Autumn has also arrived in Switzerland, so I’ve put together a list of 5+1 outdoor and indoor activities to do this time of year. In my opinion, this list includes the best places to visit in Switzerland this autumn. But of course, there are many other places that I haven’t included this time. (Like the region of Brig Simplon or Luzern or what about a charming little town in the French-speaking region?)
So let’s see the actual list:
- Go for a hike
- Visit a Swiss alpine parade
- Enjoy a nice fondue
- Visit a pumpkin patch
- Go to one of Basel’s many museums
+1 Organise a movie marathon
1. Let’s go for a hike
The Swiss woods, fields, and mountains are beautiful in summer, but the foliage in autumn is something different, it’s just simply stunning. I absolutely love it, however, I have to admit I’m a little biased because autumn is one of my favourite seasons and I like all sorts of activities better when the fall months arrive. For example, I love going for a hike in autumn. I love the fact that the sun still has some strength, but it doesn’t burn anymore, that you can still have a picnic outside, and it’s not crowded so you don’t have to hunt for places in the shadow. And that’s when I start stocking up for the winter, like the animals in the forest: I collect lots of pine cones, chestnuts, acorns, and other fruits to decorate the house (for Christmas :)). Switzerland is just the best place for that in autumn.
In Switzerland, the best time to look for colourful leaves is normally from the end of September to mid-October, but this year is different. The summer was so hot and dry that some tree species started shedding their leaves as early as August. So this year you can already enjoy some really beautiful autumn scenery with friends and family. And keep in mind, that you don’t have to walk with a giant hiking backpack on your back at least 25 kilometres up and down a mountain like Swiss people do, even a short walk and a picnic in a nearby forest is a great way to relax.
And finally, here are some tips on where you should go:
These are the best hikes if would like to see the most colourful foliage in Switzerland.
Here you can search for the best hiking routes by region.
2. Visit a Swiss alpine cow parade aka Alpabzug
‘But where are the cows?’ – several of my friends asked me during their summer visit. Where, where… Up in the mountains! Cows, goats, and sheep spend the summer on the green slopes of the Alps. When the weather gets colder, they don’t stay there but are herded down into the valley, known in German as ‘Alpabzug’ or ‘désalpe’ in French.
Swiss people have been celebrating this special event for hundreds of years, and not just in any way. Parades and festivals are organised all over the country in honour of the animals, which are decorated with flower wreaths, ribbons, and jingling bells when they arrive (not joking, they really do decorate them but don’t panic, they don’t torture the animals, they just make them prettier). There’s a real autumn festival atmosphere in the small Alpine villages, where locals and tourists celebrate the bountiful harvest with music and dancing. In many places, market stalls are set up where you can taste local products such as cheese and wine. Depending on the region, the return of the animals is celebrated in September and October, so there are still plenty of opportunities to visit one of the parades. Here is a collection of the biggest events, and here is a complete list of all the “Alpabzügee” in the country.
3. Enjoy a nice fondue
Before my next sentence, let me say that I know that the French and the Swiss (sorry if I’ve left out any nations) are always arguing about who invented fondue – and I’m not the one who’s going to end this debate.
Soooo let’s talk about the fondue: there’s nothing more Swiss and cosy than eating fondue with your friends and family while it’s raining outside. It doesn’t really matter whether you have a fondue night at home or in a restaurant. Although having a fondue dinner can be quite an experience in Switzerland. In Bern, you can enjoy fondue on a tram, in Zurich on a cruise, and there are many restaurants in the mountains offering fondue in little chalets after skiing and sledding.
But let’s not forget that an evening fondue at home is also a great activity, especially if you don’t feel like going out – and if you have a fondue set at hope :). Last autumn, my husband taught me how to make the “real Swiss fondue”, but I should add that it is like all national dishes, everyone makes it differently, so there isn’t one correct recipe. You can find ours here, I think it’s a pretty simple version, so good luck with and bon appetit!
4. Visit a pumpkin farm
Although many people say that Halloween is not a Swiss tradition, and we SHOULD celebrate All Saints’ Day, very few people can resist carving pumpkins. In fact, pumpkin itself has become an indispensable part of the season: everyone is posting pumpkin soups, pumpkin decorations, and pumpkin pies on Instagram, Tiktok, and so on.
If you’re a pumpkin fan, make sure you visit one of Switzerland’s pumpkin farms or pumpkin festivals this autumn, because such festivals and farms do not only exist in Hollywood movies. There are plenty of small and large farms in Switzerland where you can find carefully carved pumpkins and pumpkin installations, and several towns even organise an annual pumpkin festival, combined with concerts and parades. You can find a list of the best-known festivals and farms here. Perhaps the most popular is the Juckerfarm, where there is a free pumpkin exhibition every year with huge pumpkin installations and seasonal pick-your-own fruits and vegetables time slots. Plus, the farm’s restaurant offers a selection of authentic Swiss dishes made – of course – from pumpkins. However, similar to the pick-your-own flower gardens, it’s best to just keep your eyes open when you’re on the road, as the smaller farms rarely advertise themselves, they just put a sign on the side of the road.
5. Visit one of Basel’s many museums
They don’t call Basel the cultural capital of the country for nothing: in this tiny town, there are nearly 40 museums to choose from. Every genre is represented, from ancient Egyptian and Greek artefacts to contemporary fine art. So, if you’ve got nothing else to do on a crisp autumn day and want to visit a Swiss museum, you should definitely visit Basel.
My personal favourite is the Fine Arts Museum, their 19th and 20th century exhibits always bring tears to my eyes (in a good way, of course). Walking through these halls makes me feel as if I were meeting old friends I hadn’t seen in a thousand years. Cézanne, Degas, Renoir, Matisse, Miro, Modiligani, just to mention a few of them. You can literally wander around for hours without getting bored, not to mention if the temporary exhibition is interesting. For example, the Picasso El Greco exhibition is open until 25 September this year, which is very exciting, especially considering Picasso’s engagement with the Greek-Spanish master (he made a lot of ‘El Greco covers’).
Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 6 pm, and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5 to 8 pm. Otherwise, ticket prices are around CHF 26, which is not a lot if you consider that this could be an all-day program.
If you are interested in exploring more museums in Basel, you can find a full list of current exhibitions here, and Tripadvisor has put together a top ten list of museums.
+1 Movie marathon
In fact, it’s a super autumn activity and not only in Switzerland but what can you do when it’s raining, you can’t go outdoors and you’ve already tried everything indoors? This is when you should have a movie marathon. And to get into the fall spirit, you should watch fall movies, because yes, there are fall movies. I’ve put together a list of my favourites, which you can check out here.
