Books Set in Switzerland
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Switzerland twice in the past two years, and here are ten books I’ve read that take place in some part of that beautiful country. They capture something of the history, culture, or literary inspiration in landscapes of mountains, clear blue lakes, and bell-bedecked cows. I organized this list by year of publication, and it has books for children, travel memoir, and mystery.
Travels in Switzerland* by Alexandre Dumas
I’ve only recently discovered the treasure trove of European travel memoirs written by the authors of well-known classic books—Charles Dickens, Henry James, Mark Twain, and this one by Alexandre Dumas. It is a record of his 1832 journey from Paris to Switzerland where he stays in various inns, hunts for his dinner, treks up mountain sides, and in one particularly amusing account, fights a mosquito. This book is more difficult and expensive to track down, so finding it digitally might be the easiest solution. I read it on Everand*.
Heidi* by Johanna Spyri
This childhood classic was published in 1880 and tells Heidi’s story beginning from age five. After the death of both parents Heidi finds a home in the high Alps with her grandfather. When she is forced to leave the simple life she loves Heidi learns to trust in a kind Heavenly Father who has a good plan for her even in difficult circumstances. It’s a lovely story of faith, love, redemption, and the healing power of the fresh, mountain air. When I got on the tram at the airport in Zurich, Heidi welcomed us to Switzerland over the speakers.
The Final Problem* by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This 1893 Sherlock Holmes story was intended as a farewell to the famous sleuth, and it’s most easily found today in the collection of stories entitled The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. The character of Professor Moriarty is introduced, and readers follow Sherlock and Dr. Watson to the alpine town of Meiringen and the Reichenbach Falls, both of which I was able to visit on my most recent trip.
The Adventure of the Empty House* by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This 1903 story is usually found in the collection The Return of Sherlock Holmes. The title doesn’t leave too much to the imagination, but suffice it to say, readers could never get enough of the consulting detective. These Sherlock Holmes collections would be good choices for teens to read before a family trip to Switzerland.
William Tell Told Again* by P.G. Wodehouse
It is no secret that I am a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse, and this short, 1904 re-telling of Switzerland’s famous folk hero is entertaining and easy-to-read.
At the Villa Rose* by A.E.W. Mason
This 1910 detective novel begins in Aix-les-Bains in the south of France, but portions of it also take place in Geneva, so I’m sneaking it on to this list. It is the first novel in a series featuring French detective Inspector Hanaud and was quite well-known in the early 20th-century. The inspector has his holiday interrupted when he is asked to investigate a murder. You can also find this book digitally on Project Gutenberg.
Treasures of the Snow* by Patricia St. John
This 1950 book for children was written out of St. John’s experience living in a Swiss village for a year and of a desire to write a story about repentance and forgiveness in the aftermath of WWII. Written from a Christian perspective, I read it as an adult and thought it was very moving. In addition to the themes of the story, the setting gives a real sense of what life was like in an alpine village in the early part of the 20th century.
The Swiss Summer* by Stella Gibbons
Stella Gibbons is best known for her novel, Cold Comfort Farm, which I have not yet read. I found this title from 1951 on Everand while looking for books that take place in Switzerland. Set in the aftermath of WWII, a weary woman and wife receives an unexpected invitation to spend the summer in Switzerland looking after a chalet. I didn’t love this book as much as other 1950s books of its kind, but I did enjoy the glimpse into tourism in the late 1940s and the thoughts and attitudes of those who had made it out of the upheaval of the war years. There are some beautiful descriptions of the Alps as well.
The Great Mouse Detective, Basil and the Lost Colony by Eve Titus
I loved the Disney move The Great Mouse Detective as a child, and re-watching it in recent years, I was delighted to discover it was based on a book series. The best films usually are, right? Basil of Baker Street is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world, and this 1964 book set in Switzerland is sure to delight younger readers.
Switzerland in Tolkien’s Middle Earth* by M.S. Monsch
If you are a fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, then you might enjoy this meticulously thought-out book filled with Swiss legends, maps, and possible inspiration for locations in Middle Earth. Based on a journey a 19-year-old Tolkien took in 1911 when he walked 150 miles through Switzerland with friends, I walked away appreciating that he knew what it was like to traverse many miles of rough terrain just like Frodo and Sam. There are some explicit locations in Switzerland Tolkien mentions as inspiration, and even with the locations the author conjectures, I was prepared to believe him when I saw some of those places with my own eyes.
Do you have any Swiss book recommendations? Let me know in the comments!
*I used affiliate links for Bookshop.org and for Everand.