For some reason, Switzerland is often overlooked by people planning trips to
Europe, and this is a big mistake. Switzerland has a population of close to
eight million and some of the finest cities on the planet in Zurich, Bern,
Basel, St. Moritz, and Geneva. Bern acts as the capital, while Zurich is the
largest centre. The landlocked nation is bordered by France to the west, Germany
to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east and Italy to the west and
this is why there are four official languages, which are French, Italian,
German, and Romansh.
The Swiss Alps are famous throughout the world, as are Swiss cheese,
chocolate, and watches. Switzerland is one of the richest nations on the globe
and is home to several international organizations, such as the International
Olympic Committee, FIFA, the World Trade Organization, and the Red Cross.
While the land’s history is long and storied, Switzerland has
only existed in its present form since 1848. The first signs of
humans can be traced back about 150,000 years ago though. When
man discovered Switzerland, he would have found an enjoyable
assortment of landscapes for such a small geographical area.
These include numerous snow-capped mountain ranges, clear
freshwater lakes such as Lake Geneva, valleys, forests, open
pastures, glaciers, and rivers such as the Rhine, and Rhone.
The weather in Switzerland is generally temperate, but it can
vary quite a bit from region to region, especially for such a
small country. The summers are generally warm and humid with the
winters being foggy and cloudy.
Geneva and Zurich are often rated as being among the best
cities in the world to live as the standard of living is high
and the unemployment is low as are the taxes. They are also home
to some of the country’s most historic and cultural sites.
Switzerland has a superb rail system and its highways are first
class. The international airports in Zurich and Geneva are the
two busiest in the country.
Switzerland has been heavily influenced throughout the years
by its neighbours and this shows in its languages and culture.
However, many of the citizens can speak excellent English if you
need any help. Switzerland has contributed greatly to the rest
of the world when it comes to art, literature, architecture,
science, and music. There are over 1000 museums throughout the
nation to view its history, culture, and traditions. Some of the
world’s most famous festivals are held there, including the
Montreaux Jazz Festival, and Locarno International Film
Festival. Folk art is popular and expressed by traditional
dance, literature, music, poetry, embroidery, and wood carving.
While the cities offer an excellent collage of sites to
visit, many visitors love to spend as much time in the
countryside as possible. This is because the landscape offers
excellent skiing, snowboarding, and hiking areas. Other popular
sports include soccer, ice hockey, sailing, tennis, motorsports,
wrestling, and bobsleigh.
If you guessed Swiss cuisine would be as diverse as
everything else in the country, you’re spot on. Some of the
popular foods are fondue, cheeses, chocolate, and meat dishes.
Swiss wine is also quite good and popular with most of them
being produced in Geneva, Ticino, Valais and Vaud.
Switzerland is an intriguing country to explore, both in its
magnificent cities and diverse countryside. It offers a chance
to mix in physical adventure along with sightseeing.
