense of what traditional Engadine life looked like.
Stein am Rhein sits on the banks of the Rhine and is home to one of the most complete medieval town centers in Switzerland. The half-timbered houses around the town hall square are covered in painted scenes that date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Walking through the old town feels like stepping into another era. Above it all, Hohenklingen Castle watches over the rooftops and the river below.
Saint-Ursanne sits in a wooded gorge in the canton of Jura and is one of Switzerland's best-preserved medieval towns. Walking through its old stone gates, you enter narrow streets lined with stone houses. The collegiate church at the center dates back to the Middle Ages, and the Doubs river flows at the foot of the old walls. The town has kept its character for centuries.
Evolène sits in the Val d'Hérens, one of the more remote valleys in the canton of Valais. The village has kept its character without putting it on display. The dark wooden houses, weathered by time, still stand much as they have for generations. During festivals, some women still wear traditional costumes, which is rare in the Swiss Alps today. The valley carnival is a genuine local event, driven by the village itself rather than by outside interest. Walking through the lanes here gives the impression of a place that knows its own pace and holds onto it.
Grimentz sits in the Anniviers Valley in the canton of Valais. The old wooden chalets here have been darkened by decades of sun, and their balconies are covered with geraniums. Walking through the narrow lanes, you pass stone fountains and old facades that have barely changed over the centuries. The village is a good example of how alpine building traditions have survived in daily life in the Swiss mountains.
Soglio sits on a natural ledge in the Bregaglia Valley, with views over the valley floor and the peaks that close the horizon. The stone houses, narrow lanes and old church give the village a sense of permanence. It belongs to the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Walking through it feels like stepping into a place that has changed little over centuries.
Saint-Saphorin sits on the slopes of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva. The village has narrow lanes, old stone houses, and an uninterrupted view over the water. The vines run down the hillside in rows, and life here has long been shaped by wine growing. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how the landscape and the built environment have grown together over centuries.
Romainmôtier is a small village in the canton of Vaud, built around one of the oldest Romanesque abbey churches in Switzerland. The church dates back to the 5th century and still shapes the look of the village today. The streets are narrow, the houses old, and the pace of life feels slow and contained. Walking through the village, you sense how deeply this place has been shaped by its religious past.
Saillon is a medieval hilltop town in the Valais region, surrounded by vineyards. Its cobbled lanes, arched passageways, and old ramparts speak of a long past. A tower rises above the Rhône Valley, giving the town its distinctive silhouette. Walking through its narrow streets feels like stepping into a place where daily life has changed very little over the centuries.
Rougemont is a village in the Pays-d'Enhaut region, easy to recognize by its wooden chalets covered with hand-carved and painted decorations passed down through generations. The church at the center of the village dates back to the 11th century and anchors the whole place. Walking through the streets, you get a sense of how closely daily life here has always been tied to the mountains and to local craftsmanship.
Rossinière is a village in the canton of Vaud, known for its large old wooden houses. The most famous is the Grand Chalet, built in the 18th century, with a long facade covered in windows and hand-carved details. The houses sit in open meadows, making Rossinière a good example of pre-Alpine rural life. Walking through the village, you notice an architecture that has shaped the identity of the Pays-d'Enhaut region for generations.
Grandvillard sits in the Gruyère valley, in the canton of Fribourg, in a region known for its cheese and farming traditions. Old wooden farmhouses line the roads, their dark facades showing their age without apology. The surrounding hills are green and rolling, and the pace of life here is slow and steady. Walking through the village gives a clear sense of how mountain communities have lived for generations.
Ernen is a village in the upper Goms valley, in Valais, that served as the main hub of this mountain region for centuries. Walking through its streets, you notice old wooden houses, a cobbled central square, and a church dating back to the 16th century. Every summer, a music festival fills its old buildings with concerts, drawing visitors from beyond the valley.
Bosco Gurin is the highest village in the canton of Ticino. It was founded by Walser people, a group who came from the German-speaking Alpine regions. That origin is still easy to see today: the stone and wood houses follow a building style more typical of the central Alps than of Ticino. The villagers still speak an old German dialect, which sets Bosco Gurin apart from every other village in the region.
Giornico sits in the Leventina valley in the canton of Ticino, with the Ticino River running through it. The village has several Romanesque churches, including the San Nicolao church from the 12th century, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Switzerland. Stone bridges cross the river, and the narrow lanes are lined with traditional stone houses. Giornico is a member of the association of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland.
Bergün / Bravuogn sits in the canton of Graubünden and is one of those Swiss villages where the past shows up in the details. Old houses decorated with sgraffito and painted motifs line the streets, giving the village a look that is hard to find elsewhere. The Albula railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage route, passes through here, and the local railway museum helps visitors understand what this line meant for the region. Walking through the village feels easy and unhurried.
Trogen is a village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden built around a large central square. The houses that line it were put up by wealthy merchants and show the broad facades and balanced proportions common in trading towns of the 18th and 19th centuries. Walking across the square, you get a clear sense of how prosperous this place once was. Life here is slower now, but the buildings still carry that history.
Urnäsch is a rural village in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, closely tied to old Appenzell traditions. People here still wear traditional costumes during local festivals and gather for celebrations that have been passed down through generations. The surrounding hills are rolling and green, and the wooden houses give the village a grounded, familiar feel. A local museum focuses entirely on these customs, helping visitors understand why this corner of Switzerland has held on to its own way of life for so long.
Check the local calendars before your visit: each village celebrates its festivals at different times, whether it is carnivals, wine festivals, or religious processions. These events show parts of local life that you will not see on a regular visit.
