If you’re a kid or traveling with a kid, there’s just so much to do in Switzerland, from its well marked hiking trails to its pristinely clean and swimmable lakes. You can get your train fix, take a boat, or fly down a mountainside on a gondola.
Beyond the obvious wonders of the great Swiss outdoors, here are some attractions that you and your kids or grandkids will adore.
The Frey Chocolate Factory is a big operation where you can learn all about the magic of Swiss chocolate. Here you can make your own chocolate bars, watch the chocolate show, interact with a poetry-making robot, and taste lots of chocolate! Of course there is a cafe where you can relax and a shop. This is one of the biggest makers in Switzerland.
The Transportation Museum in Lucerne is a behemoth museum system offering visitors an up-close look at various modes of transportation, with an impressive historic car collection, an aviation hall full or aircraft, and of course a huge collection of trains. It is simply fascinating, even if you are not traveling with kids. The complex has grown to include a planetarium, a theater showing educational films, and a Chocolate Adventure (partnering with Lindt). Though these are just a bonus!
The Open Air Museum Ballenberg in Brienz is a historical treasure, a community of over 100 historic farmhouse, barns, stables, and out buildings from around Switzerland, dismantled and rebuilt on the grounds of this sprawling living history museum. What started out as 16 buildings in the 70s has grown to become a repository for historic buildings. Tour old farmsteads, learn about farming, visit the animals and talk with the craftspeople and farmers who are preserving the old ways of Switzerland. Special exhibits and hands-on demonstrations spotlight the customs and agricultural traditions of Switzerland. (Photo above copyright Switzerland Tourism: swiss-image.ch/Christof Schuerpf.)
The Kambly Experience in Trübschachen is a cookie lover’s dream. Tour the factory of Switzerland’s most popular cookie brand, learn how the cookies are made, and taste over 100 types of cookies! The Kambly train leaves from Lucerne or Bern many times daily, and on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, the tasting begins on the train itself! The factory is set in the beautiful Emmental Valley, and the tour is free.
Aeschbach Chocolatier in Lucerne is a good stop for older kids. It is more of a chocolate studio, where you can see the making of artisanal chocolates, meet chocolate makers, have a proper tasting, and even make your own fancy chocolates to take home.
Find the perfect family accommodations on a Swiss UnTour. Significant discounts apply for kids under 16. Packages include a rail pass and a trip to meet the Swiss cheesemaker, another essential Swiss experience. Click here for more information.