I recently visited Switzerland and Italy with a group of girls that I travel with regularly. We went in early June, which we have found is a good time to be in Europe. It’s typically not too hot or too busy with summer crowds yet. We started in Switzerland and then worked our way into Northern Italy — Lake Como, Lake Garda, Veneto and Valpolicella wine country, finishing in Venice. This post will cover our time in beautiful Switzerland!

Lucerne

To get to Switzerland, we flew to Zurich, rented a car and drove about an hour to Lucerne. I had been to Lucerne once prior but it had been many years — I was excited to go back. The clean Swiss design, charming architecture, lake vistas and snow-capped mountains made their mark on me this second time, too.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Palace in Lucerne. The Palace is a historical building, originally opened in 1906. In 2022, following a truly meticulous five-year renovation, it reemerged as a Mandarin Oriental. It is absolute Art Nouveau perfection and was the right choice for a space to rest, relax, and get over our jet lag.

As with most heritage hotels, there are subtle differences between rooms in terms of their layouts, but every single one comes with epic views of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus.

Similar to our room, all the rooms at the Mandarin have views

The amazing food at Mandarin’s MOzern Bar & Brasserie

We relaxed and drank lots of this Müller-Thurgau, which is a grape created as a crossing of Reisling

The breakfast —which I unfortunately didn’t get many pictures of — certainly should have been worthy of documenting!

The outside restaurant which overlooks the water – Quai 10 Patio

Seeing Old Town

The Mandarin Oriental Palace is perfectly placed for exploring Lake Lucerne. You are, literally, right on the water. We would walk out the back door and by the waterside leading to Old Town, saying hello to the swans on the way!

Old Town Lucerne is overflowing with charm! Muraled Medieval buildings are around every corner and we had so much fun wandering and exploring street after street, facade after facade.

Loved all the gorgeous painted detail on these buildings

The Chapel Bridge and Water Tower are Lucerne’s landmark. The bridge is considered to be Europe’s oldest covered bridge. It was built in the 14th century and was originally a part of the city fortifications. Inside are a number of picture panels which contain scenes of Swiss history.

Trains & Mountains!

While in Lucerne, railway travel up the famous mountains is definitely a box to check. There many train options, including cogwheel railways, aerial cableways, and other trains.

Our initial plan was to take the the cogwheel railway on Mt. Pilatus, which is the steepest such railway in the world. Due to overcast weather and little visibility on the day of our ascent, we made a switch to Mt. Rigi, which was reporting better views (although still, not great). The train we went on is the Rigi and offers 360-degree panoramic views. We picked up the cog train in Vitznau.

The picturesque drive to Vitznau alone was worth it!

In Vitznau, the Park Hotel is a great place to stop for lunch or a drink

Seeing Art

Another stop I’d definitely recommend in Lucerne was the Rosengart Collection, which is a museum boasting an extensive amount of artwork from Picasso as well as Paul Klee, Cézanne, Chagall, Miró and many others. The museum is centrally located and you can make your way through it easily.

Where We Ate

Mill Feuille

This is a cozy and inviting spot with an amazing view, right on the waterfront. The food was delicious. We did our first dinner here but they are also a coffee spot with light dishes by daytime.

Scala

We absolutely loved the restaurant Scala, which is located in the Hotel Montana, right across the street and up the mountain from the Mandarin. It is an upscale spot with a Swiss flair as well as Mediterranean influences, and the view was to die for!

Ascona

Our original plan for the remainder of our time in Switzerland was to spend time in Zurich. But, after a few very gray days in Lucerne and an even-worse forecast for Zurich, we pivoted south to Ascona, Switzerland. In contrast to Lucerne, which is the most populated city in Switzerland, Ascona is a lesser-known gem of a resort destination.

Ascona is a small town located on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore. It is known for its Mediterranean-style architecture, mild climate, and lake promenade, and is a popular getaway spot for locals. It is about a 2.5 hour drive and we did this as a day trip — it was a long day but totally worth it for some fun in the sun!

Lots of places to shop and stop for a drink

We booked lunch by the water at Marina Restaurant & Lounge at the Hotel Eden Roc beach resort. I had looked at pictures online before we went but the setting still blew me away!