Lucerne's Chapel Bridge over the Reuss at sunset

Why Switzerland

The safest classroom in the world

No country carries more weight on a chef's CV than Switzerland — the birthplace of modern hospitality, and the No. 1 country in the world by U.S. News & World Report 2026.

The verdict

Ranked first. Rated safe.

Clean cities, flawless public transport, exceptional healthcare — a country safe enough for parents to sleep.

No. 1

of 100 countries — U.S. News & World Report Best Countries 2026: first in economic development and governance, second in opportunity

5th

most peaceful country on Earth — Global Peace Index 2025

200+

nations among Swiss residents, four national languages — and 200+ peaks above 3,000 metres between them

Heritage

The home of hospitality

César Ritz and Auguste Escoffier defined luxury service in the grand hotels of Lucerne. Since the 19th century, when the railways and the Alps drew Europe's elite, Swiss hotels have set the world standard — and Swiss training has been the industry's gold seal ever since.

Study here and you train inside that tradition, not at a distance from it.

See the programmes
BHMS chef instructor cooking side by side with a student

Languages

Graduate multilingual

You study in English — and learn German or French in class as part of every programme year. Outside the classroom, daily Swiss life surrounds you with German, French and Italian.

In hospitality, every language is a pay rise.

International BHMS culinary students in chef whites on the campus staircase

Location

Living in the centre of Europe

With the Half-Fare travelcard, weekends and term breaks become a tour of the entire European continent — from the safest home base on the map.

45 min

to Zurich

3 hours

to Milan

5 hours

to Paris

Your campus city

Study where the grand hotels were born

Lucerne is often called Switzerland's most beautiful city — the Chapel Bridge, the Lion Monument, a turquoise lake framed by Mount Pilatus.

It is also a working hospitality capital. BHMS operates two main campuses in the heart of the city, minutes on foot from the old town and the main station. Zurich Airport is around 40 minutes away — and BHMS collects every new student on first arrival, included in the fee.

Explore the campus
Panorama of Lucerne, its lake and the surrounding mountains Rigi cogwheel railway climbing above Lake Lucerne

“Respect for the guest. Precision. Rigour. Attention to detail. That is Swiss hospitality — and it is teachable.”

Three intakes a year. One decision that pays you back.

Next intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 2027 · Lucerne, Switzerland

Every bachelor year pairs six months of study with a six-month paid internship — a guaranteed gross minimum of CHF 2,390/month in Switzerland. How the internship model works →