Switzerland Editor Picks

Summer is a veritable feast of music events throughout the country, but the most famous is the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Fest – in July it heats up the “Swiss Riviera” along the eastern shores of Lake Geneva.

Switzerland is one of the ski capitals of the world. Take your pick from famous resorts including celebrity-favorite Gstaad (www.gstaad.ch) and Verbier, the country’s largest ski area (www.verbier.ch).

Warm-weather draws hikers to the many walking paths of the Swiss Alps. Laced throughout the mountains, the paths provide awesome views and clean mountain air – Zermatt mountain is particularly well-known for its Matterhorn views.

Watch fresh cheese being made at local shops country-wide.

Chocolate factories here would make Willy Wonka jealous – Cailler in Bruc offers free tours from April through October.

The Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was filmed at the Schilthorn – a revolving restaurant high above Mürren in Lauterbrunnen valley. Over lunch, relive the drama of 007 and take in the majestic 360-degree views.

Take a train from Lauterbrunnen station up (and through!) the powerful Jungfrau mountain to Europe’s highest-altitude railway station. Here you can walk the glacier and enjoy a meal at the “Top of Europe” restaurant.

It was at the cascading Meiringen waterfalls where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chose to end his chronicled tales of Sherlock Holmes. Here, the detective battled with his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, and the two fell to their presumed deaths.

Zürich’s Fine Arts Museum is one of Europe’s finest, famed for its 19^th- and 20^th-century old Masters and contemporary art. Highlights include works by Swiss-born Giacometti, Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, and Edvard Munch.

Overlooking the Münsterhof (former pig market), the 13^th-century Fraumünster was built on a Benedictine abbey founded in 853 by Charlemagne’s grandson Emperor Ludwig. The spire is pretty and organ elaborate, but visitors come for the Marc Chagall-designed stained-glass windows, best appreciated early.