Women’s EURO 2025: Switzerland travel guide

Women’s EURO 2025: Switzerland travel guide

Alexa, play Sweet Caroline – it’s the week of the Women’s EURO 2025 and football’s coming home 🏆

Off the back of their unreal 2022 victory over Germany to win their first major title in front of a home crowd, England’s Lionesses are going again. This year, Switzerland are the hosts and matches are being played across eight stadiums all around the country, from the 2nd to the 27th July. So, it would be rude not to stick around if you’re already headed out there…

While Chloe Kelly smacking one in the back of the net is a sight that’s hard to beat, we can confirm Switzerland has loads of top-tier mountains, lakes and museums to tick off, too. Plus, Women’s EURO 2025 ticket holders get free public transport on match days 🤑 This means you can travel from anywhere in Switzerland to the stadium and back on the day of your match for a big fat nothing… those 8pm kick-off times are begging for you to make the most of it 👀

Get a load of our Switzerland travel guide to start planning your trip…

Basel

St Jakob-Park

  • Group A: Switzerland v Norway, 2nd July, 8pm (all times BST)
  • Group C: Germany v Denmark, 8th July, 5pm
  • Group D: Netherlands v France, 13th July, 8pm
  • Quarter-final: Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C, 19th July, 8pm
  • Final: 27th July, 5pm 

Basel is a beaut city in the northwest of Switzerland and sits on the River Rhine between the German, French and Swiss borders. It’s a proper cultural hub, with a full calendar of annual events and festivals – including the Women’s EURO 2025 final! Get yourself down to the Kunstmueum, the Foundation Beyeler and the Tinguely Museum. Or, a boat trip on the Rhine is the perfect summer activity, and the locals love a wild swim here. Pop your valuables in a Wickelfisch – a colourful waterproof bag – and follow the gentle current past the city’s waterside scenes. For the ideal three-kilometre stretch, get in at the riverbank below Museum Tinguely and head downriver. Then, you can treat yourself to a cold beer from one of the buvettes (drinks stands) in Kleinbasel while you dry off.

Specifically for the Euros, there’s even a Rhine swimming pop-up at the Tinguely Museum entrance, where you can buy anything you need and get extra info. There are also loads of fan zones dotted around the city to watch any matches you don’t have tickets for, as well as film screenings and quizzes, too. 

Top tip – download the Basel City Guide app to see what’s going on during the tournament.  

A view of Basel from the river.

Bern 

Stadion Wankdorf 

  • Group B: Spain vs Portugal, 3rd July, 8pm
  • Group A: Switzerland vs Iceland, 6th July, 8pm
  • Group B: Italy vs Spain, 11th July, 8pm
  • Quarter-final: Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A, 18th July, 8pm

Bern’s also a great pick for people in their wild swimming era. You can cool off in the Aare River, known for its blue, glacial-like water. The Marzili area is the place to go, specifically near the Marzili lido, where there’s easy access to the river with steps and handrails. Or, if you’re not such a confident swimmer, everyone can soak up the summer vibes in the actual lido, and there’s loads of grass around the edge for sunbathing. In terms of sightseeing, the whole city has a history that goes back to the 12th century and the Altstadt (Old Town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s all medieval architecture, pretty fountains and cute shopping. You can visit the Bern Munster, Einstein’s house and the Kunstmuseum, which is Switzerland’s oldest museum of fine arts.

Throughout the tournament, Bern’s city centre becomes a whole football festival, AKA Berner Ballzauber. Every match is shown live on a giant screen in Parliament Square, there are bars, sponsor booths, the tallest Ferris wheel in Switzerland and loads of music. For a more chilled vibe, head to the Corner Waisenhausplatz at Lower Waisenhausplatz, where there’s a football pitch, a summer lounge and sports bar. You’ve got to check out the walk-in cube installation, Eckball – it’s got an immersive film experience that tells the whole story of women’s football.  

Geneva

Stade de Geneve

  • Group C: Denmark v Sweden, 4 July, 5pm 
  • Group B: Portugal vs Italy, 7 July, 8pm 
  • Group A: Finland vs Switzerland, 10 July, 8pm 
  • Quarter-final: Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B, 16 July, 8pm 
  • Semi-final: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF1, 22 July, 8pm 

Geneva’s a serious global hub, playing home to the United Nations, CERN, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank. There are also over 30 museums and galleries, covering everything from botany and archaeology to fine arts and watchmaking. Plus, you’ve probably already heard of Lake Geneva. You’re into sports if you’re here for the Euros after all, so why not get involved in some watersports or take a boat trip? You’re also just an hour and a half’s drive from the Swiss Alps, so hiking is so on the cards. You can explore the Old Town, do some shopping and visit the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre de Geneve.

Ofc, loads of bars and pubs will be showing the matches and there are post-match special EURO nights, too. Geneva’s nightlife goes under the radar a bit, so this is a great way to soak up the buzz while you’re there. Anywhere near the stadium will get the match-day crowds or the Eaux-Vives district is known for the best venues. For food, a few places are offering ticket holders discounts! There’s a pizza deal at Manora Restaurant and 10% off Manor Geneva on match days when you show your ticket. The International Museum of the Reformation are also offering a unique programme throughout the tournament, featuring a special guided tour through the lens of football and exclusive tours on the theme of Women and Reformation once a week. Or, head to Ecole du Chocolat for special football-themed chocolate workshops with La Bonbonniere. 

Zurich

Stadion Letzigrund

  • Group C: Denmark v Sweden, 4th July, 5pm
  • Group B: Portugal vs Italy, 7th July, 8pm
  • Group A: Finland vs Switzerland, 10th July, 8pm
  • Quarter-final: Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B, 16th July, 8pm
  • Semi-final: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF1, 22nd July, 8pm 

Zurich’s got the River Limmat running right through the city centre, where it eventually meets Zurichsee Lake. Think boat trips and people jumping off over-water platforms. For the best views, you can take a 20-min train journey to Uetliberg mountain, where you can catch scenes of the city, lake and the distant peaks of the Alps. As a bit of a business capital, you might think Zurich is a bit stuffy. But Zurich West is for the art-lovers and creative lot, with massive murals, studios and galleries. The Old Town’s also got some cool wine bars popping up, and cafés and restaurants that bring a bit of buzz to the historic streets.

For the matches, get yourself down to the fan zone’s big screen in Europaallee. And, you can learn all about the city’s most influential female campaigners and politicians on Zurich’s Powerful Women Tour, which is being put on to support the tournament.  

A view of Zurich lit up at night.

St Gallen

Arena St Gallen

  • Group C: Germany vs Poland, 4th July, 8pm
  • Group D: France vs Wales, 9th July, 8pm
  • Group D: England vs Wales, 13th July, 8pm 

St Gallen is one of Switzerland’s prettiest fairytale spots. It’s a Baroque hamlet between Lake Constance and the Swiss Alps, known for its artsy heritage, design and food scene. It’s all cobbled lanes, turreted townhouses and lush trees, and it was once the embroidery capital of the world, so it’s all about complete decadence. The Abbey of St Gall is an 8th-century monastery turned medieval centre, and the Abbey Library is a stunning hall and UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s definitely worth a look.

Food-wise, the St Gallen bratwurst is top of the list to try, and ofc they’ll be available in the city’s fan zone. There’s no better football snack than a glorified hot dog… You can also catch talks, sports activities and live music here while the matches are on.

Top tip – Follow St Gallen’s Euros Insta account for all the latest events going on. 

Lucerne

Allmend Stadion Luzern

  • Group D: Wales vs Netherlands, 5th July, 5pm
  • Group C: Poland vs Sweden, 8th July, 8pm
  • Group C: Poland vs Denmark, 12th July, 8pm 

Most people that visit Switzerland head to Lucerne. It’s surrounded by gorgeous landscapes, straddles the Reuss River and has those postcard-perfect, painted buildings. The Old Town’s super colourful – the decorative buildings on Hirschenplatz, Weinmarkt and Muhlenplatz are the best. It also used to be a fortified city, so you can walk the old medieval ramparts or head up to the Rapunzel-esque hotel, Château Gütsch, via the funicular for a drink and the best views of the city and lake. Art lovers should visit the Sammlung Rosengart – or ‘Lucerne’s Picasso museum’ – to see the private art collection of Swiss art dealers, Siegfried Rosengart and his daughter Angela, who were friends with Picasso.

Top tip – If you’re wanting to visit a few of Lucerne’s museums, it might be worth getting a Museum Card, which gives you access to nine museums over two consecutive days. Perfect for a quick Euros trip.

Inseli Park is also perfectly placed on the lake’s shore and two little café-bars serve drinks at either end – Buvette and Voliere. It’s ideal picnic territory. Or, follow the locals to Ufschotti on Alpenquai, a 10-minute walk from the KKL. This park has a sandy beach on the lake – hello, swimming and barbecues. Plus, there’s a pétanque pitch.

Whenever the matches are on, head to Europaplatz, where the fan zone is. There’ll be DJs, food and drinks, live music, panel discussions, a chill-out lounge and unreal views of Lake Lucerne. The city’s also running a number of discounts and deals for ticket holders, including 25% off entry to the Ballenberg, 50% off the Museum Rosengart and free entry and a Swiss fan scarf at the Grand Casino.  

Sion

Stade de Tourbillon

  • Group B: Belgium vs Italy, 3rd July, 5pm
  • Group A: Norway vs Finland, 6th July, 5pm
  • Group B: Portugal vs Belgium 11th July, 8pm 

Sion is Switzerland’s oldest city in the Rhone Valley, coming in strong with a big wine culture, castle hills and cute old town. There’s a market on Fridays, sunny terraces and restaurants that bring a Mediterranean vibe, and great transport links – it’s about a two-hour train from Geneva Airport. The wine here is also so good, the Swiss keep it to themselves, so a tour of the Valais vineyards has to be done. What better way to celebrate an England win? (No jinx!)

Sion’s got two dedicated entertainment areas at Cour de Gare and Place du Midi, where you can show what you’re made of on an inflatable football pitch. There’s also rodeo football, face painting, table football, food and drink, live music – and an exhibition of Swiss female artists to check out.  

Thun

Arena Thun

  • Group A: Iceland vs Finland, 2nd July, 5pm
  • Group B: Spain vs Belgium, 7th July, 5pm
  • Group A: Norway vs Iceland, 10th July, 8pm 

Thun is thought to be one of Switzerland’s most beautiful cities… there are quite a few tbf. Thun Castle is 800 years old, and its pointed turrets have beaut views of the mountain-lined lake. The Aare River runs from Lake Thun to the city of Bern through the Old Town and if the Euros aren’t exciting enough to watch, head to the floral bridges of Untere Schleusenbrücke and Obere Schleusenbrücke, where locals surf the river’s standing waves. Grab a coffee en route and it makes for the perfect spectator sport in the sun.

For the best city views, climb from Brahms Quay to Jakobshubeli pavilion – all 433 steps – and then a dip in the lake is the perfect way to cool off when you get back down. Head to the Flussbad Schwabis swimming area or walk along the shore to Schadaupark, where you can lay out on pristine lawns in view of the snow-capped Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks. 

Football fever has fully come to Thun, with foodie stalls taking over Waisenhausplatz, Aarefeldplatz and Muhleplatz. Then, you’ve got all the activities at the fan zone ft. a mini football pitch and music. There are also daily public tours taking place at 11am on the 2nd, 7th and 10th July – just meet before then at the Thun Welcome-Center. Or, you can book a private city tour that’s got added stories about women’s football and the regional significance of it here!  

If you fancy planning your next trip around another global event, you’ll love our events and festival finder tool.

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Author: Lily Owen (she/her)

Last updated: 01/07/2025

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