#1 Lake Lucerne LU: Lake Promenade Lucerne

Here they all are. Dreamers, tourists, mothers with children, bocce players, couples in love, dogs, posers. The magnificent promenade between the train station and the Hotel Seeburg, with a view of Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi, comes to life in spring and warms the hearts of Lucerne's residents. The three-and-a-half-kilometer city walk takes you past the KKL Culture and Convention Center (which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary) and the ship moorings, over the pier to the Quai promenades, where the hotel palaces are lined up next to each other and the historic lakeside baths, built entirely of wood, are also located. The route continues to the Swiss Museum of Transport, to the lido and finally to Seeburgstrasse with the "Seeburg" landing stage. From here you can easily get back to the city center by boat or start a round trip on Lake Lucerne.

#2 Lake Zurich ZH: Lake Promenade Zurich

The large contiguous green area around the lake basin was created around 1800, when "promenading" became fashionable in Zurich - for local recreation as well as for seeing and being seen. To this day, the lakeside between the Tiefenbrunnen lido near the Zürichhorn landing stage and Wollishofen harbor, which is open to the public throughout, is bordered by the generously laid out lakeside promenade lined with trees and meadows. This makes a central contribution to the quality of life in the constantly densifying city. On the good 6 kilometers of this charming, often highly frequented open space, the most diverse desires find room next to each other. On warm days, a wide variety of people meet here for a colorful rendezvous. The center of the promenade is formed by the panorama terrace at Bürkliplatz, from where one can overlook the rest of the Quaian.

#3 Lake Hallwil LU/AG: lakeside loop trail

Only a stone's throw from Zurich, Basel or Bern, yet stress and hectic seem far away at the deep blue Lake Hallwil. A picture-perfect natural paradise, characterized by agriculture and wide views, awaits pleasure hikers here: The 8-kilometer-long lake can be circumnavigated in about 5 hours almost exclusively directly on the water - which is equivalent to a small miracle, because which local lake of this size is largely undeveloped along its shores, on top of that in the densely populated Swiss midlands? Various boat stations offer the possibility of shortening the hike, for example the routes between Birrwil and Mosen or between Beinwil am See and the Meisterschwanden Seerose stop at the hotel resort of the same name.

#4 Aare BE: Promenade along the Aare in Thun

Some destinations claim all the attention for themselves. But even in Switzerland, there are still worthwhile, lesser-known alternatives that, for some reason, are hardly noticed by the crowds. Thun is such an unexciting place, hidden from the eyes of the world. The small town at the gateway to the Bernese Oberland can be enjoyed all the more undisturbed. One of the highlights here is the promenade along the Aare. It begins at Mühleplatz near the rushing Aare lock and leads first along the Aarequai, then the Brahmsquai and finally along the Bächimattpromenade to the Hünibach boat station at the outflow of the Aare from Lake Thun. The 2-kilometer route offers a completely different picture depending on the direction: outward from the city, the Bernese Alps shine on the horizon; inward from the city, the views go to the old town and the Schlossberg.

#5 Lake Brienz BE: Lakeside path from Iseltwald to Giessbach

Is this already a hike? Actually a one and a half hour walk, but still on one of the most beautiful lakeside paths in Switzerland - on the southeast side of Lake Brienz from the little village of Iseltwald in a gentle up and down to Giessbach with the grand hotel of the same name. The starting point and destination both have boat stations, so the overall experience can be enriched with a Lake Brienz boat trip. This route, which is a good 5 kilometers long, is a classic, which is why you are never alone on sunny spring weekends. On weekdays, however, the magic of the lake can fully unfold and you have many quiet corners almost to yourself. By the way, the path is unsuitable for strollers and forbidden for bicycles.

#6 Rhine BS: Rhine promenade Kleinbasel

Kleinbasel may be known for its rough charm, but on the Rhine promenade between Schwarzwaldbrücke (Museum Tinguely) and Dreirosenbrücke, a cheerful vacation mood comes up, at least on warm days. The 3-kilometer-long path, which is laid out directly on the water throughout, attracts visitors with its urban flair, nice snack bars and fabulous views of the old town. In the hot months, this is also the route of Rhine swimmers, who drift down the Rhine here with the famous "Wickelfisch" (swimming bag that keeps clothes dry) - and then walk back along the sunny riverside path. If you want to go even further at the Dreirosenbrücke bridge, you can change sides of the river and continue your tour on the "Elsässerrheinweg" via Hüningen in Alsace to Weil am Rhein in southern Germany.

#7 Hochrhein SH/TG: Shore path Stein am Rhein - Diessenhofen

In the picturesque medieval town of Stein am Rhein, those who enjoy exercise have a choice: Either they walk along the 7-kilometer circular path from Stein am Rhein first along the left bank of the Rhine via the former provostry Wagenhausen to the Rhine bridge Hemishofen, cross it and return to the starting point on the other, equally scenic bank. If you want to hike a few more loops along the Rhine, choose the almost 15-kilometer-long, practically flat riverside path from Stein am Rhein to Diessenhofen. The route can be combined with a boat trip.

#8 Lake Lugano TI: Lakeside circuit around Monte Caslano

If you want to hike in Ticino, you have to reckon with the fact that it's often uphill and downhill, with sweaty altitude differences and, on top of that, the southern sun on your back. Hikers for whom the famous Olive Trail from Castagnola to Gandria seems too overcrowded can head for the equally beautiful landscape of Malcantone and walk around the peninsula of the 500-meter-high Monte Caslano between Lugano and Ponte Tresa. The easy path, practically flat for four and a half kilometers, follows practically the entire perimeter of the mountain, also called Sassalto. Along the way, one is immersed in a rich abundance of botanical varieties, which are explained on display boards along the circuit. A good starting and ending point is the boat station in the old part of Caslano.

#9 Lake Maggiore TI: Lake promenade Locarno

Why go to the Côte d'Azur when the spring days on Lake Maggiore are long and beautiful? In the Gulf of Locarno, too, the waves glisten and the ships sway merrily in the wind - and the splendor of the flowers in the flowerbeds along the lakeside promenade intoxicates even people who have nothing to do with botany. In addition to palms and pines, a wide variety of exotic plants thrive here, including cacti and succulents, evergreen magnolias and ornamental banana trees. In the Camellia Park, around 950 different varieties of camellias spread out under old oaks and lime trees, causing delighted oohs and aahs, especially during the flowering season in April. Along the 4-kilometer-long lakeside path between Locarno and Tenero, the Mediterranean suddenly seems very close.

#10 Lake Geneva VD: Montreux lakeside promenade

The upper lake basin of Lac Léman is one of the most fascinating landscapes in Switzerland. The contrasting views take your breath away, no matter how many times you've been here. In the back, the Rochers-de-Naye mountain (which can be climbed by rack railroad from Montreux) towers high; in front, the Chablais massif spreads out with the striking Grammont, frequently painted by Ferdinand Hodler. To the left greet the Valais mountains with the jagged Dents du Midi, to the right the green vineyards of Lavaux. One thinks one has stepped into a calendar picture. In the middle: the opulently planted lakeside promenade. The promenade is a magnificent five and a half kilometers long, with Chillon Castle at one end and the Port du Basset harbor in the Clarens district at the other.