Swiss canton makes Lonely Planet’s ‘Top 10 Regions’ list

The Swiss canton with the glamorous resorts of Verbier and Zermatt and the Matterhorn is highlighted for its efforts to “electrify in the truest sense of the word even in 2025.” Keystone / Valentin Flauraud

Switzerland’s canton Valais has made it into the “Top 10 Regions” list of the Lonely Planet travel guide, praised for its efforts to “electrify in the truest sense of the word.”

For 2025, the Lonely Planet guidebook once again recommends dozens of destinations. This time, they include a German federal state, a Swiss canton, and a favourite travel destination for Germans.

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The (partly German-speaking) canton Valais has been named one of the top ten regions in the world for travellers in 2025 by the world-renowned travel guide. This Swiss canton, home to the glamorous resorts of Verbier and Zermatt and, of course, the Matterhorn, is noted for its efforts to “electrify in the truest sense of the word in 2025.” At the UCI Cycling World Championships in the region, a new seventh discipline, E-Mountain biking, will be introduced. “No wonder, since mountain biking with electric assistance is the fastest-growing market (not only) in the Alps.”

According to Lonely Planet, Bavaria is among the ten best travel regions for the coming year. In the new book Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2025, the southern German state is presented in the “Top 10 Regions” category alongside canton Valais in Switzerland, Terai in Nepal, and the East Anglia region in eastern England as a must-visit destination.

The categories

Top 10 Countries: Cameroon, Lithuania, Fiji, Laos, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Vanuatu, Slovakia, and Armenia.

Top 10 Cities: Toulouse (France), Puducherry (India), Bansko (Bulgaria), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Genoa (Italy), Pittsburgh (USA), Osaka (Japan), Curitiba (Brazil), Palma (Spain), and Edmonton (Canada).

Top 10 Regions: South Carolina Lowcountry & Georgia Coast, USA; Terai, Nepal; Chiriquí, Panama; Launceston & Tamar Valley, Australia; Valais, Switzerland; Giresun & Ordu, Turkey; Bavaria, Germany; East Anglia, England; Jordan Trail, Jordan; Mount Hood & Columbia River Gorge, USA.

Among the top ten cities are Toulouse (“Paris in miniature”), Genoa (“could lose its powerful charm if it becomes too well-known”), and Palma de Mallorca. Topping the country list is the West African nation of Cameroon, known for its “pristine beaches, little-visited national parks, and exciting urban nightlife.”

In the general “Travel Trends” category, the New York-published book lists cities with spectacular drag shows. Among the mentioned cities, alongside Bangkok and Sydney, is Berlin: “Unconventional kings, queens, and in-between performers in Berlin’s queer nightlife compete in November’s Mx.-Kotti competition, a cross-border version of the beauty pageant.”

Bavaria ranks seventh among the regions and “Lonely Planet” writes about it: “Hip modernity and upheld traditions, mathematical perfection and beer tent revelry – the Free State has a distinctive but often contradictory character.”

Highlights include the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle of King Ludwig II (1845-1886) and the beer gardens (“Spend an evening in a beer garden, such as at the Chinese Tower in Munich”). Bavaria can rely on one thing: “that its beer, not only in 2025, will continue to be counted among the best in the world (even if the Czechs and Belgians might see it differently).”

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The Oktoberfest and Munich’s Allianz Arena are also mentioned. The stadium, set to host the Champions League final on May 31, 2025, is renowned for its facade that can change colour depending on who is playing – a feature football fans will be well aware of. It’s considered one of the most spectacular stadiums in the world.

The book also suggests taking an electric boat ride on the Königssee in Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria’s most beautiful Alpine corner (despite its dark Nazi past). Key spots for mountain adventurers include Garmisch-Partenkirchen, home to Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, and the impressively narrow Partnach Gorge.

The book also quotes a Munich tour guide recommending a Weisswurst breakfast, and praises Bavaria, and indeed all of Germany, for its efforts to become more sustainable (“In Bavarian agriculture, for example, the number of organic farms continues to increase”).

The Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca, already popular with Germans, is praised for its capital: “With its flourishing gastro scene, bubbling creative energy, and first-class art collections, Palma redefines Balearic holidays as a stylish, culturally diverse year-round destination. For 2025, the capital of Mallorca, nestled against the Mediterranean, promises the opening of the long-awaited, pedestrian-friendly waterfront promenade, which you can explore on foot or by bike.”

The travel guide “Best in Travel 2025” is published by MairDumont, the largest German travel publishing group based in Ostfildern near Stuttgart. Germany has featured several times in previous editions of the “Best in Travel” series. For instance, Dresden was listed for 2023. In 2019, Germany ranked second among countries, primarily due to the Bauhaus anniversary, and it also took second place in 2010. Bavaria was already listed as a top region in 2016.

The brand “Lonely Planet,” founded in 1973, claims to have printed more than 150 million travel guides over the decades. It can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X, and is available in 14 languages.

Translated from German by DeepL/sp

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