You might be thinking about planning a vacation in Switzerland, and a trip to Switzerland isn’t complete without at least one visit to a fairytale Swiss Alps village. When I hiked the Haute Route Alps trail, I stayed in a different Swiss mountain village every night as I traveled along the route from Chamonix to Zermatt. They were some of the most beautiful villages in Europe! The abundance of public transportation in Switzerland is impressive, so you can reach any of these small towns without private transportation. It’s so easy to take a train or a bus to the Alps! If you are planning a trip, and wondering where to stay in Switzerland, give some of these Swiss mountain Villages a look.

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Arolla

Arolla is an “end of the road’ village, tucked away at the end of a gorgeous mountain valley. It lies in the Val d’Hérens, above the equally charming villages of Evolène and Les Haudères. Situated at the foot of the Arolla glacier, this Swiss Alps village is the starting point for many mountain adventures, including over 50 hikes. There are 100km of mountain biking trails and just as many ski trails for winter sports. My mid-August visit coincided with the Midsummer fête in Evolène, so Arolla had nightly performances in the square outside my hotel, featuring dance troupes from around the world.

• How to get to Arolla: From Sion, take the 381 Post-Bus to Les Haudères, where you will transfer to the 382 Post-Bus to Arolla.
• Where to stay in Arolla: Hotel du Glacier has lovely rooms with nice balconies and some of the best mountain views from the trip. And that’s saying a lot!

Champex-Lac

Located in the Canton of Valais, Champex, or Champex Lac sits on the shores of Lac Champex. I found Champex to be a perfect size Swiss village – enough to do and see, but not too big so that it’s swarming with people. You can purchase a tourist card at your hotel for reduced admission to local attractions, including the chairlift, an alpine garden, and the St. Bernard Dog Museum. (Still mad I didn’t have time to visit the puppies!) Champex is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with hiking, skiing, paragliding, and water sports on the lake!

• How to get to Champex Lac: From Martigny, take a train to Sembrancher, followed by a train to Orsières. From Orsières, take the 271 bus to Champex-Lac.
• Where to stay in Champex Lac: Hotel Splendide is a beautiful inn with good food within walking distance of everything in the village.

Champex is also an easy day trip from both Lausanne (90 km) or Geneva (150 km.) It is a 90-minute train ride from Martigny.

Grimentz

Grimentz is a medieval farming village that has grown into a popular ski and hiking resort, while still maintaining its small village charm. Old Town Grimentz was another favorite Swiss Alps village on my trip, in part because of the Lac de Moiry. I took more pictures on this day than any other, thanks to the breathtaking scenery of the surrounding mountains and the incredible color of the water in the lake. The Post-Bus routes in this region make it an excellent option for those who want to get out and explore.

• How to get to Grimentz: From Sierre, take the 451 Post-Bus to Vissoie, then transfer to the 452 or 456 to Grimentz.
• Where to stay in Grimentz: Hotel de Moiry is centrally located above a lively bar/restaurant within walking distance of everything in town

Les Haudères

Les Haudères is just down the road from Arolla, and you will pass through it if visiting Arolla. For a home base in this area, Les Haudères is a bit bigger than Arolla so you’ll find more services, even a gas station/grocery. Les Haudères is also a popular destination for climbers, thanks to the close proximity to the glaciers of several 4000-meter peaks bordering nearby Italy.

• How to get to Les Haudères: From Sion train station, take the 381 Post-Bus.
• Where to stay in Les Haudères: Hotel Les Mélèzes is a quiet, family-run hotel with quaint rooms

Trient

Just over the hill from Chamonix, France is the tiny Swiss town of Trient. With only a few guest houses, there isn’t much going on in Trient, but hikers will love it. Trient is a popular stop on the Tour du Mont Blanc as well as the Haute Route, so you will likely want reservations in the summer.

• How to get to Trient: From Martigny, take the 213 Post-Bus.
• Where to stay in Trient: Hotel La Grande Ourse – offers private rooms as well as a dormitory. WiFi in the lobby only, not in the guest rooms. I had a private bedroom; the bath/shower was in the bedroom, but the toilet was down the hall.

Verbier

Verbier is one of the largest villages I stayed in, as well as the ritziest. Verbier is a pretty popular Swiss ski resort, and definitely had that year-round ski-town vibe that I love so much, even in the summer! As a larger town, Verbier would be a great base for an extended stay in the Swiss Alps. There are several chairlifts from the town center that take you up to magnificent hiking trails, and a few mountain huts in the area as well, including the Cabane de Louvie where I hiked the following day. Aside from Zermatt, Verbier had some of the best hiking scenery of the trip. (I mean, it was all spectacular, but if I had to pick…)

• How to get to Verbier: From Martigny, take the train to Le Châble, where you’ll hop on the cable car up to Verbier.
• Where to stay in Verbier: Hotel de Verbier – great location in the center of town, walkable to grocery, restaurants, and the gondolas. I’ve been following the W Verbier on Instagram and it definitely looks like a cool place to stay as well!

Zermatt

Ah, Zermatt. I have such a fond memory of Zermatt, perhaps because it came at the end of my hike, where a luxury hotel and a spa visit were waiting for me. Perhaps it was the adorable electric cars and the car-free streets. I’m not sure if Zermatt is technically a village, but it’s an incredibly charming small town with so much to offer, from gourmet restaurants to world-class hiking and ski resorts in the shadow of the Matterhorn. If I could only recommend one Swiss Alps village for you to visit, it would be Zermatt!

• How to get to Zermatt: From Visp, the train is one hour to Zermatt
• Where to stay in Zermatt: Hotel La Ginabelle I loved this spot with spectacular views of the Matterhorn. It was a great place to end my Swiss Alps adventure!

Switzerland Travel Tips

Most, if not all, of the hotels listed, offer a full-pension (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) or half-board (breakfast and dinner) which is the best option for hikers unless you want a lunch packed for you to take on the trail. The pension is good for one-night stays such as mine, but if staying more than one night, I would not choose to eat at my hotel for every meal.

For transportation planning on the go, Rome2Rio.com was a lifesaver for me. It has all the public transit routes, and was surprisingly accurate for every route I selected! If you don’t want to change hotels every night, you can visit many of these locations on a day trip from nearby cities.

Are these the most picturesque villages in Switzerland? I won’t know until I’ve visited them all! I still need to see the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Jungfrau mountain region, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lake Thun and so many more! Switzerland has such an abundance of natural beauty, I have a feeling it’s hard to find an ugly spot in Switzerland!

Before you go, check out these fun facts about Switzerland, and my travel tips for what to pack for hiking the Swiss Alps!