The summer heat in the cities can be intense, but mountain regions and lakes offer a cool escape. Switzerland with kids in summer is great destination: there are tons if outdoor activities, breathtaking nature, and distances aren’t very large.
Switzerland with kids in summer
1. Stain am Rhein – small town with lots to offer
Switzerland has well-known cities to explore with children, as Geneve, Lucerne, Zurich, Lausanne, as well as small, little-known towns. Stein am Rhein, in the picture below is our favorite in summer:
2. Biggest Falls in Europe: Rhine Falls
Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe. There are activities like:
- Boat trips to get up close to the falls. Some boats even stop at the central rock, where you can climb a staircase to experience the falls from the middle of the river
- Easy walking paths around the falls, like we did, in the picture below:
3. Most photographed place in Switzerland: Lauterbrunnen
If you can only ever see one place in Switzerland with a family, make it the Lauterbrunnen Valley
Lauterbrunnen is a stunning valley in Switzerland, often called the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls” for its dramatic cliffs and cascading falls, including the famous Staubbach Falls, pictured below on the left:
4. One of the many Alpine playgrounds in Switzerland: Gimmelwald
On the way to the highest peak in Switzerland, Jungfrau, you can stop at the Gimmelwald, car-free village nestled in the Swiss Alps:
We reached it by cable car, and spent some time at the local bar with a cool playground:
5. The only glacier waterfalls in Europe inside the mountain, Trummelbach Waterfalls
Hidden inside a mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley located a series of 10 glacier-fed waterfalls that cascade with immense power. They are accessible via elevator, tunnels and walkways.
On the video below one of them:
6. Lungern: swimming in the mountain lake with a view over waterfall
Lungern, a small swiss village, is home to Lake Lungern, a serene mountain lake perfect for spending a day with a family and kids. It has a beach, park, cafe, rentals, and slides:
Also, it was the first spot we see where the lake was in front of the waterfall, creating a very picturesque scene:
7. Switzerland with kids in summer: catwalk trail inside the gorge Aareschlucht:
The gorge was carved by the powerful Aare River and features steep limestone walls that rise up to 200 meters high. At the same time, it is compact: trail of about 1.4 km making it ideal for families:
8. One of the oldest tourist attractions in Switzerland: Gorge of the glacier Rosenlaui
The Rosenlaui Gorge is a stunning glacier gorge and it is even more picturesque on a rainy day.
It is smaller and more personal compared to larger gorges like Aare, making it perfect for a shorter and more quieter experience:
9. Gelmerbahn, one of the steepest open funiculars in Europe
Switzerland is known for its unique and sometimes daring mountain transportation, including steep funiculars, open-air cable cars, and vintage steam-powered cogwheel trains.
One of the most thrilling experiences is the Gelmerbahn, an exciting ride:
10. Suspention Bridge Hängebrücke Fürgangen – Mühlebach
This bridge spans a remarkable 80 meters in height and 180 meters in length, making it one of the longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges in Switzerland:
As well, as the open funicular above, it is safe to visit with kids.
11. Vieze de Morgins: forest walk with 32(!) bridges
32 bridges combines diverse terrain, from forested paths to small rivers and streams:
While adventurous, the trail is designed to be accessible to hikers of all skill levels. There are also info boards for kids, grills, and picnic tables.
12. Lake Leman beach: plage de Villeneuve
Unlike other more commercialized beaches around Lake Geneva, Plage de Villeneuve maintains a more laid-back, local charm.
Nestled in the beautiful region, it offers stunning views of Lake Léman, the surrounding vineyards, and Alps:
13. Strandbad Walenstadt – recreational area by Lake Walen
Strandbad Walenstadt is known for its relaxed, family-friendly environment. Besides shallow waters to swim, it has spacious lawns with huge, huge playground, shade, grills, etc:
Extra: boat rides and breathtaking views:
14. Mountain pass and Photopoint Unterschächen
The area around Unterschächen is remarkably untouched by modern development and relatively easy to reach.
Rugged mountains, alpine meadows, farms and houses built directly into the rock(!), and alpine cows contribute to the serenity of the area:
15. Devil’s Gorge Tüfelsschlucht Hägendorf
The Devil’s gorge is full of crystal-clear streams, cascading waterfalls, has a catwalk trail and interesting rock formations:
It’s a great place for kids to run around and explore while parents can enjoy the grill along the trail in a beautiful surroundings. There are even free wood for the fireplace/grill:
16. Switzeland with kids in summer: hiking themed trails
Cherry on top in Switzerland with kids are themed trails. (We also found several of them in the Black Forest).
These trails feature fun, interactive play stations along the way, keeping children entertained and motivated to continue, even when the hike becomes challenging.
Kugelweg Hasliberg – marble run trail
12 excited marble runs are located along the hiking trail from Bidmi middle station to the bottom station at Reuti.
The tracks were built by local timber construction companies and metal construction company:
Muggestutz der haslizwerg – dwarf trails
The 2 adventure trails, “Adventure along the Dwarf trail” from village of Magisalp, and “The Dwarf Trail to Bannwald” from village of Kaserstatt are designed for children.
You can reach them from aerial cable cars on the Hasliberg and Meringen:
Pictured below: example of attractions along one of the trail:
Connbächli: boat trail near the lake Caumasee
Unique attraction for kids. You can buy a boat in Flims tourist information or build your own, tie a string and pull along the narrow passage.
It is fascinating to see the boat go through little waterfalls and canals:
You can combine this trail with a stop at Caumasee lake, extremely popular spot among locals.
Plan of the trail and parking lots:
Plus: forest playground in Flims, grills, and Il Spir, – viewpoint named “The Swiss Grand Canyon”!
17. Via Ferrata – cabled mountain climbing routes, suitable for older kids
You don’t necessarily need rock climbing experience to do a via ferrata.
A via ferrata is a protected climbing route in the mountains equipped with steel cables, ladders, and footholds, allowing safely traverse steep rock faces using a harness and carabiners.
Families with smaller children may enjoy the Engelberg via ferrata, designed for 7 y.o. and up:
18. Visiting glacier, summer and winter activity
“Glacier 3000” is a once in a lifetime experience and perfect for families.
To reach the location, you have to buy a gondola ticket, which includes a hike across the glacier, a walk on a suspension bridge more than 3000 meters high, and sledding on snow—even in the summer:
Where we stayed in Switzerland: a more affordable and lesser-known option
As a big family and a dog, we stayed several time in a hostels while visiting Switzerland. We had separate bedroom and shared bathroom and kitchen:
We enjoyed this experience: it was clean, cozy, and we had the chance to meet other families and visitors from all over.
Pictured below: Andrew making salad at the shared kitchen:
P.S.
The first time we stayed in a hostel as a family was in Alaska, and the host family was of Swiss origin! 🙂
When we asked why they chose this particular place in the States, Seward, (pictured below), they replied that it was just as beautiful as their homeland.
The next place we gonna stay in Switzerland is Lauterbrunnen Valley, in a tent camping, a very popular way to see this area! 🙂
Thanks for reading, friends!
Make sure to check out fees, hours, and conditions before you go
