Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

CAMPING

The essential info you should know if you’re camping in Switzerland

With a warm and dry summer on the cards, there's the temptation to pack a tent or a campervan and head for the mountains. However, before you go setting up camp, there's things you need to know.

Published: 4 July 2024 12:46 CEST
The essential info you should know if you're camping in Switzerland
So-called 'wild camping' in permitted in many Swiss cantons - however, you'll need to be above the treeline. Photo: Dino Reichmuth / Unsplash

The Swiss are enthusiastic campers, and the numbers support it.

A 2023 Autoscout24 study found there were 99 registered campervans for every 10,000 residents – more than in outdoor-mad Germany and Austria. 

Furthermore, the Swiss camping market is projected to be worth approximately 62 million Swiss francs by 2028.

However, before you head off into the wild, it’s really important to know where you are permitted to park your van or pitch a tent. 

Not only does this keep you on the right side of the law, but it keeps you safe and protects the country’s unique ecosystems. 

Can I camp anywhere I like? 

No, you cannot. 

So-called ‘wild camping’ is prohibited in national parks, wildlife reserves, and hunting zones on a federal level, and severe fines can be imposed on violators.

Where else it is permitted depends on geography. 

Switzerland’s cantons use the treeline as the dividing line when it comes to permitted  camping areas.

This is where mountain forests end and Alpine meadows, rocky bluffs and mountain tops begin. 

This is not a constant, due to the landscape, but it roughly exists at 2,200 metres above sea level. 

READ MORE: Reader question: Is wild camping allowed in Switzerland

Camping below the treeline outside of designated zones is forbidden in the cantons of Appenzell Inner Rhodes, Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Basel-Land, Basel-City, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Glarus, Graubünden, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Ticino, Uri, Vaud, Valais, Zurich, and Zug.

Above the treeline, wild camping is permitted, – but there are some important things you will need to take into consideration.

First, most cantonal regulations state that you can only stay in the same place one night before moving on. 

Police can and will come and move you on if locals begin to complain that you’ve set up in the same place for a number of days. 

Second, if you’re traveling with a campervan,  only the cantons of Aargau and Obwalden permit you to park outside of a specified campervan parking area, and only then for one night. 

Elsewhere, the Park4Night app is a good way for those on four wheels to find places to park overnight for free or at very low cost, without breaking the law. 

If I’m camping above the treeline, what do I need to consider?

There are two major considerations when seeking the perfect camping spot in the mountains. 

The first is care for the environment. The Swiss are an environmentally-conscious people and there are already concerns about the human impact of camping in Switzerland. 

The Swiss Alpine Club recommends that you avoid setting up camp at times such as dusk, when many wildlife species become active.

They also advise either avoiding an open fire, or only using established fire pits – while the mountains may not seem to be the kind of area wildfires break out, they can and do happen.  

Finally, campers should abide by the principle of ‘leave nothing but your footprints’. Litter and waste left by humans can be a huge risk to native fauna through toxic substances, disease and choking hazards. 

It’s not just general good advice – if you’re caught wild camping and littering, you could receive a fine of up to 10,000 Swiss francs. 

The second consideration is safety. As a mountainous country, Switzerland poses unique risks for those staying outdoors.

Even with established and regulated campsites, one in three lie in close proximity to a risk zone for landslides and floods. 

READ MORE: Over 100 Swiss campgrounds at ‘serious risk’ of flooding

Many foreigners are unaware of the risks, with nearly two thirds of the 114 who died in mountain accidents in 2023 being foreigners. 

Website MySwissAlps shares some important tips for those who want to spend a few nights under the stars in a tent above the treeline.  

It warns campers to avoid the bottom of slopes where falling rocks can debris can settle if there is a sudden earth movement. 

Camping in close proximity to a river or stream can also be risky: sudden rain storms can lead to a rush of water than can sweep tents away.

Ridges are also a danger zone, as they can be exposed to lightning strikes. 

READ MORE: How to keep safe and avoid problems when hiking in the Swiss Alps

Additionally, it’s crucial to ensure you’re not straying into somebody’s private property – this will usually be signposted.

One good alternative to hunting for a campsite in the mountains is to use the Nomady platform, that matches campers with property owners for little to no fee.

This way you can be sure that you’re camping legally, and your host can also often offer good tips for sightseeing. 

Finally, in an emergency and you need shelter, it’s always permissible to ‘bivouac’ or stay in place overnight – you’ll just have to move on the next morning. 

That’s a little bit too much for me – where do most Swiss camp? 

The majority of Swiss choose to use one of 444 registered campgrounds to be found across the country. These range from a few spaces on the edge of town to huge camping parks. 

Often in proximity to areas of natural beauty, they also often feature facilities such as toilets, showers, barbecues and electrical sockets. You will be paying around twenty dollars a night for the privilege. 

Camping portal Camping.info has a directory of over three hundred of the most popular, including reviews and booking information. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

DISCOVER SWITZERLAND

Five ‘overrated’ Swiss tourist destinations and their alternatives

Switzerland is a country of spectacular landscapes and captivating cultural heritage. That doesn’t mean that some of the famous sights that attract hordes of visitors can’t become a little 'tired'.

Published: 5 July 2024 16:47 CEST
Five 'overrated' Swiss tourist destinations and their alternatives

Let’s be clear, the Swiss destinations that bring tourists in their hordes do so because they are undeniably unique and impressive.

However, sometimes they can become a bit much – loud, noisy and expensive.  

When that happens, it’s time to freshen things up and consider alternatives to the places that are heaving with busloads of arrivals. 

Here are five Swiss destinations that could be described as overrated – and five places to head instead. 

Don’t go to Interlaken, go to Thun

Yes, Interlaken may be the ideal gateway to the Berner Oberland. Still, that convenient location makes it such a heavily trafficked tourist hub, with constant busloads of tourists arriving and heading off on the train to the Jungfraujoch or other (crowded) natural beauty spots. 

Consequently, there’s an abundance of stores selling tacky souvenirs and eateries that don’t represent the best of what’s locally available. 

Thun, 30 kilometres to the east on the shores of the lake of the same name, is arguably just as convenient and accessible by public transport. 

Choosing Thun has the added benefit of a picturesque old town, a stunning castle straight out of a fairy tale and most importantly, not as many crowds! 

Staying in Thun also gives a great base to visit several gorgeous villages such as Aeschi and Krattigen.

Don’t go to Zermatt, go to Bettmeralp

Zermatt is another destination that has gained a reputation as crowded and expensive, focused almost entirely on getting people up the Matterhorn and surrounding ski slopes. 

Sure, it’s beautiful, but it’s also a place where few opportunities are missed to squeeze some extra francs out of wealthy visitors.

If you’re okay with the mighty Matterhorn being slightly further in the distance, Bettmeralp is a great alternative, 48 kilometres south. 

Not only can you still see the iconic mountain from the village, but the Aletsch Glacier is also a striking sight.

You’ll have the same feeling of being on top of the world staying in Bettmeralp, but you’ll also find that it’s a heck of a lot less expensive and much, much quieter. 

In summer, there are beautiful hiking trials, including some that wind through the country’s oldest forests. 

If you’re a winter sports fanatic, rest easy – there are over 104 kilometres of pristine ski slopes throughout the Alesch Arena. 

Don’t go to the Rhine Falls, go to the Staubach Falls

The Rhine Falls are Europe’s most powerful waterfalls, and it’s hard to argue they’re not an incredible sight.

The problem is, that they’re an incredible sight that is relatively accessible, not to mention close to the German border. 

Once the Romantic poets and painters of the nineteenth century discovered it, it became what could charitably be described as a tourist trap, surrounded by overpriced eateries. 

If it’s nature’s untamed ferocity and grandeur in waterfall form that you’re craving, Staubach Falls is the place to be. 

One of 72 waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, high in the Berner Oberland, water cascades 297 metres down the steep valley walls, before billowing into the air as clouds of spray.

It’s an incredible sight, inspiring Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to write his ‘Song of the Spirits over the Water’.

The falls are around a five-minute walk from the incredibly pretty village of Lauterbrunnen, and they can be seen from almost anywhere in the community. 

Don’t go to Jungfraujoch, go to Schilthorn

So, you’ve arrived at Europe’s highest train station. Awesome. Now what? 

Okay, maybe we’re exaggerating a little, but the Jungfraujoch is an example of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous maxim: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” 

Magnificent climb, but what then? 

While fhere are eateries, the Ice Palace and the Sphinx Observatory’s viewing platform, we think that the Schilthorn, 11 kilometres west, is a better proposition.

There’s no railway – rather a cable car – but movie fans will quickly learn arriving at Piz Gloria that this was where memorable scenes from the James Bond film, ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ were filmed. 

Indeed, there’s a (highly interactive) museum dedicated to the film up there, as well as a unique curved panoramic cinema showing parts of the film.

Of course, there’s more than just the Bond connection to keep visitors entertained. 

Alongside the Skyline viewing platform where you can capture amazing images of the nearby Eiger, there are also lounges where you can enjoy the pure mountain air. 

Slightly down the mountain at Birg, there’s also a Thrill Walk to test your mettle, and a short hike to the Birg Grauseeli, a photographer’s paradise. 

Don’t go Zurich, go to Basel

Zurich is expensive – The Local has written extensively on that point, including an analysis that found a three-day stay could easily cost over a thousand euros. 

It has outstanding museums and galleries, wonderful food and a world-class cultural scene, but is it the best bang for your hard-earned buck?

We’d suggest Basel. 87 kilometres west, is a better choice. 

Like Zurich, the city is packed with museums and art galleries – there are forty throughout the city and surrounding area. 

Basel’s also a centre for fine dining, shaping foodie trends throughout the country and beyond.

What Basel has over Zurich is an Altstadt or Old Town with more charm and character than that to be found in the country’s financial heart. 

With ancient towers, a venerable minster and several important historic sights, you won’t be short of things to explore.

Do you have any overrated tourist destinations you would add to the list? Have we got it wrong, and there are better alternatives to the ones we’ve listed? Let us know in the comments. 

SHOW COMMENTS