A guided tour of the guide dog school near Basel:
The first Saturday of the month is coming up soon.
check out the playground (with two barbecue sites) in Seelisberg in Uri (Vierwaldstättersee) and go for a Christmas walk in the forest.
I too can recommend this, the walk through the forest is really nice, at one clearing there are great views down the sheer rockface down to the lake and the Rutli meadow. The playground is surprisingly large and great for younger kids. Well stocked BBQ points aswell!
Two sites with lots of idea and links to the places mentioned.
Most of the text seems to be in German but Google is your friend and the pictures will help you to choose the things which might be suitable.
This Page from Family Life - Trips
This Site called simply Places to Go
I strongly recommend visiting Lausanne, I am an American expat and I have been living here for 9 years almost...and pretty much never left.
The city is charming, can be done in one day easily, with museums (Olympic, Natural Science, Art, etc...), historical sites (Old City, Cathedral, Castle, etc...) and nice places to just walk around.
This is a great thread, thanks so much. We are finding it so useful as we plan our forthcoming holiday to Switzerland. We are an Irish family doing a home exchange with a family from Neuchatel in July - August, (our kids are 10 and 6). We plan to visit Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel and Zurich at least, plus lots of day-trips to the countryside. We would like some recommendations for the following: child-friendly (and cheap!) restaurants near Neuchatel or indeed anywhere, economical food shopping (is is worth crossing the border to France?), kids fun parks and outdoor activities not mentioned already.
Thank you :-) This is a great thread!
This is an excellent post. Thanks a lot for all the info and contribution.
There is 1 place that I would like to add. Stoos is a place that has an amazing view from the top ( Fronalpstock) , one of the best if not the best, I have seen in Switzerland. There is also a nice ( ferienhof-rueti.ch ) place at the base station of the cable car where you can stay. If you donot have a caravan and would like to stay in one, try this place. We really enjoyed our weekend stay there.
Has anyone ever visited the Kindermuseum in Baden before? I am considering going with my toddler by public transportation from Luzern... Is it better suited for older children?
You should go hike on the Niederhorn, near Thun and Interlaken. Coming down the mountain, there is a whole part which you can do with autopeds. Kids love that
If they happen to be dog lovers, plan a visit to the Martigny to see the Saint Bernards at the Barry Foundation or the Museum
Barry Foundation)/default.aspx?$TOPNAV=KONTAKT&$TOPNAVK=ADR&ACTION=TEMP_KONTAKT) in Martigny: October – May on W/S/S from 2:00-4:30
A litter or pups was born October 4th and they are darling to see too! I had a great time at the " Meet & Greet " during their Open House this past weekend.
Musée et Chiens du Saint Bernard : in Martigny: Year Round/Daily 10:00am to 6:00pm
You can also visit the Roman Ruins near the Museum and/or head to one of the Thermal Baths in the area and relax together (depending on the age of your children).
... and because I am still running on a doggy high, here is picture to make you swoon
Hi All
I would like to suggest that the Wildnispark (just outside Zurich) is absolutely brilliant for children (forgive me if it has already been mentioned). Basically it is a wildlife park with everything you could imagine, Brown Bears, Lynx, Moose, Wolves, Marmottes, Wild Boar (which you can get up close and personal too), lots of Deer etc....
The best bit is that it is free, there is a café/restaurant for lunch and a children's playground but with so many animals to see and a huge area to walk around its a great day out.
I don't have any children, I went with a friend and thoroughly enjoyed myself :-)
Family Friendly and definitely worth checking out: http://www.wildnispark.ch/
May seem a bit random, but the thermalbad in Zurich is awesome with kids. Surprisingly kid friendly. Ours love the roof top pool looking over the city and the various other pools, plus the lemon cake at the cafe.
And fully agree that wildnispark is great as well
Liliput Erlebniswelt - Indoor play places, various locations
For up-to-date ideas, it's worth a few minutes Googling things like
Regen Kinder Ausflüge Schweiz as you may find other sites where other Mums are crawling up the wall too!
or try combinations like rain children play + your location if you need information in English.
Thanks! This is a fantastic list! I'm looking forward to trying some of these activities.
I just bought the book 1001 Ausflugsziele-Familienspass im Freizeitland Schweiz * by Lukas Fischer and it's great. It is currently on sale at Weltbild bookstores for CHF 29.90 (orig CHF 39.90).
*Roughly translated: 1001 Destinations / Family Fun / Leisure Activities in Switzerland
Link: http://www.weltbild.ch/1/1001ausflug...ml?wea=2226875
The information is organized according to region. Stars tell you the cost of the outing from zero stars=Free to 5 stars=over 100 CHF. Entries have a picture of the destination, a brief description, and practical information such as opening times, season, parking, accessibility by public transportation, website, etc.
Destinations are classified into 29 categories, for example: adventure, action, castles, amusement parks, caves, cultural monuments, theme trails, bicycle tours, winter walks, etc.
The book is in German only. However, the information is presented in a very visual and attractive manner and you can get most of what you need at a glance.
I think the book is excellent and well worth the price ... even for those of us that speak very little German.
Dear Forum Members
New to the forum. Very useful informations already. I am visiting Geneva during summer holiday with my wife and TWO TEENAGERS , for a quiet family holiday.
I have flights and hotels all sorted out. I am staying for 8 nights in Geneva aiming to explore the country during day time using train services. We preferred Geneva as compared to Zurich to base our holiday as my kids are fluent in French speaking.
Any informations on MUST SEE places and best train pass to buy would be highly appreciated.
Have a nice Easter Weekend.
Regards
Raj
great list Thank you
It is a very useful list. Thank you!