The Swiss Cycling Calendar: Races, Rides & Local Festivals

Planning your cycling holiday around Switzerland’s event calendar is a brilliant move — whether you want to cheer on a peloton climbing an Alpine pass or unwind with a glass of wine at a lakeside festival after your ride.

On race days, the sound of cowbells echoes through mountain valleys as spectators crowd the barriers. On festival days, entire towns become open-air celebrations filled with music, parades, and local delicacies. Even on a self-guided tour, you’ll feel the energy that makes Swiss summers so unforgettable.

Below, you’ll find Switzerland’s top cycling events and cultural festivals — from world-class races to traditional village celebrations that capture the country’s spirit on and off the bike:

Races and Rides

1. Tour de Suisse

Participation Type: Professionals (UCI WorldTour)
When: June
Where: Rotating stages across Switzerland
Best for: Cycling fans, sports spectators, and travelers who want to experience Switzerland’s biggest race atmosphere up close.

The Tour de Suisse is the crown jewel of Swiss cycling — a nine-day WorldTour race that winds through mountain passes, lakeside towns, and city circuits.  It’s considered the ultimate pre-Tour de France test, with routes that showcase Switzerland’s dramatic geography and precision organization. 

Each stage brings out crowds of locals waving flags and ringing cowbells as the world’s best riders tackle the country’s most iconic climbs.

Certain editions of the race pass near the Bodensee, making it easy to combine your ride with the atmosphere of the event:

2. Alpenbrevet

Participation Type: Amateurs (open to all)
When: August
Where: Andermatt and the Central Swiss Alps
Best for: Experienced riders, endurance enthusiasts, and climbers seeking a true high-mountain challenge.

The Alpenbrevet is Switzerland’s most legendary Granfondo — a single-day test of endurance across the country’s highest and most scenic passes. Riders choose between Bronze, Silver, and Gold routes, each covering 120–276 kilometers and conquering between three and five epic climbs. 

The atmosphere is electric: cowbells echo through valleys, supporters line the roads, and Andermatt buzzes with celebration as thousands of cyclists finish their Alpine odyssey. The route features legendary ascents such as Furka, Grimsel, Nufenen, and Susten, giving participants a taste of professional-level climbing.

Ride many of these same passes at your own pace on this self-guided Alpine adventure:

3. Granfondo San Gottardo

Participation Type: Amateurs (open to all)
When: July
Where: Gotthard, Ticino / Uri
Best for: Climbers, road cyclists, and anyone seeking a bucket-list Alpine ride

The Granfondo San Gottardo is a celebration of grit, cobbles, and high-altitude beauty. Its signature climb — the St. Gotthard Pass — features 37 hairpin bends paved with historic granite stones, making it one of Europe’s most unique cycling experiences. 

Riders also tackle the Furka and Nufenen passes, creating a triple-pass challenge that rewards persistence with breathtaking views. Along the way, local supporters cheer from the switchbacks, ringing cowbells and offering encouragement to every rider.

Follow these same Alpine valleys and passes beyond race day on a self-guided journey through Switzerland’s high mountains:

4. SlowUp Switzerland

Participation Type: Everyone (families, leisure riders)
When: April–September, multiple weekends
Where: 18+ regions across Switzerland
Best for: Families, casual cyclists, and festival-goers who want to enjoy Switzerland at a slower pace

The SlowUp events transform Switzerland’s roads into car-free playgrounds for a day, inviting cyclists, skaters, and walkers to celebrate movement, community, and local culture. 

Each route—usually between 30 and 60 kilometers—winds through scenic landscapes, with food stalls, brass bands, and local markets creating a joyful, inclusive atmosphere.

Every edition reflects the flavor of its region, from wine tastings along Lake Geneva to cheese fairs in Appenzell. It’s not about speed or competition, but about celebrating the simple joy of being on two wheels in one of Europe’s most scenic countries.

Cultural Events & Festivals

We know you’re all about cycling — but the races aren’t the only events that make a trip memorable. Across Switzerland, festivals bring the country’s rhythm and culture to life, adding color and atmosphere beyond the roads.

From vineyard parades to cheese markets and lakeside film nights, these celebrations weave seamlessly into the landscape. Plan your route right, and you can cycle through historic towns by day and join open-air festivities by night — an unforgettable way to experience Switzerland beyond the saddle.

1. Fête des Vignerons (Winegrowers’ Festival, Vevey)

Participation Type: Cultural festival
When: Roughly once every 20–25 years (last held in 2019, next expected around 2039)
Where: Vevey, Lake Geneva
Best for: Wine lovers, culture enthusiasts, and travelers seeking a once-in-a-lifetime Swiss experience

Held only once a generation, the Fête des Vignerons is one of Europe’s rarest and most spectacular cultural events. The entire lakeside town of Vevey transforms into a stage, hosting thousands of performers in an open-air arena built just for the festival.

Music, parades, and theatrical productions celebrate the traditions of Lavaux’s UNESCO-listed vineyards, while the surrounding streets come alive with tastings, local food, and spontaneous celebrations.

This tour passes directly through the Lavaux wine terraces, where the festival takes place, offering the perfect cultural pairing to your ride:

2.  / Désalpe (Cattle Descent Festivals)

Participation Type: Cultural festival
When: September
Where: Villages across Switzerland (notably in Fribourg, Appenzell, and Valais)
Best for: Cultural explorers, families, and autumn travelers

Each September, Switzerland’s Alpine pastures come alive with one of the country’s most authentic traditions — the Alpabzug or Désalpe. These vibrant festivals mark the moment when cows, decorated with flowers and bells, descend from mountain meadows to the valleys for winter.

The celebrations are a feast for the senses: herders in embroidered costumes, brass bands playing folk tunes, and streets filled with market stalls selling regional cheese, sausages, and crafts. 

It’s a joyful, colorful spectacle that reflects Switzerland’s deep connection to its mountain heritage — and one that cyclists often encounter by surprise along rural routes.

3. Swiss Cheese Festival (Lucerne & Other Cities)

Participation Type: Cultural festival
When: October
Where: Lucerne (main event), with rotating editions in other Swiss towns
Best for: Food lovers, families, and cultural travelers

Each autumn, Lucerne’s medieval squares fill with the aromas of melted cheese and baked bread as Switzerland celebrates its most beloved product — cheese. More than 250 varieties are showcased at the Swiss Cheese Festival, from famous Gruyère and Appenzeller to regional specialties rarely found outside their home valleys.

Visitors can watch live cheesemaking demonstrations, attend pairing workshops, and sample countless flavors from stalls lining the cobbled streets. Folk music, parades, and local wines round out the atmosphere, turning this into one of Switzerland’s most inviting seasonal celebrations.

Perfectly timed for October, this route lets riders enjoy the festival firsthand while exploring Central Switzerland’s lakes and rolling pre-Alpine scenery:

4. Locarno Film Festival

Participation Type: Cultural festival
When: August
Where: Locarno, Ticino
Best for: Culture lovers, film enthusiasts, and cyclists seeking a blend of art and sunshine

For more than seven decades, the Locarno Film Festival has turned the palm-lined piazzas of Ticino into an open-air cinema unlike any other. 

Each August, up to 8,000 spectators gather nightly in Piazza Grande to watch international films projected onto a giant screen beneath the stars, framed by the pastel facades of Locarno’s historic buildings.

Beyond the screenings, the festival brings the entire lakeside town to life with concerts, art exhibitions, and evening gatherings that spill onto terraces and waterfront promenades. It’s a uniquely Mediterranean twist on Swiss culture — relaxed, vibrant, and full of character

End your cycling adventure in Ticino during festival season for the perfect finish: a ride by day and cinema under the stars by night:

More Can’t-Miss Events

If you’re planning your trip around Switzerland’s event calendar, here are a few more highlights worth noting — from long-distance rides to food and wine celebrations that add local flavor to any cycling holiday:

• Cyclotour du Léman (May) – A 180-kilometer loop around Lake Geneva, open to amateurs who want to experience an international race atmosphere on scenic lakeside roads.
• Engadin Radmarathon (July) – A challenging long-distance road race through Graubünden’s high-mountain landscapes, with multiple route options for seasoned riders.
• Cheese Festival Gruyères (May) – A lively spring event where cheesemakers fill the medieval streets of Gruyères with tastings, music, and demonstrations.
• Wine Harvest Festival Neuchâtel (September) – Three days of parades, fireworks, and vineyard celebrations marking the start of the wine harvest season.
• Tortour Ultracycling (August) – Switzerland’s toughest endurance challenge: a 1,000-kilometer nonstop relay or solo race circling the country’s most dramatic terrain.

Why Plan Your Cycling Holiday Around Swiss Races & Festivals?

Pairing your cycling holiday with Switzerland’s vibrant event calendar adds excitement and authenticity to the journey. From the roar of cowbells on Alpine climbs to lakeside wine festivals and village parades, these moments turn a great ride into an unforgettable experience.

Cultural events add another layer of discovery — vineyard tastings, mountain parades, and open-air concerts bring Swiss traditions to life, where every stop becomes part of the adventure.

Get in touch, and we’ll align your Swiss cycling tour with the perfect event for your style and season.