Zermatt is a car-free mountain village at the foot of the Matterhorn in Valais. Electric taxis and horse carriages run through streets of wooden chalets and old barns on stilts. It is a famous resort for skiing, hiking and climbing, with skiing possible year-round on the glacier. Cable cars and trains climb to viewpoints around the Matterhorn.

The Matterhorn rises to 4,478 metres on the border of Switzerland and Italy above Zermatt. Its near-perfect pyramid shape makes it one of the most famous mountains in the world. It was first climbed in 1865 by Edward Whymper's party, four of whom died on the descent. Its sharp peak glows at sunrise and is reflected in alpine lakes such as the Stellisee.

Gornergrat is a rocky ridge above Zermatt, reached by a cog railway opened in 1898, one of the highest open-air railways in Europe. From the summit station at about 3,089 metres, there are views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Gorner Glacier and 29 peaks over 4,000 metres. A hotel and observatory stand at the top.

The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps, about 20 kilometres long. It flows down from the Jungfrau region in a great curving river of ice. Viewpoints at Eggishorn, Bettmerhorn and Moosfluh look down on it. The glacier has been shrinking. The area is part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Landwasser Viaduct is a curved limestone railway bridge near Filisur in Graubünden, completed in 1902. It is about 65 metres high and leads straight into a tunnel in the cliff. Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains cross it. It is part of the Rhaetian Railway UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St. Moritz is a famous resort in the Engadin valley of Graubünden, at about 1,800 metres. It hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. It is known for its frozen lake, used for horse racing and polo on ice, and for the Cresta Run toboggan track. The sunny climate made it one of the first winter resorts in the Alps.

Lugano is a city on Lake Lugano in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. It has palm trees, Mediterranean-style piazzas and a lakefront promenade. Funiculars climb Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore for views of the lake and mountains. Its old town has arcaded streets.