This contribution summarizes some of recent results from detailed field studies and data analyses performed in and on various alpine basins in Switzerland. Long time series of individual components of the hydrological budget help to assess their natural variability and to put possible current trends into perspective. A better understanding of the various processes such as the distribution of precipitation, snow accumulation and melt, evaporation and runoff generation necessitate intensive and therefore usually short-term field investigations, which in turn help to develop and to validate more physically-based modelling procedures. Research in hydrological basins still is a powerful tool to deepen our understanding of the dominant processes and their interaction.