45 great things to do in Switzerland this September

Gaudí meets Hundertwasser: Plunge into the terrific fantasy park designed by Swiss artist Bruno Weber which is a hideaway in the midst of nature.

Open from mid-May to the end of September, this outdoor pop-up bar may be in the central shopping district of Flon rather than by a beach, but thanks to the real sand underfoot it’s possible to close your eyes, wriggle your toes in the sand and imagine you’re on the French Riviera instead.

Show up at Bird’s Eye on one of five evenings during the week and you’ll be treated to an intimate jazz concert, likely featuring a renowned artist. 

With a focus on rock and folk, this quirky venue hosts around 80 free concerts per season from September to May.

Explore human communication, from gestures and body language to media, telecommunications and pop culture, through interactive exhibits and artefacts like horse-drawn mail coaches, early radio sets and retro computers. Even the stamp collection, which happens to be one of the largest in the world, is a lot more fun than it sounds.

This quirky little place with its kitsch interior, somewhere between Hawaii and a Swiss mountain lodge, serves up simple beers just as well as fancy cocktails. Traditionally very gay-friendly, it welcomes guests of all kinds and colours and is famous for its DJ-nights.

Explore one of Switzerland's top historic tourist attractions, which inspired the likes of Lord Byron, Rousseau, Delacroix and Courbet. 

Where Lugano doesn't border the lake it's surrounded by mountains: Monte Brè, Monte San Salvatore and the Sighignola. At 912m and popular with climbers, dramatic Monte San Salvatore looms above the city, one side forest, the other sheer rock face. 

Transport is something of a national obsession in Switzerland so it's hardly surprising that the Swiss Transport Museum is so huge, well-designed and enjoyable to visit. 

Rolli's Steakhouse is a local institution, serving up prime slabs of meat in an American diner-style setting that's still somehow quite Swiss.