Switzerland: 8 charming villages to explore in summer

In the Bernese Jura, Saint-Ursanne suddenly appears, nestled above the Doubs, surrounded by woods and cliffs. Founded around the tomb of Saint Ursicinus, an Irish monk from the 7^th century, the village developed in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, you enter through a medieval gate, stroll under the archways, and admire the façades featuring discreet corbels.

The collegiate church dating from the 12^th century welcomes you in a sparse Romanesque nave, extended by a pale limestone cloister and capitals finely sculpted with botanical motifs. Cross the three-arched stone bridge to reach Doubs Nature Park. You can also take a forest path that leads to Saint-Jean Chapel, offering an unbeatable view over the river bend.

At an altitude of 1,650 meters, on a sun-kissed terrace in Lower Engadine, Guarda presents a string of stone benches and white houses with green shutters protected by vast slate roofs. This typical Romansch village is one of the best preserved in the canton of Graubünden. As you stroll along the main street, you spot engraved motifs on the façades: proverbs, botanical friezes and religious scenes decorate the window frames and carriage doors.

A hiking trail then takes you to Ardez, revealing the mountain pastures and hamlets of the southern slope. On the way, you can contemplate the scattered pine forests, meadows, old hay dryers, and black roofs sloping toward the valley. A feast for the eyes!

Perched on a rocky spur at an altitude of 830 meters, Gruyères’ medieval layout has remained virtually intact. A fortified gateway opens onto a cobblestone street lined with houses with ornate façades, before leading you to the castle terrace. Built from the 13^th century onward, the building was the seat of the Counts of Gruyère for many long years. Inside, you can admire the heraldic stained-glass windows, Knights’ Room and hanging garden, all treasures of Fribourg heritage.

Continue your visit with two surprising museums, located at the exit to the village: the HR Giger Museum, devoted to the Swiss artist responsible for the creature in Alien, and the Alain Bordier Foundation, which boasts a wealth of Buddhist statues and objects. Completely different from the castle, these places add an unexpected element to discovering the Swiss village. You then go down toward the plains with the Fribourg Prealps as a backdrop, dominated by the Moleson, which peaks at a height of 2,000 meters.

In Evolène, lauze stone roofs, floral balconies, and blackened larch create an unusually uniform setting on the right bank of the Borgne. You stroll through the village on foot, between chalets lined in a row, granaries standing on stilts, and narrow streets where you often hear the murmur of an irrigation canal. You will also come across a few living heritage figures: inhabitants in traditional costume and bilingual signs in French and Francoprovençal patois.

On the outskirts, several rock climbing sites are easily accessible. You can book an introductory lesson or a half-day’s outing with the local school, renowned for its instructors, or simply watch the climbers braving the sharp walls of the Dent Blanche.

In Bergün, the Rhaetian Railway red train slowly enters the station, having crossed the stone viaducts and spiral tunnels of the Albula, a legendary line linking Thusis to St. Moritz. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this railroad track can also be followed on foot from Preda, taking a panoramic path covering 6.5 kilometers to the village.

In its narrow streets, you will find the characteristic features of Engadine architecture: solid houses decorated with stylized sgraffiti, sculpted balconies, and vaulted porches. The Railway Museum, set up in a former bourgeois residence, plunges you into the history of this spectacular line through models, films, photos, and period objects.

Nestled in a steep-sided valley in the Bernese Oberland, Kandersteg welcomes you with its bourgeois chalets and Alpine pastures in a spectacular setting of limestone walls. Stroll around its center and cross the River Kander, before taking the cable car to Oeschinen Lake, one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. When you arrive, enjoy turquoise water surrounded by pine forests at the foot of the Blüemlisalp and Oeschinenhorn mountains.

For seasoned hikers, the loop to Heuberg offers three hours along a spectacular route between a hanging ledge and unbroken views over the entire glacial cirque. In summer, you come across marmots, herds grazing in summer pastures, and hikers looking to cool off.

Clinging onto a rocky spur overlooking Bregaglia Valley, Soglio preserves the heritage of the great Graubünden families of the 18^th century. Patrician residences stand in a row along a stone staircase, among blind walls, granite doorways and covered passages. You climb up in almost total silence, merely broken by the wind in the foliage and the creaking of a shutter.

At the top of the village, San Lorenzo Church stands opposite the imposing walls of the Bondasca Valley. From Soglio, you can go down on foot to Castasegna, passing through the largest cultivated chestnut groves in Europe. The carpet of leaves crunches under your feet and the ground is strewn with open burrs, while you walk past old chestnut dryers, some of which are still used for slow torrefaction.