When you travel to Switzerland, you want to buy some souvenirs for your friends and family or to remember the beautiful moments and experiences that you had during the travel.
There are so many things you can buy from Switzerland. But If you are confused about what to buy, then don’t worry!
In this article, I will suggest the top 11 items or souvenirs that are an absolute must-buy in Switzerland.
So, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What To Buy From Switzerland?
Swiss Chocolate
Swiss Chocolate is the first one on my list of must-buys when you are in Switzerland.
It is something that you’re likely to expect, and it is for good reason. There are two different kinds of Swiss chocolate you can buy: supermarket brands and very specialized chocolate.
The supermarket brands are the ones that I recommend buying, such as Cailler, Ragusa, Ovomaltine, Villars, and Frey.
You can find these brands in Migros, Denner, and Coop. Try to avoid those brands that you can find in your country, like Lindt and Toblerone.
If you come in summer, buy your favorite Swiss Chocolate at the end of your trip because then you don’t have to worry about the chocolate melting.
Also, you can buy hot chocolate powder, which is a good option because you don’t have to worry about melting.
Caotina and Ovomaltine are the brands I recommend for hot chocolate powder.
If you don’t mind the price, you can go for specialized chocolate, but these are really expensive. It is a nice souvenir that you can bring home with you.
There are a few brands that have multiple stores all over Switzerland like Laderach, Teuscher, and Sprungli. In Geneva, you can also check Auer. Remember one thing: Don’t buy German chocolate!
Flip over the packaging and check to see if it’s made in Switzerland.
Victorinox Swiss Army Knife
If you do not like chocolate, then it’s not okay to buy Swiss chocolate.
But when you visit Switzerland and don’t buy one of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, then you leave a gem. It’s classic, lasts a long time, is perfect for collecting, and makes a great gift.
You can buy one at a cheap price, but there are also some expensive ones. Go to the Victorinox store, where you can find them even for under 20 to 30 Francs.
Also, you can engrave your name or anything on the blade at the Victorinox store. I recommend getting a personalized Victorinox. You will be charged an extra 5 to 10 Francs.
Take a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife for yourself or give it to your friends and family members.
Swiss Watch
Who does not want to buy a Swiss watch? You can buy it all over the world, but it is something special to buy in Switzerland.
There are so many Swiss watch brands in the market, but I wanted to draw your attention to a particular one named Mondaine.
This clock is all over the Swiss train stations. It is something to have on your wrist, not the big clock one. They also make wristwatches.
For 200 to 300 Francs, you can buy one of the cool Mondaine watches. It is not too expensive and something that will remind you of Switzerland.
You can also buy clocks to put on your wall. It’s unique and you may never heard of this brand unless you’ve traveled to Switzerland.
If you don’t like this watch, then you can check Tissot, Swatch, and Logines. You can also buy one of the luxury ones if your budget does not matter to you.
Bucherer and Les Ambassadeurs are the stores where you can buy a watch if you are confused about where to buy it. They have cheaper and more expensive watches.
Caran d’Ache
Caran d’Ache is a company based in Geneva.
They have beautiful and high-quality writing instruments along with things for art supplies. Caran d’Ache is a kind of Swiss staple.
Everyone in Switzerland knows about it and also uses it, from companies to schools. You can buy one Caran d’Ache pencil, and it’s very cheap.
They also have some special ones that have some Swiss patterns. The price starts from 130 Francs.
If you want to collect the special one, then I recommend you to buy at least one special pen.
Swiss Wine
No one ever told you about Swiss wine. It is a little bit of a secret gem of Switzerland.
If you have traveled to Switzerland before, then you may know about Swiss wine. Swiss people drink over 90% of the wine they produce. They keep it, and it tastes very good.
The French region of Switzerland, “the Swiss Harmony” is really good at winemaking. There are two or three cantons in Geneva that are making good wine.
I would recommend trying them rather than taking an Italian or French wine. You can look out for Chasselas (white), Heida, Petite Arvine, and Pinot Noir (red).
Swiss wine is something very special that you don’t find anywhere else. So, if you drink wine bring one or two bottles when you go home.
Swiss Cheese
We are talking about Switzerland here, and Switzerland is well known for mouthwatering Swiss cheese.
This is not the Swiss cheese that they sell in the US or in different countries which is sliced, really mild cheese.
This is the original Swiss cheese that is made in Switzerland. You can go to a local cheese shop and try some different types of cheese, different ages of cheese.
My favorite is Gruyere cheese, and you can buy it from a supermarket or a cheese shop. I encourage you to go to a cheese shop to try different ones rather than a supermarket.
You can get some Swiss cheese to bring home.
Also, I suggest you bring a fondue mix; you might find it in your home country. But the ones you get here are really great.
Clothes With Edelweiss Pattern
Edelweiss Pattern clothes are quite typical. You don’t see Swiss people wearing it that much.
The farmers and people from rural areas are used to wearing it, but everyone loves Edelweiss Pattern clothes. So, Swiss people don’t wear it every day. On Swiss National Day, you see people wearing this.
There are different colors available, but the blue one is very classic. Its price is around 15 to 25 Francs.
It is commonly available in men’s shirts, but also children’s clothing. It is a nice souvenir that’s very specific to Switzerland. You can check out this one also.
Poya Patterned Items
You will see Poya Patterned items all over Switzerland. At every tourist shop, you get Poya Patterned items.
It is something really beautiful and unique to Switzerland, and Swiss people love it. There are lots of options here from postcards to dishware.
You can see this in a lot of chalets and everywhere in the mountains. If you like it, then you can buy Poya Patterned anything you like. I recommend buying one.
Sigg Bottle
The Sigg brand was invented in 1908 by Ferdinand Sigg and Xavier Küng. They make basically aluminum water bottles but also other types of utensils.
It is very lightweight and much more comfortable to carry. And I love this Sigg water bottle.
This is something I would recommend you buy for your friends and family.
Carved Wooden Cows (Trauffer Cows)
This is again from the cow part because we are talking about Switzerland here. Every Swiss kid has carved wooden cows. It is so cute and also unique from Switzerland.
There are only one or two companies making it. I recommend checking Trauffer. They have been doing it since 1938. These carved wooden cows are beautiful little sculptures.
It is a nice toy for kids but also a collectible item for you. This is the last souvenir I recommend you buy.
