St. Moritz and Gstaad for the winter, the lakes of Geneva and Lucerne for the summer, the medical spas for the body, the watch valleys for the wrist and the banks for everything else. Switzerland is where luxury goes to be discreet.
Stay
- Badrutt’s Palace and Kulm, St. Moritz
- The Alpina and Gstaad Palace, Gstaad
- Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne
- Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne; Clinique La Prairie, Montreux
Shop
- Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich
- Rue du Rhône, Geneva
- Via Serlas, St. Moritz
- Watch boutiques and manufactures in Geneva, Le Brassus and Schaffhausen
Dine
- Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl, Basel
- Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau
- Ecco, St. Moritz and Ascona
- Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, Crissier
Gavalia’s rules
- Non-residents can buy holiday homes only in designated resorts (St. Moritz, Gstaad, Verbier, Andermatt) and within quotas; residence permits open the wider market.
- The Engadin in summer is the best-kept secret in the Alps: hiking, lakes, the Segantini light and no queues.
- Lump-sum taxation is available in several cantons for wealthy foreign residents; a tax lawyer will explain whether it fits.
St. Moritz and the Engadin
The original winter resort, since 1864: Badrutt’s Palace on the frozen lake, the Kulm, the Cresta Run, polo on snow, the White Turf horse races and the Via Serlas for shopping. Summer is quieter and arguably better, with the lakes, the hiking and the light that Segantini painted. Chalets are among the most expensive in the world and among the hardest for foreigners to buy.
Gstaad and Verbier
Gstaad is discretion made into a village: chalets behind trees, the Palace on its hill, the Alpina for the modern take, a rule that keeps buildings low. Verbier is the skier’s resort, with the best off-piste in the Alps and a younger, louder crowd. Andermatt is the new resort, built from scratch and open to foreign buyers without the usual restrictions.
The lakes and the cities
Geneva for the watch houses, the private banks and the Rue du Rhône; Lausanne and Montreux for the Riviera of Lake Geneva and the medical spas; Zurich for the Bahnhofstrasse, the art and the Gold Coast villas on the lake; Lucerne for the Bürgenstock above the water. Swiss cities are small, safe and expensive, and that is exactly the point.
Wellness
Clinique La Prairie in Montreux, Chenot Palace in Weggis, the Bürgenstock Alpine Spa, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz: Switzerland invented medical wellness and still leads it. A week here is a check-up, a reset and a view of the mountains from a heated pool.
The property market
St. Moritz and Gstaad chalets 30,000 to 60,000 francs per square metre; Geneva lakefront 25,000 to 50,000; Zurich Gold Coast 20,000 to 40,000. Foreign buyers are restricted by the Lex Koller outside designated tourist zones.
Regions in Switzerland
Try it yourself
Destination MatcherMonth, mood and budget: the three countries or regions that fit, with the season and the hotels.Villa Cost CalculatorPurchase price and country: taxes, fees, annual running costs and the ten-year total, with rental income if you let it.Questions people ask
Can foreigners buy property in Switzerland?
Only in designated tourist areas and within cantonal quotas, unless they hold a Swiss residence permit. St. Moritz, Gstaad, Verbier and Andermatt have allocations for foreign buyers.
Where do the wealthy ski in Switzerland?
St. Moritz and Gstaad for the traditional glamour, Verbier for the skiing, Zermatt for the Matterhorn, Andermatt for the new resort.
How much does a chalet cost in St. Moritz?
From about 5 million francs for a good apartment to 20 to 60 million for a chalet in Suvretta or on the lake, at 30,000 to 60,000 francs per square metre.
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