Not only is there an array of gourmet cuisine, there is an emphasis on sustainability – or ‘Swisstainability’ – when it comes to Swiss food
Switzerland is home to an extraordinary range of culinary riches, reflecting the diversity of this compact but culturally diverse country. From vineyards worked since the time of the Romans to innovative fine dining at mountaintop restaurants with breathtaking views, visitors can experience the very best of traditional farm fare and Michelin-starred creations.
Throughout the full spectrum of Swiss food and drink you’ll find the imperative for sustainable cultivation and delivery. There is the Swiss branch of the Slow Food movement, which is dedicated to bringing good food to all with a mandate to protect the heritage of biodiversity, culture and knowledge around the cultivation of food.
And then there is the special ProSpecieRara organisation, which is dedicated to preserving the cultural and genetic diversity of plants and animals in Switzerland. This is a country that takes the greatest care over its natural produce, from farm gate to restaurant plate.
Whether you are exploring the mountains and cosmopolitan capitals by car, rail or bicycle, you will find a host of gourmet adventures to pursue. Here is our pick of some of the best events for 2022:
There are 31 restaurants participating in the Maggio Gastronomico Tre Valli e Bellinzonese in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino throughout May. Come for the local flavours, stay for the Unesco World Heritage castles and explore the surrounding wilds of Upper Ticino.
French-speaking Vaud, wrapped around the northern bank of Lake Geneva, is Switzerland’s second-highest wine producing canton after the Valais. On 4-5 June, the local vignerons hold tastings on Open Cellar Day. Come join in the fun as locals cycle from cave to cave, tasting the chasselas, pinot noir, and other locally popular grapes.
Zermatt is not only a beloved ski spot, but home to the country’s highest concentration of serious chefs, and its Taste of Zermatt celebration during the final two weeks of August starts with breakfast and fondue in a gondola, with a Kitchen Party and the Horuguet Hike for mountain restaurant tastings to follow.
Come to the banking capital of Zurich from 8-18 September and you can jump into one of the 100 culinary events that make up Food Zurich – from kitchen battles to professional cookery courses to guided tours of the city’s haute cuisine scene.
At verve by sven, the restaurant with a Michelin star at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, all ingredients are sourced from sustainable agriculture and fair trade. The spa in the attached hotel is unmissable, and is one of Switzerland’s very best.
In the north of Switzerland, looming over picturesque Lake Constance, you will find the organic Restaurant Schloss Wartegg, featuring seasonal menus that change weekly.
Nestled in Rickenback, just north of Lake Lucerne, the young team at Magdalena turn out innovative cuisine that draws almost entirely from local producers.
Catering equally well for both omnivores and herbivores, Zurich’s EquiTable puts the emphasis on local producers, neatly weaving their stories into the proceedings with dishes that have earned them a Michelin star.
The elegant three Michelin-star restaurant at Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau, also has a green Michelin star for sustainability. The brilliant Andreas Caminada, who by the age of 33 had earned his Michelin stars, is chef de cuisine and his admired by fellow chefs and all who have enjoyed his food over the years. The castle is also known for its impeccable service.
Combining the country’s railway heritage with its sweet tooth – the Swiss eat more chocolate per capita than any other nation – come board the Chocolate train, which runs between Montreux and the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc.
Take to the open roads in Ticino on the Bike ‘n’ wine tour in Mendrisiotto, where you will find around 90 per cent of the local vineyards planted with merlot, and serving up delicious local salami and cheeses to pair with the wines.
Once a week through the summer, the secrets of raclette cheese are revealed by the side of the Balavaux’s alpine pastures, with a tour of the cheese cellars and tastings of the best of the local cheeses in Nendaz, all wrapped up as part of the Life in the alpine pastures experience.
This cousin of gruyere is produced just to the south, in canton Vaud, in the summer months when the cows are high in the alps. Visitors have the opportunity to see how this nutty hard cheese is made in What a cheese – l’Etivaz AOP.
Tuck into glühwein and fondue while travelling around Zurich on the Fondue Tram, past the city’s prettiest sights.
Take in the jaw-dropping panoramic views from the iconic Glacier Express, crossing 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels between St Moritz and Zermatt while dining on a seven-course menu in the Excellence Class carriage.
Switzerland is easily reachable via train from London or by Swiss International Air Lines. And once you land, the famously efficient public transport will take you the regions you want to visit by train, bus or boat using the Swiss Travel Pass, available from the Switzerland Travel Centre.
Discover Switzerland for yourself at myswitzerland.com.
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