Swiss Plateau
Sleep in Bern for the arcaded old town and the federal capital, in Basel for museums and a city that ends at two borders, in Fribourg for medieval fortifications above a river gorge, in Neuchâtel for a lakefront with a castle over it, and in Gruyères for a walled village that empties in the evening.
Your dates apply to every hotel and to the live map below.
Hotels in Swiss Plateau, live prices
Pick your dates above, then click a marker to see the price and book on the partner site.
Map provided by Stay22. Bookings made from this map may earn us a commission.
Between the Jura and the Alps lies the part of Switzerland where people actually live: capital cities, university towns and a language border that runs through the middle of it. Everything here is half an hour from everything else by train, so the choice is about the kind of town you want to walk out into in the evening.
Choosing your base
| Village | Quiet | Old town | Evenings out | Without a car | Water | Who it suits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern → 542 m | Arcades in the rain, the federal capital, trains in every direction | Check prices | |||||
| Basel → 261 m | Museums, a Rhine you can swim down, a city that ends at two borders | Check prices | |||||
| Fribourg → 581 m | Medieval fortifications, a cathedral tower over the Sarine, the language border | Check prices | |||||
| Neuchatel → 479 m | A lakefront in the middle of town, boats from the centre, a castle above it | Check prices | |||||
| Gruyères → 810 m | A walled village with a castle, quiet once the day visitors leave | Check prices |
Scores are our editorial reading of the facts on each destination page (transport, altitude, figures published by the operators), checked on 20 September 2026.
Verdict by traveller
The old town is a walkable loop inside a bend of the Aare, and the station puts Basel, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and the Bernese Oberland within easy reach for the day.
The museum density and the evening options are the highest of the five, and the city keeps working on both sides of the Rhine.
The harbour row faces the lake in the middle of town, and the LNM boats leave from the same centre as the shops and the castle.
The walled village keeps only a handful of hotels, so the evening belongs to the people who stayed the night rather than to the coaches.
Found your area? Check what is still free in Swiss Plateau.
Prices and availability change daily in the Alps, especially in July, August and over Christmas.