The most beautiful parks and gardens Switzerland

What could be more pleasant in summer than a dip in the lake? Parc Bourget is the kingdom of birds and fans of nature and evening parties. The park is also the site of the execution of Major Davel, who was beheaded in 1723 for wanting to free Lausanne from the Bernese yoke and for his insurrection. The entire park is listed as a historic garden. On summer evenings and weekends, many families and groups of friends come to play volleyball, swim in the lake, picnic or barbecue

Discover the botanical treasure trove of the University of Basel, founded in 1589. Nestled near the Spalentor since 1898, its elegant Victorian greenhouse bears witness to its history. With over 8,000 plant species, explore desert ecosystems to alpine gardens. An ideal learning ground for students, its greenhouse collections, including the famous Victoria House, are fascinating. Outside, a diversity of trees invites contemplation!

The museum's collection includes 3,500 fossils, mainly from the canton of Jura, of which almost 400 are displayed in the showcases. For each group, the fossils are compared with related present-day species. The museum is surrounded by the Botanical Garden, the Arboretum and the greenhouses where old Ajoie fruit varieties are kept. It is possible to sign up for thematic tours such as the Dinotec or the Banné excavations. The permanent exhibitions allow you to see the fauna of the Jura up close.

Built on the former bastion when Geneva was dismantling its fortifications, this park has become one of the most popular green spaces in the city. It is here that the first botanical garden was established in 1817 by Augustin-Pyrame de Candolle. About fifty trees, with rare and varied species, remain in this park, which is rich in hundred-year-old trees. An oasis of 6.5 hectares of greenery in the center of the city, it is an essential place for all kinds of activities. Genevans, Plainpalais residents, students, lawyers from neighboring schools, come here to recharge their batteries, take a breath of fresh air and picnic on the deckchairs provided free of charge in summer. There are also the regulars who meet to play their game of chess on the giant checkers located near the Place Neuve. It is the paradise of children who enjoy the swings and the sandbox, it is the historical passage of the marathon runners during the Escalade race in December. And above all, it is home to an unmissable point of Protestant Geneva with the wall of the reformers against the old city walls. The Bastions University in its center dating from 1873, invites scholars and students to come and consult the works of the most important library in Switzerland. The music festival sets up its numerous stages and the city councillors sit in the Eynard Palace (1817). Strollers can stop at the bandstand and have a drink.

Considered one of the most beautiful gardens in the country, this 6-hectare park, the green lung of Lugano on the shores of the lake, is one of the most amazing places in the gulf, with English lawns, palm trees, magnolias and camellias, flower beds and statues. It is home to the historic Villa Ciani, the Palazzo dei Congressi, the pier and the cantonal library. Walking in the park you can enjoy a beautiful view of Lugano and the surrounding mountains: Mount Bre, Mount San Salvatore, but also the town of Campione d'Italia.

One of the meeting points for Genevans - there's almost always something going on here: concerts, festivals, food trucks, the highlight of the Fête de la Musique, ephemeral bars, the site of the Ferris wheel in summer and early autumn, and home to the Geneva Lux light festival in winter. In short, this is a must-see venue for everyone. You won't want to miss it, on the left bank of the lake, next to the Mont-Blanc bridge. A landmark? Parked tourist buses: there you are. Here, you can admire the mosaic of flowers - changing with the seasons - that make up the famous flower clock, or simply relax. You're bound to pass by it on your way to the quays on the way to Eaux Vives beach, and further on to Parc Lagrange and Parc des Eaux Vives, and even further on to Genève Plage. The garden is not lacking in charm and offers a beautiful, shady view of Lake Geneva. Reclaimed from the lake when the harbour was filled in in 1854, it was the city's first English-style park. The writer Dostoyevsky described it as "an ugly little square". It's not lacking in charm, with its bronze fountain (1862), late ^19th-century bandstand, Four Seasons fountain, national monument and pavilion. You're bound to stop here to admire the lake, take a photo of the fountain, enjoy a drink on the summer terrace in the shade or relax on the lawns. Not to be missed; but you won't miss it anyway.

If only for the beauty of its redbark redwoods, its pines and firs and other trees of unique beauty, come and walk in this park. Created in the 16th century, located in the extension of the Lagrange park, it is a marvel. This "ocean of greenery", a true haven of peace, offers an exceptional view of the lake and the Jura. Its name originates from the presence of numerous underground springs that once fed the city. You can relax on the lawns, while children will enjoy the games. You will be able to have a meal.

The brainchild of textile merchant and eccentric traveler Arthur Scherrer (1818-1956), this astonishing park brings together statues and other objets d'art from all over the world, amid lush, exotic vegetation. It's all very romantic. The stroll and the benches where you can rest among the various plants are very pleasant: palms, camellias, wisteria, oleanders, cedars, cypresses, camphor trees and eucalyptus... with a superb view at times of Lake Lugano below. Bonus: why not come by boat from Lugano?

The Mont-Crosin wind farm on Mont-Crosin in the Bernese Jura is the largest wind farm in Switzerland. Operated by Juvent SA, it comprises a total of 16 wind turbines of various types.

Before or after your visit to the Tinguely Museum, a very pleasant stroll is required in this park where it makes good sense to rejuvenate under the centenary trees overlooking the banks of the Rhine. The bravest will find a small staircase and the summer will be thrown into the Rhine to be drifted slowly to the Rheinbrücke or beyond. Don't forget your shirt and your little backpack (the Wieckelfisch) that will serve as a float and in which you will dry your clothes dry (for sale at the OT Basel).

Remarkable, that's the word. Cedars contemporary to their first owners - they are two hundred years old - hundred-year-old oaks, imposing, subjugating by their size, their height and their beauty, a forest of beeches, a rose garden, rhododendrons, the constantly reinvented creativity of the gardeners in the floral arrangements, a lawn that invites to lie down for hours, games that make the happiness of the children... The park of the Grange, adjoining the park of the Eaux-Vives, is a wonder. It offers a real island of coolness during the hottest hours of the summer, a sumptuous stroll in the purple colors of autumn, or an excellent opportunity to take a magnificent stroll, a real haven of peace, all year round, away from the urban frenzy.

Children are not left out, a beautiful playground is dedicated to them, as well as a paddling pool in summer for the youngest.

In summer, the park offers a moment of pure happiness, when you come to listen to a concert under the stars in front of the Ella Fitzgerald stage, to see a show at the Orangerie theater, to read a good book on the greasy lawn in the shade of a hundred-year-old oak tree in front of this spectacular view. Indeed, the park slopes gently down to the lake, dominated by the Jura mountains. You can also relax in the ephemeral "guinguettes" open during the summer season. Thus, you can eat or refresh yourself on the terrace of the "Guinguette" between April and September, and play boules or pétanque. From June onwards, you can eat, drink or listen to music all summer long at the Orangery Theater's refreshment stand.

The park has a long history: since the ^18th century, when it was a private agricultural property belonging to the Lullin family, known as Parc Lagrange, it has welcomed distinguished guests to this holiday site outside the walls of Geneva. More recently, the house hosted Presidents Biden and Putin for a summit in June 2021. Between 1768 and 1773, the family built the mansion in the center of the park. It was transformed by the following owners who embellished the estate with a pond, wide paths, an orangery, a pergola, a creamery and finally the imposing entrance opening onto the quay and the lake. The house still houses a beautiful library.

Nowadays, its outbuildings remain: the stables, the barn, the fountain and the shed. William Favre, the last owner, bequeathed his estate to the city in 1917.

Who thought they'd find an air of Thailand? A Siamese pavilion in this park? In 1818, the owner, banker William Haldimand, turned his estate into a "landscape park". He couldn't resist indulging in the fashion of the day: building the Haldimand Tower, a neo-Gothic edifice dating from 1830. Today, the site retains the signature of an illustrious host. From 1933 to 1951, the Siamese sovereign Bhumibol stayed and studied in Lausanne. To commemorate his stay, he made a gift of a Thai pavilion. A call to the open sea!

Surprising to suggest a visit to a cemetery, but the architect Alphonse Laverrière designed it as a public park. The park is particularly well maintained, with hedges trimmed to the centimetre... Ponds, flowerbeds, beehives - a carefully considered plant decor. A brochure in the reception area lists the personalities buried here, including Pierre de Coubertin, the renovator of the Olympic Games, and Coco Chanel.

Historic site located in a one-hectare park on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Centre général Guisan is a privileged space for meetings, studies and remembrance. The property, then called Verte Rive, was the home, until his death in 1960, of General Guisan, Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Army during the Second World War. Nowadays, the space offers various rooms for rent, and also organises numerous events throughout the year. The military library and the park are also open to the public.

This English-style park surrounds a mansion built for wealthy financier Vincent Perdonnet (1768-1850). The family motto is inscribed on the rear façade: Toujours agité, jamais abattu!

The bourgeois residents of Rue de Bourg often owned a second home outside Lausanne, when the city was still surrounded by fortifications and vineyards (the vineyards belonged to the bishop, then were bought by private individuals, including the city of Lausanne). At the time, these residences were known as "maisons de maître", and the park surrounding them as "campagne". Thus, we also speak of the Désert countryside and the Hermitage countryside.

In front of the house, the Olympic rings on the ground evoke the original headquarters of the Olympic Committee. In 1756, the owner of the property, Philippe de Gentils, Marquis de Langallerie, had a theater built, where Voltaire presented plays during his visits to Lausanne. He also built a "folie". In the ^18th century, this was the name given to holiday homes, with their original, mixed Gothic, Baroque and medieval architectural styles, conducive to daydreaming, gallant encounters and invitations to travel, hidden away in the parks of castles or in the countryside. In fine weather, the pavilion offers light refreshments and pastries.

In summer, concerts and film screenings take place in this superb setting with waterfall, grotto, underground passage and aviary populated by superb macaws.

It's a beautiful park, adorned with magnificent trees, and a great extension to the walk along the road that climbs to the end of the botanical garden. The Penthes estate (owned in 1650 by the lord of Penthaz, hence the name) climbs a hillside, offering spectacular views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. In the center stands the Château de Penthes, a ^19th-century manor house. The Château de Penthes gourmet restaurant offers an escape between Indonesia and Morocco, a stopover in a very pleasant tropical setting!

Multicolored and fragrant, the Rambertia alpine garden intoxicates you with the scent of its thousand alpine flowers and plants, half of which come from other countries in Europe, America, Asia and Nepal in particular. The garden's location, at 1,980 m, on the eastern ridge overlooking the Rochers-de-Naye combe, was chosen for its favorable climate. The garden is dedicated to Eugène Rambert, a Montreux poet. It is accessible via a 400 m path from the terminus of the little train.