By Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer

Switzerland is said to have invented the concept of winter tourism. It is the place to go in Europe for folks looking for a ski vacation or a cozy winter get-together. But there’s much to see beyond the slopes, which is what drew my father and me to this destination during my mid-semester break at the end of February.

Before I get into this article, let me make it abundantly clear that Switzerland is not a trip for everyone, especially in the winter. In the other places I’ve written about, there are things that could appeal to a huge genre of people. However, many of Switzerland’s largest tourist drives, such as the Matterhorn mountain, Aletsch glacier, and funicular railways have limited access during the winter or are closed entirely. That being said, it is the go-to in terms of winter sports getaways in Europe and also boasts a number of winter-friendly tourist attractions including museums, castles, and historic rail lines. If you are a ski buff, or if you are like me and my father (read: obsessed with trains, boats, and ruins), Switzerland is definitely the place for you, though there may be some benefit to going in the spring or summer if you are a part of the latter group. 

One more quick disclaimer before we dive into it: be aware that Switzerland is one of the most expensive places to travel in Europe, as it is not a part of the EU, and thus is in a much different place economically than member countries. Be sure you look into this before you go on a trip and make sure you budget accordingly because it’s one thing to hear about it and another thing entirely when the cheapest meal you can find is a 16 CHF burger (roughly $17). 

With that out of the way, let’s get into the trip. My father and I spent a week traveling throughout Switzerland, visiting the cities of Montreux, Gruyère, Interlaken/Brig, Chur, St. Moritz, and Geneva. While it was initially in our plans to visit the Matterhorn in Zermatt as well as the Aletsch glacier, we, unfortunately, ran afoul in terms of weather, making neither of these locations worth the trip in terms of both visibility and activity closures.