It can be hard to know where to start on a summer trip to the Swiss Alps, such is the region’s abundance of unmissable scenery, exhilarating activities, nerve-shredding alpine roads and high-altitude accommodation that makes you feel like you’re sleeping in a cloud.

Yes, you’ll want to see the Matterhorn and the Eiger – and you absolutely should – but make time for some lesser-known sights and activities too and you’ll come away with a well-rounded picture of Switzerland’s magnificent natural playground. Read on for a curated selection of the best things to do in the Swiss Alps.

Make the most out of every adventure with help from our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. Follow in the footsteps of Pablo Picasso by walking the Gemmi Pass ©Jenius Shieh/Getty Images

1. Traverse the historic Gemmi Pass on foot

There’s something hallowed about a mountain pass – an alpine route established centuries ago by traders, pilgrims, and farmers – and the Gemmi Pass is among the most accessible. It became a tourist draw in the 19th century, when Thomas Cook brought his first ever package tour group here, and famous visitors such as Jules Verne, Pablo Picasso, and Mark Twain have all trodden its path.

Follow in their footsteps by hiking up from Leukerbad to the start of the pass, or – much easier and faster – take the leg-saving Gemmibahn cable car. From there, it’s a three-hour hike to Sünnbuel, where another cable car whisks you down to the Kandersteg Valley. Along the way you’ll pass barren peaks, turquoise lakes, flower-laden meadows, and the Hotel Schwarenbach, dating from 1742, where you can…

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