Europe
Switzerland
About 8.52M people live in Switzerland, on 41,290 km² in 26 regions; the capital is Bern. The highest summit is Dufourspitze (4,634 m).
Best timeJun · Aug–Sep
Best weather in OctoberBellinzona 61
October: highs13° – 17°
Rain this month, on average107mm
Mean of its 13 most visited places. Best: Jun · Aug–Sep.
Switzerland at a glance
The atlas follows 11,361 places here month by month, with 7,628 mountains and 4,318 monuments; across the most visited of them, the best months are June, August and September.
Bern now12°CCloudy · 15:32Sunrise · sunset07:58 · 18:32BernNext holiday25 DecemberChristmas DayEarthquakes0in the last 7 days (M2.5+)Events2222 concerts · 0 matches in 14 daysTravel adviceUS 1UK 1Exercise normal precautions
11,361places in 26 regions7,628summits, highest Dufourspitze4,318monuments1,117museums1,233lakes1beaches279ski areas41festivals1,229hiking routes4,081huts, viewpoints, campsites…
Switzerland's population
Every five years from 1950; from 2030 the projection.
+91%4.69M in 1950 → 8.97M in 2025 → 9.34M in 2050Switzerland · In numbers
GDP per person (PPP)$102,5002025 · 7/181 among countries · World: $25,700
Life expectancy84.42024 · 5/212 among countries · World: 73.5
Living in towns and cities86 %2025 · 45/212 among countries · World: 58 %
Using the internet97 %2025 · 3/10 among countries · World: 74 %
Children per woman1.292024 · 186/212 among countries · World: 2.19
Forest cover32 %2024 · 106/206 among countries
The latest year each series has; the line is the whole series since 1960.
When to go to Switzerland
The places with the best weather in each month, scored from their climate.
Places and regions of Switzerland
The most visited places with their score this month, then every region with what the atlas follows there.
46OctoberZurich
Jul–Sep
14° / 7°85 mm
50OctoberBasel
May–Jun · Sep
16° / 7°89 mm
51OctoberLausanne
Jul–Sep
15° / 9°126 mm
47OctoberLucerne
Jul–Sep
15° / 7°103 mm
36OctoberSt. Gallen
Jun–Aug
13° / 6°102 mm
58OctoberGeneva
May–Jun · Sep
17° / 7°110 mm
58OctoberLugano
May–Jun · Sep
17° / 9°191 mm
61OctoberBellinzona
May–Jun · Sep
17° / 8°175 mm
26 regions
Zurich2,749 places · 45 summits · Zurich
Bern1,419 places · 1,030 summits · Thun
Ticino910 places · 659 summits · Lugano
Thurgau797 places · 5 summits · Frauenfeld
Grisons678 places · 2,054 summits · Chur
Vaud672 places · 240 summits · Lausanne
Fribourg584 places · 97 summits · Fribourg
Saint Gallen548 places · 293 summits · St. Gallen
Lucerne539 places · 131 summits · Lucerne
Valais481 places · 1,561 summits · Sion
Aargau365 places · 36 summits · Aarau
Nidwalden240 places · 86 summits · Stans
Schwyz201 places · 257 summits · Einsiedeln
Solothurn192 places · 57 summits · Solothurn
Jura135 places · 21 summits · Delémont
Basel-Landschaft131 places · 39 summits · Liestal
Neuchâtel100 places · 45 summits · Neuchâtel
Appenzell Ausserrhoden95 places · 11 summits · Herisau
Geneva89 places · Geneva
Uri89 places · 452 summits · Altdorf
Glarus88 places · 315 summits · Näfels
Zug87 places · 15 summits · Zug
Schaffhausen73 places · 6 summits · Schaffhausen
Obwalden64 places · 163 summits · Sarnen
Appenzell Innerrhoden28 places · 8 summits · Appenzell
Basel-City7 places · 1 summits · Basel
Switzerland from above
Every place scored for the month you pick: comfortable temperatures, dry days and clear skies.
OctoberMonth scores for Switzerland
Photo: Norbert Aepli, Switzerland · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsReport this photo · linked, not stored
Photo: Norbert Aepli, Switzerland · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsReport this photo · linked, not stored
Photo: © Roland Fischer, Zürich (Switzerland) – Mail notification to: roland_zh(at)hisp · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsReport this photo · linked, not stored
Photo: Yves André The original uploader was Unine at French Wikipedia. · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsReport this photo · linked, not stored
Nature in Switzerland
Summit4,634 m
Dufourspitze
Summit4,554 m
Signalkuppe
Summit4,546 m
Dom
Lake
Lake Geneva
Lake
Lake Maggiore
Lake
Lake NeuchâtelWildlife in October
The birds and mammals seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
Outdoors in Switzerland
Hiking routes, ski areas and everything to do outdoors, counted.
T1Jura Crest Trail
291.4 km13,850 m95 h 5 min
T2Way of Saint James
243.7 km11,140 m77 h 30 min
T1Via Rhenana
189.3 km3,100 m49 h 25 min
T2Via Albula Bernina
129.7 km4,980 m38 h 30 min
T1Rheintaler Höhenweg
106.1 km5,030 m32 h 30 min
T2Via Sbrinz
99.8 km5,236 m37 h 15 min
T2Obwaldner Höhenweg
98.5 km6,360 m35 h
T2Nidwaldner Höhenweg
93.4 km6,050 m33 h 15 min
T2Toggenburger Höhenweg
88 km4,310 m27 h 55 min
T1Swiss Path
35 km1,380 m10 h 20 min
Viewpoints1,128Climbing1,077Mountain huts837Camp sites711Golf courses128Zoos108Theme parks39Hot springs & thermal baths34Surf spots11Water parks7
Ischgl-Samnaun411 km of pistes · 48 lifts
Laax367 km of pistes · 38 lifts
Zermatt - Breuil-Cervinia330 km of pistes · 64 lifts
Andermatt+Disentis+Sedrun246 km of pistes · 41 lifts
Obersaxen-Mundaun228 km of pistes · 19 lifts
4 Vallées – Verbier/La Tzoumaz/Nendaz/Veysonnaz/Thyon206 km of pistes · 80 lifts
Arosa Lenzerheide176 km of pistes · 49 lifts
Parsenn159 km of pistes · 21 lifts
Culture in Switzerland
4,318 monuments and 1,117 museums; the best known first.
Chillon CastleBuilt 1160 · Gothic
Abbey of Saint GallBuilt 720 · baroque
Immeuble ClartéBuilt 1932 · modern
Palace of NationsBuilt 1938 · Stripped Classicism
Zürich HauptbahnhofBuilt 1847 · Renaissance Revival
Federal Palace of SwitzerlandBuilt 1902 · Renaissance Revival
Museum
Kunsthaus ZürichBuilt 1819
Museum
Museum of Art and History GenevaBuilt 1910The festival year
FebInternational Film Festival and Forum on Human RightsGenevaFribourg International Film FestivalFribourgHoly Week processions in MendrisioMendrisio
SepLausanne Underground Film and Music FestivalLausanneEverybody's Perfect (Geneva International Queer Film Festival)Geneva
OctGeneva International Film FestivalGenevaWinterthur International Short Film FestivalWinterthurPantalla Latina Film FestivalSt. Gallen
Dec
What's on in Switzerland
The ground and the sky in Switzerland
Earthquakes since 1950 and in the last month; eclipses, meteors and the moon as seen from the capital.
Last 30 days0magnitude 2.5 or moreSince 19504magnitude 5+, of them 0 of 6+StrongestM5.5Gsteig 3 km ↓ · 1954Deadliest300deaths · 1356The moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · BernNext eclipse21 Feb 2027Penumbral lunar eclipseOrionids~17 an hour21 October · BernNorthern lightsKp 9+only in the strongest storms here
Getting to Switzerland
2 large airports, 1,845 railway stations, 403 ferry ports; the ones closest to the most visited places.
Practical information
Plugs, money, phone numbers and the side of the road: the things to know before you land.
PlugsC230 V
Emergency112Calling code +41
TrafficOn the rightside of the road
CurrencySwiss FrancCHF
LanguagesGerman · French · Italian
Local time15:32Bern
Tipping
Service is included in prices by law; rounding up or a few francs for good service is a kind gesture.