15+ Sunny Sides of Switzerland That Make You Want to Stay

Jump directly to the part “The Zurich Coffee Place Recommendations”, updated 29.5.2025

What are the best things about where you live?

By listing the positives of your living place, you gain a helpful perspective that lets you see the good around you. The list can be especially useful when you’re struggling with your current location, serving as a reminder of the upsides and may also be valuable for those considering visiting or moving to where you live!

15+ things I appreciate about Switzerland

+ NATURE

Hello to all the gorgeous mountains, lakes, forests, rivers, and jaw-dropping views! We are constantly fascinated by Switzerland’s landscape. I’ve heard people describe this country as “annoyingly beautiful,” and I have to agree—it often looks like something straight out of a fairy tale.

Over 60% of Switzerland is mountainous, 25% forested, and 6% covered by lakes and glaciers. The mountains make you feel small in a healthy way, and the clear waters are constantly calling your name.

Did you know that the highest mountain in Switzerland (and the second-highest in the Alps) is Monte Rosa? Its peak, Dufourspitze, is 4,634 meters high. The most iconic mountain, the Matterhorn (the one on the Toblerone package), is not much shorter at 4,478 meters.

Many people in Switzerland also seem to deeply value nature and spend a lot of time outdoors. Natural materials are appreciated and widely used — for example, playground structures are often made of wood and designed to fit the landscape.

+ VIEWS
It’s no coincidence that people seek beautiful scenery. Aesthetic surroundings play an important role in well-being. Thanks to its natural beauty and varied altitudes, Switzerland is packed with spectacular vistas. Many homes, especially those on hillsides, come with breathtaking views.

+ COUNTLESS PLACES TO VISIT
There are numerous charming towns, historical sites, mountains, lakes, and hiking routes to explore — and many are reachable fairly quickly.

+ TRAINS
Switzerland has been ranked first among European rail systems for its intensity of use, safety, and quality of service. The trains are clean, punctual, and often offer stunning window views!

+ DIVERSE CLIMATES AND LANDSCAPES
While Switzerland generally has a temperate climate, it ranges from icy, snowy mountaintops to areas with near-Mediterranean climate and palm trees. If it’s raining where you are, you can often find clear skies nearby — sometimes just by heading to the closest mountain.

+ CENTRAL LOCATION
From the heart of Central Europe, it’s easy to visit neighboring countries like France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. And it’s just as convenient for others to visit you.

+ DELICACIES
Mouth-watering chocolate, cheese, pastries, and seasonal dishes… Yum!

+ MULTICULTURALISM
Switzerland is a mix of cultures, traditions, and languages (German/Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romansh are the official ones). The experiences can vary greatly depending on the region. For example, visiting Lago Maggiore in Ticino feels very different from seeing the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen — even though they’re only 200 kilometers apart.

+ SAFETY
The Global Peace Index ranked Switzerland as the 6th safest country in the world, and the 5th least-corrupt (updated in 2025).

+ RELIABILITY
Punctuality and reliability are highly valued. If you happen to lose your wallet, Switzerland is one of the best places for it as studies show high rates of returned lost wallets.

+ FOUR SEASONS, WELL-TIMED
Switzerland offers a long, warm summer, a vibrant spring and autumn, and a true winter with snowy mountains or sunny southern escapes. Plenty of lovely swimming spots in summer, winter skiing, autumn colours, and spring flowers.

+ CLEAN AIR AND WATER, COMPARED TO MANY OTHER PLACES
Switzerland is one of the cleanest countries in the world.

+ ‘SHOPLESS’ SUNDAYS. Naturally there is also another side to this, but the shops being closed on Sundays have certainly saved me from many not-absolutely-necessary buyings and encouraged me to go exploring outdoors instead of stores.

+ PRECISION, MAINTENANCE AND CLEANLINESS. May not sound as the most exciting words, but doing things properly and keeping things in good condition can improve the quality of life and the state of the environment. Naturally these things (as many others) are also related to wealth – it’s easier to maintain things if you have means to do so.

+ As they say, also the Swiss flag is a huge plus! 😉

And when I zoom into my current home city Zurich, I can see…

+ THE NATURE SPOTS NEARBY. For example, even though we live quite close to the city center, the forests, fields and the lake are in a walking distance. Zurich is surrounded by small mountains, highest of them being Uetliberg (869 m).

+ SCENERY. Zurich looks like a postcard with the church towers, waters and alpine views.

+ TRAMS, FERRIES AND OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORT. The well functioning public transport, ‘öffis’, allows us to live comfortably without a car. Besides the basic trams, there are also a fondue tram, a cocktail bar tram and a Christmas time tram where Santa is the driver. I especially like the funiculars which offer a fun and scenic way to travel up and down the hills.

+ LOCAL SCHOOLS. At least we have been very happy with ours. Also the local DaZ (German as second language) ‘integration program’ was very helpful. It teaches kids subjects in German for one year before they change to the nearest local school.

+ DIFFERENT AREAS WITH DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERES. Ranging from Paradeplatz surroundings with neatly dressed bankers to totally different vibe of the ‘club street’ Langstrasse area, and many in between.

+ OLD BUILDINGS WITH STORIES TO TELL AND BEAUTY TO OFFER. On many streets of Zurich you feel like walking in an architectural candyland – the colors, shapes and details of the houses look just delicious. Before moving to Zurich I didn’t know that many buildings’ roofs are used as terraces. They are perfect for relaxing, having a bbq with and for watching the ever-changing scenery or the shooting stars in the night sky. There are also restaurants’ roof terraces to enjoy.

+ OUTDOOR SWIMMING CULTURE. “Zurich, city of water par excellence, where bathing is a cult.” as they aptly say at www.zuerich.com. It’s been a positive surprise how many swimming places there are, around the lake Zurich and river Limmat – and also the 18 open air swimming sites, ‘badis’, provided by the city of Zurich.

+ STAIRS. Climbing the many stairs in the city can keep you in better shape.

+ WATER FOUNTAINS. You can drink water from the 1,200 fountains of Zurich, many of them are also beautiful works of art.

+ COFFEE PLACES. Not all cafés here serve tasty coffee in a cosy and friendly atmosphere but luckily more and more of them do – such as these coffee places that I’ve been visiting and usually enjoying:

In the city center:
Café Noir only a few tables inside, a small nice yard, located close to my favorite second hand shop Zuercher Brockenhaus
Kraftwerk cozy, a bit dark, relaxed
Lycka a nice, not too small place, terraces on two sides, plus there might be Scandinavian cinnamon buns.
Milchbar a beautiful inner yard by a fountain, a small space indoors
Le Raymond Bar a nice location next to Schanzengraben canal
Café Henrici in the middle the old town of Zurich, varying service, terrace too
Babu’s central location, a cute place but often crowded
Monocle café tasty coffee, Monocle kind of vibe, the area is not too relaxed though
The Studio a good location close to opera house, special: one can see into the radio studio /broadcasting
Mame high quality coffee
apoTHEKE cozy, also a few tables outside, a nice area not far from ETH
Coworking Lounge Tessinerplatz good coffee, also coworking space
Kafi Dihei cute, cozy ‘granny’s living room’ vibes, varying service, outdoors tables too
Hiltl Dachterrasse airy, easy location, delicious food too
Kornsilo industrial vibe, spacious, located near Lake Zurich

A bit further from the city center:
Kafi Freud cozy, friendly, plants but often crowded
Spheres closet to Limmat, multiple spaces, also terraces, book store
Café Lang traditional vibes on Limmatplatz
Auer & Co in the downstairs of the Impact Hub coworking, cozy but dark, service varies
Café du Bonheur a relaxed place, tables outdoors too
Collective Bakery yummy coffee, has also terraces, an industrial and maybe not the most beautiful location

Kafi Paradiesli super cozy, small, an old building, wooden structures, inspiring inner yard
Nude next to river Limmat, industrial indoor space, also tables outside by the riverside path
The Artisan weekends, nice brunch and space with plants and a terrace and veggie garden

Even more further from the city center:
COFFEE&DEEDS if you happen to be around, a nice place to have a coffee
Stettbacher nicely decorated, spacious, friendly, we combined with a walk through Zurichberg

If you are in Switzerland, I’d be curious to know about your favourite places, and if you are elsewhere, please write down and share the best things about your living place!