Europe is brimming with natural wonders, but if you want to witness the continent's dreamlike beauty, Switzerland should top your bucket list. Nature here pulls out all the stops, offering landscapes so stunning they seem unreal, as if conjured by CGI. From shimmering mountain lakes to rippling meadows, the range of scenery is vast, with titanic mountains towering over storybook villages and awe-inspiring rivers crashing past medieval castles.
The efficient Swiss make exploration easy, with cable cars, observation decks, and funicular railways dotting the land to help you reach the best vantage points. One such spot is the Two Lakes Bridge on Harder Kulm mountain, officially called "Zwei-Seen-Steg." At 4,333 feet above sea level, this viewpoint offers a gasp-inducing panorama of three of the world's most stunning peaks—the Mönch, Jungfrau, and Eiger—along with the resort town of Interlaken far below. The journey on the Harderbahn funicular, a wooden train dating to 1908, climbs 2,300 feet in just ten minutes, adding to the experience.
The Aletsch Glacier, Europe's largest, contains 11 billion tons of ice and flows for 14 miles through the Bernese Alps in Valais. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, some ice near its terminus is believed to be over 1,000 years old. Viewing platforms at Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn, and Eggishorn, accessible via cable car from nearby villages, offer spectacular views. For the adventurous, guided treks with ropes and crampons allow close-up exploration.
The Furka Pass, immortalised by the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, is a high-altitude road with hairpin bends, including the "James Bond Strasse." Opened in 1866 as a military route, it links Gletsch with Realp and Andermatt, reaching 7,969 feet. It offers stunning views of the Rhône Glacier and dramatic drops. The pass is open from June to October for those wishing to follow Bond's tyre tracks.
