4 days in Switzerland - recommendations?

[bottersnikes]

We're hoping to get away for some child-free days this summer and are considering Switzerland (by train!)
We love wandering around looking at architecture, museums, art, that kind of thing and would love to explore a new city together.
We're thinking about Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne; would anyone particularly recommend any of these or anywhere else in Switzerland?

All suggestions appreciated! :)

Recently stayed three nights in Zurich and caught the train to Lucerne. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The trains were super efficient and easy to use. You'll have a wonderful time.

Basel if you want museums and architecture, Bern or Lucerne if you want scenery and mountain trips.

Bern is really nice and easy to get around.

It's looking like Zurich or Bern, or a combination of the two. Redzer, do you have any hotel recommendations in Zurich?

We stayed at the Best Western Hotel Zucherhof which is just over the bridge and around the corner from the train station. Not too expensive, we booked via bookings.com. Nice and clean and modern. Never got round to the breakfasts so can't comment on that but plenty of trip advisor reviews to check out. Hotel is attached to a fondue restaurant (they are everywhere) so only downside was a faint whiff of cheese at times! Lots of central hotels to choose from though. Enjoy you're break away. I'd love to go back.

Zurich over bern any day (I live in Zurich so may be biased!). In Zurich I would suggest for day one a slow still through the Niederdorf and end at the grossmunster, if you're feeling energetic you can climb to the top of the tower. Cross he river to the fraumunster and step inside to take a look at the Chegal Windows. Take a boat trip on the lake down to rapper sail, it's a really cute lakeside town. Take a glass of prosecco at the Jules Verne bar for a panoramic view of the city and finish up with a cheese fondue at the Walliserkeller (book in advance). Day two: train to Luzerne, wander around the old town and take pictures on the wooden bridge, if you can face another boat trip the view is different to Zurich and also stunning. You can also do some mountain trips from Luzerne but they are super expensive. As alternative I would suggest on day three getting the train to Unterwasser in St Gallen and going up to Chaeserrugg (www.chaeserrugg.ch). Beautiful panoramic views of the Alps and a nice restaurant with log fire or a terrace of the sun is shining. Accommodation will vary depending on price but generally very expensive. Try air B and B or wimdu.ch.

Autocorrect obviously doesn't like Germanic place names. The small lakeside town is rapperswil not rappers sail!

Thank you, some brilliant ideas there! I'm really excited already :)

I lived in Geneva for several years. It's very nice but very quiet compared to Zurich and Lausanne. So I would tend towards those two instead. Have a great time! Gruyeres for the cheese factory and views and Bulle for the cailler chocolate factory are nice day trips on the train!

The Basel Kunstmuseum is one of my favourites and you can go swimming in the river in summer, it's super fun!

If you like chocolate the Lindt and Sprungli factory in Kilchberg does tours and tastings midweek. You can get there easily by boat and/or bus from Zurich. The Rheinfalls lie between Zurich and Basel.

We liked both Basel and Bern - if you go to Basel I'd recommend staying at The Passage, and Hotel Allegro for Bern. Most hotels will give you a free travel card for the trams. The trains are great - easy to find your way around - check out the Swiss travel passes.