A plant-lover's guide to visiting Switzerland

Last summer I was lucky to tour a handful of the best hotspots Switzerland has to offer plant lovers. These included botanic gardens on mountaintops, secluded islands, private residences filled by years of devotion, and traditional farmhouse parterres brimming with edible crops and floriferous outpourings of annuals. This trip opened my eyes to a rich horticultural scene in a country already renowned for having nature at its fingertips.

Armed with a First Class Swiss Travel Pass, I had unlimited access to travel by train, bus and boat throughout the country. Between destinations, the journeys across regions came with the joy of awe-inspiring views across perfect turquoise lakes, snow-capped mountains and an abundance of vineyards. I was in Switzerland to visit gardens but I could not help but be immersed in the landscape at every moment. These are some of the unmissable horticultural jewel-filled landmarks I had the privilege to experience.

1 Brissago Islands – Lake Maggiore, Canton of Ticino

For any plant lover a visit to a botanic garden on your travels is a must, but this one, on a secluded island on Lake Maggiore, is particularly alluring. Brissago Island, formerly a private island well-known for its extraordinary past, is split in two. One larger island is a paradise of cultivated subtropical plants open to the public, and the smaller is a protected island for rare and native species. Originally designed by the Russian baroness Antoinette Saint-Léger and further built upon by Max Emden, the garden boasts its own microclimate, with zones devoted to Mediterranean, South African and Central American plants, as well as the Far East and New Zealand. Your submersion into these countries and continents via their native plants is only heightened by the maturity and intimacy of a garden steeped in grandeur and expertise. Intrigue builds as you turn each corner and wonder what new and wonderful plant you will be greeted by next, like the cypress trees that have you looking up in wonder, or the grevillea setting the garden’s temperate tone.

Where to eat

Dine on the island at Ristorante Isole di Brissago. A beautiful restaurant with neo-classical details and stunning views of the garden, I would recommend a visit to the island for the restaurant alone.

Where to stay

Treat yourself to a stay in the Hotel Belvedere. Impeccable service and with a restaurant with superb views of Locarno and Lake Maggiore.

2 Chapel Bridge, Lucerne, Canton of Lucerne

Pelargoniums are prevalent across Switzerland, appearing in the window boxes of chalets and homes as well as adorning the cultural landmarks of cities. Lucerne’s Chapel Bridge would not be the same without the joyful, overflowing statement red, pink, white and lime green of its annual display. This iconic and shamelessly photogenic bridge is worth strolling on for its planting display alone. Best visited from July to September, the knowledge that these plants are grown locally and subsequently composted by the city of Lucerne’s Parks and Gardens Department, shows a sustainable, circular approach to municipal displays.

Where to eat

Maybe not the obvious choice of restaurant when visiting Switzerland, but Izakaya Nozomi, a Japanese restaurant in the city centre, is beyond delicious. I would visit Lucerne again solely for another evening in this restaurant.

3 Schynige Platte

This mountaintop alpine garden is reached by a slow chugging, nostalgic train. As you reach the top you realise it’s far from the modern botanic gardens we know around the world; it’s one like no other, confident in its own unique locality, littered with passion and formed by years of expert knowledge. While avidly studying the carpet of alpine species to be admired, including gentian, bellflowers and, probably the most famous Swiss alpine, edelweiss, you are continuously struck by the setting. The colossal, far-reaching views across the Bernese Alps turn the garden visit into an emotional experience filled with wonder. A must-visit and once you’ve caught the Swiss travel bug, a place to return to on subsequent trips.

Where to stay

Berghotel Schynige Platte is a mountaintop hotel offering fantastic views into the Bernese Oberland decorated authentically with the old-fashioned feel of a 100-year-old hotel. Take the opportunity to rise early and catch the sunrise over three of the Bernese Alps’ most famous peaks: Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

4 The tiered gardens of Minster Terrace, Bern

With views across the Aare River and Bern’s Matte neighbourhood, the Minster Terrace is the perfect spot to take in the city. In the shade of towering chestnut trees, commonly known in Switzerland as “bread trees” for their links to supporting the poor, it’s here that you can clearly see how green space and biodiversity holds value in this historic medieval city. Elbows resting on the terrace edge, you get a glimpse into the horticultural world of the residences below. Tiers of linear and bountiful flower, herb and vegetable beds, climbers covering every inch of the terrace walls and an abundance of fruit trees growing as a patchwork. The place had a murmur of slow activity, the maturity of years of growth on its side and a vibrancy and connection to growing that every city needs. The experience of Bern was like that of visiting an old friend and watching people potter among the plots, tending to the same plants that can be seen in remote countryside gardens, revealing the same need to nurture and grow right in the heart of the city, too.

5 Lavaux, Vineyard

Discover the vineyards of Lavaux from Vevey, a short stop from Montreux, with a guided tour from Walkandtalk set against the backdrop of Lake Geneva. Be prepared for some thigh-burning action as you ascend through terrace upon terrace of impeccably pruned grapes, while hearing about the unique growing conditions that makes this Unesco heritage site famous for its wine. The steep landscape works in the crops’ favour by soaking in the sun’s rays, as well as through the heat stored in the vast lengths of dry-stone walls that also double up as biodiverse habitats for wildlife.

After uncovering the horticultural side of the vineyards, it is only right to finish the day by descending and sampling the wine in one of the many small, traditional village restaurants, or making use of the street-side chillers full of perfectly chilled, crisp wine.

Where to stay

Situated in the heart of Montreux, the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic offers lakeside and alpine views with an emphasis on the health and well-being of its guests to create a restful and comfortable environment.

Where to eat

The Garden on the Lake (Hôtel Bon Rivage) is a delicious restaurant with lakeside views and fresh produce cut straight from the kitchen garden.

MFO Park, Zurich

Scale the dizzying heights of the MFO Park for rooftop views across the city while taking in the beguiling assortment of climbers as you ascend. Marking the former site of the Swiss engineering company Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO), the double walled steel framework is covered by climbing roses, clematis, wisteria, Vitis, Fallopia and more, and is a masterpiece in how to use climbers for impact in a public space. 

It is unreservedly different from a regular municipal park, where the only vertical elements are some trees or a pergola here and there. The sheer scale of the frame allows these climbers to grow to their full capacity with freedom to push higher than we regularly see. I managed to visit in summer, seeing the rambling verdant greens, but can imagine the joy of witnessing the fresh foliage push through in Spring and the red hues of Autumn as the vertical park transforms throughout the year. 

Climb to the viewing platform at the top for a great spot for a glass of something as the sun goes down and for views across Zürich-Nord, and rest at one of the many integrated balconies on each level to marvel at its award-winning design or take the opportunity to visit during one of their staged events or festivals. 

Where to stay and eat

In the centre of Zurich, the 25hours Hotel Zurich Langstrasse is the perfect place to stay while taking in the city. With creative, playful styling this hotel is a marvellous escape and a trainspotters’ dream with panoramic views from a sauna across the train tracks that feed into Zurich main station. Conveniently, it is also an ideal spot to eat, drink and gather at its built-in restaurant, NENI or Cinchona bar.

For more, visit The Swiss Sanctuary on the RHS Virtual Chelsea Flower Show

Find Lilly on Instagram @lillygomm

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