Swiss Bliss: Get High On Summer Tranquility And Thrills In Switzerland

Thinking about travel to Europe this summer? I’ll whisper this two-word, game-changing suggestion in your ear: Swiss Bliss. Switzerland is a spectacular vacation escape, promising plentiful pampering, playful diversions, culture (music festivals, art experiences, unique museums—from sports to science, film to food) and stellar gastronomy. Taste Chasselas wine; its white grapes are grown in the terraced Lavaux vineyards along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva, where vintners produce artisanal batches that are rarely exported, so 98 percent of their singular sips can only be savored within the country. Discover abundant natural beauty and peaceful hideaways. Hike Alpine mountains. Swim in glistening lakes. Picnic amid wildflower meadows. For high-speed outings, ample opportunities abound: boating, road cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving and white-water rafting. Transportation within this tidy nation, especially via its SBB trains, is smooth and swift, accessing scores of destinations. (For itinerary details and surprising delights: My Switzerland Tourism.) Internationally renowned for training extraordinary hoteliers, hospitality is a revered profession, which adds smiles to your stay. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations—campgrounds to chalets to castles. If your vacay preference tends toward one-of-a-kind, five-star hotels, this article shines on three favorites, which are among French entrepreneur and winemaker Michel Reybier’s impressive collection of wellness-promoting properties.

Interlaken: Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

In the Bernese Oberland region, which encompasses magnificent pinnacles and turquoise lakes, legendary Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, with 216 guest rooms and suites, sparkles brighter than ever. This Belle Époque resort, dating from the mid-1800s and distinguished for its who’s who history, faces the community green of Interlaken with the Harder Kulm mountain as backdrop. The hotel is at the base of famous Jungfraujoch, a mountain saddle between Jungfrau and Mönch peaks, called the Top of Europe. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a James Bond movie, was filmed at the nearby summit of Schilthorn. A new mountain trail that commences in the vicinity amplifies views of formidable Eiger’s North Face, located a funicular jaunt away. Or rise skyward riding a new Jungfrau Railway on a day trip to the heady altitude of 11,332 feet—a stunning uplift that is home to Europe’s highest train station.

Vibe: Palatial, glamorous, golden. Stroll crystal-chandelier salons with black-and-white checkered marble floors. Elaborate fountains, a roof cupola and expansive terraces dazzle. Eat & Treat Highlights: Executive chef Stefan Beer orchestrates imaginative, artistic fine-dining Radius, which uses the freshest ingredients garnered within approximately 30 miles. Relish, as well, La Terrasse Brasserie (for afternoon tea replete with finger sandwiches and pastries) and the Italian-spirited Ristorante e Pizzeria Sapori (for stone pizzas, seafood and some of Italy’s most flavorful wines). During evenings on Victoria Bar’s terrace, a pianist plays.

Spa & Fitness: The year-round 59,200-square-foot spa wows with an indoor vaulted-ceiling swimming pool and fitness center. During summer, enjoy the hotel’s outdoor saltwater pool, as well as two adjacent glacier lakes, Brienz and Thunersee. There are tennis courts; lessons with a pro coach can be reserved. Pilates, bootcamp, step aerobics, yoga and other classes are offered; free daily group sessions vary. Kid Friendly: Bienehuus (Bee House), the hotel’s two-floor play facility showcases a library of children’s books, music room, creativity studio, relaxation area and multimedia lab.

Geneva: La Réserve Geneva Hotel, Spa & Villa

At the southern end of Lake Geneva and a few miles from the city of Geneva—which itself is surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, with views of Mont Blanc—La Réserve Geneva Hotel, Spa and Villa, designed by Jacques Garcia, is ensconced within a landscaped 10-acre park in the suburb of Bellevue. Its 102 guest rooms and suites exude a quiet sophistication.

Vibe: Tranquil, modern, rejuvenating, verdant. The contemporary decor includes African art motifs and handcrafted woodwork. Eat & Treat Highlights: Executive chef Benjamin Brial is a master at bringing together innovative flavors and leading highly skilled kitchen teams. Le Loti Restaurant & Bar, with deliciously ambitious French and Mediterranean menus, is dressed with an eye-catching elephant wall sculpture and flourishing ferns. For evening entertainment: Live music and DJ spins. Also in the hotel, Le Tsé-Fung is Switzerland’s only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant—outfitted with red velvet chairs, black lacquer screens, gold accents and silk drapery. It is reminiscent of 1930s Shanghai. Shenzhen-born Frank Xu, one of the world’s top chefs, stirs culinary enchantment in Geneva with the same applauded passion that he created years ago when, in Paris, he launched Shang Palace restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, earning it Michelin-star celebrity as well.

Spa & Fitness: The 20,000-square-foot Nescens Spa is Geneva’s largest wellness oasis and a significant draw for guests. Its indoor and outdoor pools are enticing. Summer activities headline tennis and wakeboarding lessons with a two-time World Wakesurf champion. Kid Friendly: La Petite Réserve, a children’s club, features an enormous playground—outdoor wood cabin on stilts and obstacle course with suspension bridge, climbable tree stumps, firefighter’s pole and slide. Fun, hands-on classes, such as pastry-making, engage. Instructors run swimming and diving lessons, as well as programs to overcome fear of water, in the outdoor pool.

Zurich: La Réserve Eden au Lac

La Réserve Eden au Lac—a fabled waterside French Empire-style landmark with heritage that spans more than 100 years—was radically re-designed by French industrial architect Philippe Starck, a perhaps surprisingly bold and edgy choice that turned out to be a brilliant one. Closed for a while to assess its much-needed renovations, the thoughtfully transformed hotel, which Starck envisioned as “an imaginary yacht club,” had a soft-opening during the COVID pandemic and wholly welcomed guests by 2022. He revamped it into the halcyon hot spot in cool Zurich, considered one of Europe’s most livable cites. This inviting, boutique-size retreat—with 40 guest rooms and suites—encourages 360-degree, panoramic gazes of Lake Zurich, a manicured park, forested hills and Zurich’s historical center. A leisurely walk takes you to Pavilion Le Corbusier, the Opera House, Kunsthaus Zurich museum (masterpieces by Van Gogh and Monet) and Bahnhofstrasse, the exclusive shopping street. More than 1,300 public art installations thread visual thrills throughout the city.

Vibe: Restful, chic, intimate, flair-forward. Its pleasures are many, as regulars swoon over the hotel’s hushed in-the-know, seize-the-day appeal. Starck’s signature blend—of neutral earth tones, leathers, metals and mirrors—both energizes and comforts. Lovely are the marble and hardwood floors, wood marquetry, exposed brick walls, iconic blue-and-white-striped window awnings on the lake-facing facade and guest rooms’ private balconies and terraces. Graciousness prevails. People-watching—while indulging in Michel Reybier’s winning wines from his Château Cos d'Estournel estate in France—is a time-honored guest pursuit.

Eat & Treat Highlights: Executive chef Marco Ortolani, from Italy, deftly finesses restaurants at Le Réserve Eden au Lac. The green-tiled, bustling open-kitchen of Eden Kitchen & Bar, serves Italian and French dishes, as well as farther-afield global specialties. La Muña—with superb Peruvian-Japanese menus—tucked within the hotel’s domed roof, evokes the interior of a ship’s hull with nautical photographs and memorabilia on sloping walls. Linger outside, too, on La Muña’s tree-lined roof terrace.

Fitness: Personalized training with a coach or yoga teacher, at the hotel’s fitness hub, can be booked. New in-guest-room massage services use Nescens Spa products. Across the street is Art Nouveau-era Bad Utoquai bathing pavilion, for which the hotel provides its guests with a pass and towels. Stand-up paddle-boards are also available from the hotel, as well as E-bikes. Runners cheer the picturesque shoreline. Kid Friendly: Youths and adults alike are fascinated by Zurich’s charming Medieval neighborhood with its centuries-old houses, churches and fortifications. Join a guided walking tour—through narrow streets, hidden alleys, blooming gardens—to fully appreciate yesteryear’s secrets and lively stories.