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DISCOVER SWITZERLAND

8 of Switzerland’s best sandy beaches to visit this summer

If you’re looking for summer, sun, and sandy beaches this summer, you don’t need to travel abroad. Here are 8 of the best sandy beaches in Switzerland, from Geneva to Lucerne.

Published: 7 July 2023 17:02 CEST
Updated: 26 July 2023 17:50 CEST
8 of Switzerland's best sandy beaches to visit this summer
Are these the best sandy beaches in Switzerland?(Photo by GABRIEL MONNET / AFP)

Plage des Eaux-Vives

If you live in the Geneva area, chances are you’re already a Plage des Eaux-Vives regular.

After being made partially accessible to the public in 2019, the 400-metres-long public beach opened to the public fully on August 22nd 2020.

The beach offers swimmers a spectacular view over Geneva’s harbour and being situated in the heart of the city, is perfect for those looking for a quick lunchtime dip.

The resort can accommodate between 6,000 and 8,000 people and includes a two-hectare park adjoining a nature area with a magnificent water garden.

The good news is that access to the beach is free, however, swimmers should note that swimming is unsupervised.

READ MORE: How to keep safe when swimming in Switzerland’s lakes and rivers

Strandbad Biel

Open from mid-May to early September, Biel’s beach resort offers a springboard, a playground, table tennis, beach volleyball courts, a water park and a play area for children as well as a large lawn for lounging.  for only 5 Swiss francs a day.

The water park is open every day (June 1st to August 31st) from 2 pm and closes one hour before the resort’s closing time. Children under the age of ten may only use the water park when accompanied by an adult supervisor.

Access to the beach resort costs 5 francs for adults, 4 francs for students and the elderly, and 2.50 francs for children aged 7 to 15 years.

Note that in bad weather, the resort can close early so always check the current opening times before travelling.

Gäsi Sandstrand

Located on the edge of a forest in eastern Switzerland, the Gäsi beach resort is ideal for swimmers looking for a quieter getaway.

The public resort is surrounded by a protected forest which makes for a fun exploration activity with kids, and includes a beach volleyball field and playground area.

While access is free and it is advised that you arrive by bicycle, paid parking spaces are also available for those who might be bringing along picnic tables, chairs, or other equipment.

Lido Lugano

First opening doors in 1928, its sandy beach, (heated) swimming pools of various shapes and sizes, and generous green spaces make the Lido Lugano an ideal destination for the whole family.

Further to the staple Swiss beach resort features like playground, tennis table and beach volleyball court, the resort also includes a football field and free Wi-Fi throughout the lido area.

This year, Lugano’s lido is open from May 1st until September 17th (9am – 7pm/7.30pm) and charges adults 10 francs for a ticket. Children aged 3 to 13 years pay just 3 francs, while those older (up to the age of 20) pay 6 francs to use the facilities.

Yvonand

If you’re looking for gently shelving beaches, fine sand, and turquoise water, look no further than the beaches of Yvonand. This is where you’ll truly feel like you’re bathing at the seaside.

Thanks to Lake Neuchâtel’s low current the resort is ideal for families with children who wish to unwind for the day completely free of charge.

In addition to swimming in the lake, water rats can also enjoy their day pedal boating, windsurfing, paddle boarding, kite surfing, sailing, or renting a water bike or motorboat.

All of Yvonand’s beaches are within walking distance from the main train station.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s outdoor pool culture

Lido Ascona

Situated on the shores of Lake Maggiore, Lido Ascona is one of Switzerland’s longest and most beautiful beach resorts.

While the lido is ideal for families looking to enjoy the rows of relaxing sunbeds and restaurants, the sports on offer are where the resort really shines.

Gym rats can choose from several sporty activities, such as five-a-side football and table tennis to beach volleyball, bocce, and numerous water sports, while those wishing to take it easy can practice yoga and Pilates, or enjoy a relaxing on-site massage or spa treatment.

Admission is free for residents of Ascona provided they have their VivoAscona card on hand.

If you are visiting Lido Ascona from elsewhere and have booked an overnight stay in a hotel, youth hostel or campsite, you will be eligible for a reduced entry fee thanks to the Ticino ticket.

General admission for adults is 9 francs and for children 6 francs.

Strandbad Rive-Bleue

The Rive-Bleue resort lies in the idyllic Valais village of Le Bouveret on Lake Geneva and has opened its doors to visitors for free since 2022.

At the popular beach resort swimmers can enjoy sandy beaches with shallow access to Lake Geneva and rent various sports equipment, such as surfboards and pedal boats, at the on-site water sports centre.

The beach resort does not employ a lifeguard, so caution is advised when swimming.

Lido Luzern

Lucerne’s oldest and biggest lido offers mesmerising views of the Pilatus, Stanserhorn, and Bürgenstock mountains and the city of Lucerne.

While the resort and its 300-metre sandy beach can get understandably busy on the hotter days, the lido has plenty of shady lawn areas and quiet spots for swimmers hoping to sit back and take in the scenery.

If you fancy dropping by on a cooler day to avoid the masses, then you’re welcome to swim in the (heated) 25-metre pool or play a round of beach volleyball on one of the lido’s six pitches.

Adults pay 8 francs for entry to the lido from Monday to Friday, and 10 francs on the weekend days. Children younger than six can enter for free.

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DISCOVER SWITZERLAND

Five things foreign tourists may find surprising about Switzerland

Summer vacation is in full swing, with scores of foreign tourists visiting Switzerland — many for the first time. What are they likely to be astonished by most, other than the prices?

Published: 18 July 2024 14:14 CEST
Updated: 20 July 2024 09:25 CEST
Five things foreign tourists may find surprising about Switzerland

Despite being quite a bit more expensive than other European countries, Switzerland remains a popular destination for international visitors.

This year is no different — in fact, the number of US tourists has reached its highest level in 2023, with numbers expected to be even higher when figures for 2024 are counted.

READ ALSO: Why a record number of American tourists are visiting Switzerland 

The learning curve about Switzerland is particularly high for people who visit the country for the first time

Once they realise that many of their pre-conceived beliefs  have no basis in reality — for instance, that Switzerland is not Sweden (and vice-versa), and that not all Swiss people are yodellers, Alphorn players, and bankers — there are still a number of things that are likely to surprise them.

Some are pleasant surprises and others less so.

Let’s look at some of them.

Languages

A huge shock awaits all those who believed that ‘Swiss’ is the official language here.

They will no doubt be astonished to discover that there are, in fact, four different languages — German, French, Italian, and Romansh — and ‘Swiss’ is not one of them.

Another mind-boggling moment may come when they realise how seamlessly one linguistic region transitions into another: you can drive for half an hour and see road signs morph into another language.

Fountains

Not only is Switzerland dotted with many lakes and rivers for swimming, but fountains are also a great source of refreshing water — not just for dipping into, but also for drinking (though not for washing your clothes).

It is a common sight to see people filling their bottles with waters directly from the fountain — for free (which is a huge plus, as some restaurants will charge for a carafe of tap water).

READ ALSO: Where is bathing in fountains allowed in Switzerland? 

PostBus

In general, all kinds of public transport (including trains, buses, trams, and cross-lake ferries) are plentiful and efficient in all Swiss regions.

But yellow PostBuses, with their distinct horns (which celebrate their 100 anniversary this year), are true icons. 

The 2,400 PostBus vehicles currently in service cover a network of 936 lines that span almost 17,000 kilometres of picturesque country and mountain roads — so you might say they travel the widths, lengths and heights of the country.

They actually are the best and least expensive way to sightsee in Switzerland.

READ ALSO: How and where can you travel on an iconic Swiss PostBus? 

Now for the less pleasant aspects of being a tourist in Switzerland…

Don’t expect people to queue up

The Swiss may be very orderly and organised in all aspects of their lives, but yet they have never mastered the art of waiting patiently in line.

This is most evident at long queues that typically form at ski lifts, but can also occur anywhere and at any time.

One theory to explain this uncharacteristic behaviour is that the Swiss, who are accustomed to a certain order of things, are awful at handling ‘unusual’ situations like chaos.

READ ALSO: Why don’t the Swiss like to queue? 

Trash

No, we don’t mean that there is garbage strewn in the streets; that would be so unlike Switzerland.

However, you need to be mindful of what you throw out, and where.

Depending on what kind of waste you want to dispose of, you have to find a proper container for that particular object — for instance, you can’t throw out cardboard into a ‘regular’ trash can, as one clueless American found out the hard way:
 
READ ALSO: Zurich to fine American resident for throwing carton into trash

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