12 things you can do in spring in Switzerland

Spring is many people's favorite season. This is especially true for those who don't particularly enjoy the cold of winter and often find themselves plagued by fog in lower altitudes. Therefore, it's even more delightful when nature wakes up in all its glory in March, April, and May, depending on the altitude. The days get longer, temperatures rise, and there's a newfound desire to get out and do something.

For your spring holidays or your springtime in Switzerland, we've listed 12 things you can do during this beautiful season.

Admire Cherry Blossoms

You don't even need to travel to Japan to see cherry blossoms in full bloom. In Switzerland, especially in the northwestern part, the many cherry trees show off their beauty in spring. Here, we present four hikes where you can admire these blossoms.

• Fricktaler Chriesiwäg: This path in Gipf-Oberfrick is located in the Jurapark-Aargau Nature Park. The Fricktal is a region rich in cherry trees. Along the route, there are information panels that provide insights into the world of cherries. The trail starts at the municipal building in Gipf-Oberfrick, with two different length options. The 5 km path takes about 2 hours, while the 9 km option takes approximately 4 hours.
• Chirsiweg Nuglar-St. Pantaleon: This 4.3 km path takes you on a circular route through the communities of Nuglar and St. Pantaleon in the north of the Solothurn canton. Depending on the weather and the timing of the blossoms, March or April is the best time to visit. You'll need about 1.5 hours for this well-marked, easy hike.
• Baselbieter Chirsiweg: This slightly longer 10.7 km path takes you through the cherry blossoms in the Baselland region. You can start your hike in Sommerau and end in Oltingen, or vice versa. Along the way, you'll pass through narrow valleys and sunny table plateau regions. Plan for about 3 hours for this hike.
• Zuger Kirschblütenwanderung: Zug is famous for its Zug Cherry Cake, so it’s no surprise that you can take numerous cherry blossom hikes here in the spring. A longer tour goes from Arth to Zug or the other way around. If you find this nearly 20 km long route daunting, you can easily reach one of the towns along the way using public transport, with Walchwil or Oberwil near Zug being convenient options.

Of course, cherry trees can be found all over Switzerland. Even in the cities, it's worth sitting in a park during spring to enjoy a bit of Japanese flair.

Strolling through Apple Blossom

What cherry trees can do, apple trees have been doing for a long time. Especially the canton of Thurgau in eastern Switzerland is famous for its many orchards. But the Valais and the Lake Geneva region are also significant growing areas. Around Lake Constance, there are numerous smaller and larger hiking trails where you can admire the apple blossoms on foot or by bike.

• Apple Trail Altnau: The Apple Trail in Altnau actually consists of three trails and is at its best in April and May. All three trails start in the village, about 500 m from the train station. The Apple Trail “Lisi” is 4 km, the Apple Trail “Emma” is 3 km, and the Apple Trail “Fredi” is 2 km long. You can also combine these three trails into a longer route and cycle them. By calling +41 71 531 01 30, you can find out the current status of the bloom.
• Roggwiler Trail: This nearly 9 km long trail takes you through large orchards back to Roggwil. Here too, you’ll encounter a wonderful bloom in spring.
• Madame Bluescht: This poetically named trail starts in Sulgen and takes you through blooming fields with tall fruit trees down to Amriswil. The hike is just under 15 km long and takes about 3:45 hours.

Visiting a Waterfall

Waterfalls often have spectacular flows in spring due to the melting snow in the mountains. It can also rain heavily during this season, making the waterfalls even more impressive.

• Lauterbrunnen: Known as the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls,” Lauterbrunnen Valley is the perfect spring getaway. You’ll find a spectacular waterfall at the Trümmelbach Falls. These underground waterfalls are closed in winter but open their gates to visitors in April.
• Rheinfall: The largest waterfall in Europe flows a staggering 600,000 liters of water every second. That’s about 3,500 full bathtubs! It’s quite a sight, especially in spring when the trees in the parks are lush and green.
• Giessbachfälle: The Giessbach Falls cascade 400 meters in 14 stages behind the historic Grand Hotel by Lake Brienz. There’s a path that goes behind the waterfall, offering a new perspective to explore both the Grand Hotel Giessbach and Lake Brienz.
• Reichenbachfall: Famous for the detective Sherlock Holmes and his rival James Moriarty, this waterfall in the Bernese Oberland enchants visitors with its height of 120 meters. You can enjoy stunning views of the waterfall and Haslital from three observation platforms, and from there, you can hike to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge or the Aare Gorge.

Visiting Animal Babies

In spring, many adorable little animal babies come into the world. That’s why this time of year is especially great for planning a visit to a zoo, an animal park, or a nearby farm.

At the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum in Brienz, you'll see lots of cute calves, piglets, puppies, and kittens playing around in spring.

Many animal parks in Switzerland are actually free to enter. These include:

• Peter and Paul Wildlife Park in St. Gallen
• Roggenhausen Wildlife Park in Aarau
• Lange Erlen Animal Park in Basel
• Alpine Park in Interlaken
• Animal Park in Biel
• Animal Park in Langenthal
• Bruderhaus Wildlife Park in Winterthur
• Wilderness Park in Zurich
• Heitern Wildlife Park in Zofingen

Sleep on the straw

If you want to immerse yourself in farm life, sleeping on straw is the perfect opportunity. On the website MyFarm of Agrotourism Switzerland you can find farms all over the country that offer sleeping on straw. This way you are even closer to the offspring of the animals on the farm. You can also watch the awakening of nature in the best location.

Make your own syrup or jam

When everything in nature blossoms, amateur cooks and kitchen fairies also blossom. There is so much that you can use in spring to make a delicious jam or a refreshing syrup. This way you have a suitable souvenir for every visitor for the rest of the year and can benefit from spring for a long time to come.

• Dandelion Blossom Jelly: Pick the yellow flowers from the dandelion and boil them in about a quart of water. Let them stand overnight and cool. The next day, pass the flowers through a sieve and boil the mixture again with jelling sugar and lemon juice. After 5 minutes you can fill the mixture into sterile jars and seal them airtight
• Elderflower syrup:** Put the picked flowers in a bowl and pour water over them. Add sugar and citric acid and stir until everything has dissolved. After two days covered at room temperature, you can strain the syrup, boil it and bottle it in pre-warmed bottles Lilac blossom jelly: Pluck the lilac blossoms and boil them for 10 min in bubbling hot water. The next day, strain the flowers and squeeze them with a cloth. Heat the flower liquid with the jelling sugar and boil it for 5 min. Now you can fill the jars and wait until your lilac blossom jelly has set.

Exploring a Dam

Switzerland boasts the highest density of dams, with over 220 large reservoirs. Many dams and lakes can be visited on short or long hikes. Of course, there are often trails suitable for mountain biking as well. Dams are particularly great destinations in the Valais during spring, when the mountains are often still snow-covered.

• Grande Dixence: This is where the meltwater from 35 Valais glaciers collects. The Grande Dixence is the world's tallest gravity dam, standing at 285 meters. You can reach the dam by cable car from Hérémence in the Valais. From here, you can also hike along the lake or start a longer trek in Valais.
• Cleuson Dam: If you're looking for a turquoise lake, a trip to the 87-meter-high Cleuson Dam in the Valais is perfect. Thanks to fine-grained sediment that reflects sunlight, the lake has a unique color. On a walk, you'll find numerous information boards providing insights about the project.

Escape the Fog on a Mountain Peak

Particularly in the central region, there are still days in spring when a thick layer of fog settles in. In such cases, the best option is to quickly seek higher ground. Often, there is still snow in the higher elevations. This way, you can take your time to say goodbye to winter and enjoy one last wintry day.

The many mountain lifts in Switzerland are perfect for getting away from the fog for a day. In our guide about 20 Mountain Peaks in Switzerland, you'll find more information on how to spend a sunny day in the heights.

Planning a Boat Trip

On certain lakes, you can enjoy boat trips all year round. However, in winter, the boats run less frequently than in summer. Most shipping companies in Switzerland ramp up their services again in spring. That makes this season perfect for a day out on the lake. Watching nature come to life from the lake is definitely worth it.

• Boat Trip on Lake Lucerne: With a day pass, you can spend a whole day on the lake, take a round trip, or combine your boat ride with a hike. A great family-friendly destination at Lake Lucerne is the Glasi in Hergiswil or the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne.
• Boat Trip on Lake Geneva: You can enjoy boat trips on Lake Geneva all year round. However, taking a boat from Lausanne to Château de Chillon or to Évian in the spring is the perfect outing in this mild climate.
• Boat Trip on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz: There are no boats running on Lake Brienz in winter. The schedule is also quite sparse on Lake Thun. Thankfully, spring brings back the service with the spring timetable. For example, you can visit the Beatus Caves on Lake Thun and the Giessbach Waterfalls on Lake Brienz. Depending on the snowmelt, the waterfalls are particularly impressive during this time of year.
• Boat Trip on Lake Constance: From the end of March, you can travel on Lake Constance on weekends and holidays. Daily services resume from the end of May. This gives you the chance to admire the blooming apple and cherry blossoms from the boat. Additionally, Rorschach, Romanshorn, Kreuzlingen, and Constance are great stops to enjoy the first ice cream of the season.

Visiting a Castle

Some castles keep their gates closed in winter and only reopen in spring. Others are open year-round but have limited opening hours. However, a visit to one of the many castles in Switzerland is worthwhile not only because of the extended hours. Often, you will find majestic trees nearby that display their floral beauty in spring. Whether it's magnolias, cherries, beeches, maples, or even rose bushes; your visit in spring will be even more special due to the enchanting blossoms.

• Wildegg Castle: Next to this castle in the Aargau canton, there is a large tulip garden with a magnolia tree. That's why the castle is a popular destination in spring.
• Lenzburg Castle: The picnic spots around the castle, along with the baroque and rose gardens, are the perfect place for an outing in spring. Here, you’ll feel like royalty amid the awakening nature.
• Chillon Castle: Even along the promenade between Montreux and Chillon Castle, everything is in full bloom in spring. You’re likely to rarely be alone here. By early summer, even more visitors seek the warm temperatures by the lake and around the castle.
• Rapperswil Castle: The rose garden next to Rapperswil Castle blooms especially beautifully in spring. Take a day trip by boat from Zurich and visit the impressive castle in the charming lakeside town.

Going for a Bike Ride

The Swiss like to refer to their country as "Veloland." It's no wonder that the overview page of all bike paths on SchweizMobil carries this name. With over 12,000 km of bike paths, especially along the lakeshores and in the central region, spring is the perfect time for leisurely rides. A bike trip goes hand in hand with a visit to a waterfall, a lakeside beach (later in spring), a castle, or a charming town.

• Kreuzlingen to Stein am Rhein: You'll need about 2 hours for this roughly 27 km route. You'll ride along the Rhine, past blooming fruit orchards, and at the end, you can explore the beautiful old town of Stein am Rhein.
• Lausanne to Montreux: If you've always wanted to ride through the lush green vineyards of a UNESCO World Heritage site, you'll love the trip from Lausanne to Montreux. For about 40 km, you'll navigate through the Lavaux vineyards. The route dips and rises repeatedly, giving you the sensation of being on a roller coaster, all while enjoying stunning views of the enchanting Lake Geneva.
• Solothurn to Altreu: It's only just under 10 km from Solothurn to Switzerland's largest stork colony in Altreu. A large part of the route runs alongside the Aare River. In spring, the storks return from their winter stay in the south. This is the perfect time to visit this idyllic oasis by the Aare. And back in Solothurn, you'll find a delicious ice cream waiting for you at the Vitaminstation when you return.

Hiking to a Mountain Lake

Switzerland has about 1,500 lakes and rivers, so it’s no surprise that you’ll come across many mountain lakes during your hikes. Depending on the snow conditions, you may only be able to visit the higher-altitude lakes in summer. However, many are perfect for a day trip as early as April or May.

• Seealpsee: You can visit Seealpsee in the Alpstein region year-round. However, it's especially beautiful in spring when nature awakens, even if the water is still a bit too cold for swimming. If you’re up for it, you can take a dip in the idyllic scenery of the Appenzell region. Otherwise, you can simply enjoy the view and watch the ducks on the lake. You can reach Seealpsee in about 1:30 hours from Wasserauen.
• Oeschinensee: It’s no secret that Oeschinensee is one of our favorite lakes. The lake covers about 1 square kilometer and is the largest mountain lake in Switzerland. It's fed by the surrounding glaciers, making it quite chilly. You can get there from Kandersteg either on foot or by cable car.
• Caumasee: The turquoise Caumasee near Flims is a gem nestled in the forest. Numerous hiking and mountain biking trails lead to this oasis. Even though the beach area only opens in early June, a hike through the woods to this enchanting lake is definitely worth it.

As you can see, spring in Switzerland offers many possibilities. We would be very happy if you share your favorite picture of this beautiful season with us. On Instagram with #swissactivities or @swiss_activies or on Facebook with @Swissactivites.com.