Swiss Lakes: Top Hotels for a Serene Escape

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Swiss Lakes Hotels

Switzerland is a water-rich country with rivers and lakes covering about 4% of its surface.

Below you will find information about the main Swiss Lakes and suggestions for hotels on the shores of the lakes for a perfect serene escape.

Swiss Lakes and Best Hotels Around Lakeshores

1. Lake Zurich

Lake ZurichPhoto Credit: Andreas Fischinger

Lake Zurich is a clear water lake with areas that serve as “beaches” for bathers and is divided between the cantons of Zurich, St. Gallen, and Schwyz.

On the shores of the lake are located cities like Rüschlikon, Thalwil, Wädenswil, Richterswil, Horgen, Lachen, Küsnacht, Kilchberg, Zurich (the biggest one), and others.

Some excellent hotel options along the lake include La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich, AMERON Zürich Bellerive au Lac, Romantik Seehotel Sonne, and Hotel Alex Lake Zürich.

2. Lake Brienz

Lake BrienzPhoto Credit: Anthony Gomez

Located in the canton of Bern north of the Alps, Lake Brienz is a lake with turquoise blue water surrounded by villages and mountains.

Iseltwald and Bönigen are home to some of the best hotels along Lake Brienz such as the Boutique Hotel Bellevue Iseltwald and the Seehotel Bönigen.

3. Lake Thun

Lake ThunPhoto Credit: Anthony Gomez

Lake Thun is another alpine lake in the canton of Bern neighboring Lake Brienz. It is the largest Swiss lake located entirely within a single canton.

The Belvédère Strandhotel and the Congress Hotel Seepark are two elegant hotel options on the shores of the lake.

4. Lake Geneva (Lac Léman)

Lake GenevaPhoto Credit: Devam Jhabak

Lake Geneva is a deep lake shared between Switzerland and France and one of the largest lakes in Western Europe.

The lake is part of the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais. The Valais region is the largest wine region in Switzerland.

Beau-Rivage Genève and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva are two spectacular lakeside hotel options along the lake.

5. Lake Constance (Bodensee)

Lake ConstancePhoto Credit: Michael Kucharski

Lake Constance is part of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, through which the Rhine flows. On the Swiss side, the lake is part of the cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, and Schaffhausen.

The Hotel Bad Horn and the Schloss Wartegg are two great options for hotels near the shores of the lake.

6. Untersee

UnterseePhoto Credit: Samuel Svec

Untersee is one of the lakes along with Lake Constance that forms the border between Switzerland and Germany. The lake is located in the cantons of Thurgau and Schaffhausen on the Swiss side.

The See & Park Hotel Feldbach is a hotel option next to an 18th-century monastery on the banks of the Untersee.

7. Lake Neuchatel

Lake NeuchatelPhoto Credit: Alin Andersen

Lake Neuchâtel is the largest lake entirely in Switzerland in the 3 Lakes RegionDrei-Seen-Land” mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel but in the cantons of Vaud, Freiburg, and Bern.

The 3 Lakes region includes Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Bienna, and Lake Murten.

The Hôtel Restaurant Port-Conty and the Best Western Premier Hotel Beaulac are excellent choices of hotels along the lake with modern facilities.

8. Lake of Bienna

Lake of BiennaPhoto Credit: Jo L’Helvète

Lake Bienna is the second largest lake in the 3 Lakes Region and is in the canton of Bern.

Around the lake, you will find a beautiful landscape of vineyards. The area has several charming hotel options and the Hotel Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a lakeside option.

9. Lake Murten

Lake MurtenPhoto Credit: Hotel Murtenhof & Krone

Lake Murten is the smallest lake in the 3 Lakes RegionSwitzerland, located in the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud.

Hotel Murtenhof & Krone is the best hotel in the region and offers beautiful lake views.

10. Lake Lucerne

Lake LucernePhoto Credit: Aswathy N

Lake Lucerne is a central lake in the cantons of Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, and Uri.

The area offers excellent hotel options with highlights to the HERMITAGE Luzern, the Grand Hotel National Luzern, Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, and the Park Hotel Vitznau.

11. Lake Lugano

Lake LuganoPhoto Credit: Maksym Harbar

Lake Lugano is located on the SwissItalian border in the Swiss canton of Ticino, between Maggiore and Como lakes.

The Hotel Splendide Royal is a spectacular hotel option in Lugano on the shores of the lake.

12. Lake Maggiore

Lake MaggiorePhoto Credit: Nadine Marfurt

Lake Maggiore is another lake located in the Swiss canton of Ticino on the border with Italy. It is the largest lake in southern Switzerland and the second largest in Italy.

The region has numerous hotel options, especially the Hotel Eden Roc.

13. Lake St. Moritz

Lake St. MoritzPhoto Credit: Renato Muolo

Lake St. Moritz is a small Swiss lake in the canton of Graubünden, surrounded by mountains, hotels, and restaurants. St. Moritz is one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland.

The Hotel Waldhaus am See is an excellent value-for-money hotel option in the region.

14. Blausee

BlauseePhoto Credit: Ryan Klaus

The Blausee is a small mountain lake in the canton of Bern.

The Hotel & Spa Blausee is a charming hotel on the shores of the lake that offers comfort at an excellent value for money.

15. Walensee

WalenseePhoto Credit: Arvydas Venckus

The Walensee is a large alpine lake in the cantons of St. Gallen and Glarus.

The Marina Walensee Hotel is a hotel with modern facilities on the shores of the lake.

16. Bachalpsee

BachalpseePhoto Credit: Seungji Ryu

The Bachalpsee is a beautiful small mountain lake in the canton of Bern above Grindelwald, a famous tourist village in Switzerland and the Alps.

17. Türlersee

TürlerseePhoto Credit: Julian

The Türlersee is a small lake in the canton of Zurich just 20 km from the city center.

The lake area has a hiking trail and a camping site.

18. Lake Sempach

Lake SempachPhoto Credit: Marvin Meyer

Located in the canton of Lucerne just 20 km from the city center, Lake Sempach offers excellent hotels for relaxation, such as the modern Sonne Seehotel.

19. Klöntalersee

KlöntalerseePhoto Credit: Julian

The Klöntalersee is a lake located in the canton of Glarus and has hiking areas, most notably the Wasserfall am Klöntalersee waterfall.

20. Lake Sarnen

Lake SarnenPhoto Credit: Hotel Kurhaus am Sarnersee

Lake Sarnen is located in the canton of Obwalden between lakes Lungerersee and Lake Lucerne.

The Hotel Kurhaus am Sarnersee and the Seehotel Wilerbad Spa & Seminar are great hotel options along the lake.

List of the 10 Largest Swiss Lakes by Area

  1. Lake Geneva – area 580.03 km²
  2. Lake Constance – area 473 km²
  3. Lake Neuchâtel – area 215.20 km²
  4. Lake Maggiore – area 210.12 km²
  5. Lake Lucerne – area 113.72 km²
  6. Lake Zurich – area 88.17 km²
  7. Untersee – area 63 km²
  8. Lake Lugano – area 48.67 km²
  9. Lake Thun – area 47.74 km²
  10. Lake of Bienna – area 39.51 km²

Map of the Main Swiss Lakes

On the map below you will find the 20 lakes mentioned throughout the text (including the 10 Largest Swiss Lakes).

Featured Photo by Timon Studler

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