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Aarberg dates back to the Middle Ages, and the old city once stood on an island surrounded by the Aare River and the Little Aare River. It now lies above the Aare River in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The entire old town of Aarberg, is a Swiss ...
Categories: Aarberg
Nestled within the Bernese Alps, Adelboden is characterized by its village atmosphere. With its stunning mountainous views seen in every direction is city is a paradise for all outdoor activities, such as hiking the scenic waterfalls during summer an...
Categories: Adelboden
Categories: Alpnachstad
Altenrhein is located in St. Gallen near Lake Constance. The small town is most known for aviation with the St. Gallen – Altenrhein Airport, also known as People’s Business Airport; and the Museum of Flying, Altenrhein. The Museum of Flying allows vi...
Categories: Altenrhein-St.Gallen
Categories: Ancona
Located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt, Switzerland, is in Urserental, where three Alpine passes intersect: the Oberalp, the St. Gotthard and the Furka. Lake Toma, on the south side of the Oberalp Pass, feeds the Reuss, Ticino, Rhine and R...
Categories: Andermatt
Categories: Angelholm/Helsingborg
Categories: Appenzell
Categories: Ascona
Baden is a pleasant town set among wooded hills on the Limmat River, 15 mi/24 km northwest of Zurich, and famous for its thermal sulfur springs—they are richer in minerals than any other thermal spring in Switzerland. Apart from the enticing spa faci...
Categories: Baden
The third-largest city in Switzerland, Basel stands on the Rhine at the point where the French, German, and Swiss borders meet. At the entrance to the Swiss Rhineland, Basel is the capital of the half-canton of Basel-Stadt. On its borders are the Fre...
Categories: Basel
Bellinzona is known as Switzerland’s most Italianate town, and holds some of the best-preserved medieval castles in Switzerland. Bellinzona lies in the valley of the Ticino River at the foot of the Alps, and acts as a gateway to Italy for those...
Categories: Bellinzona
Berne, the superb city of medieval magic, is capital of Switzerland. Explore magnificent museums filled with art treasures; enjoy the famous Berne Symphony Orchestra or visit cozy, historical basement pubs. It is a living museum, the craftsmanship of...
Categories: Berne
The small city of Biel, 25 mi/40 km north of Bern, straddles the linguistic line between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland—in French, it's called Bienne. Both languages are spoken in the city, and you'll notice that the street signs are...
Categories: Biel
Categories: Bourg-en-Lavaux
The Stockalper Palace stands amongst pictureseque hotels and homes as Switzerland’s most significant baroque structure. Simplon Pass winds its way down into town, the same road built by and traveled by Napolean and his armies in the 19th century – th...
Categories: Brig
Categories: Brünig Pass
Categories: Brunnen
Categories: Buchs
Categories: Bundalp
Chur is the capital of the canton of Graubunden (or Grisons in French, Grigioni in Italian). This city 75 mi/120 km southeast of Zurich is one of the oldest cities in Switzerland, and history shows it's been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. Relics f...
Categories: Chur
Categories: Col de la Forclaz
Categories: Crans-Montana
Davos in the Landwasser Valley is a popular mountain holiday destination for those wanting to experience the highest town in Europe, at 1,560m. The town is known for holding the largest resort in the Alps, as well as for its conference center that ho...
Categories: Davos
Engelberg is known as a "mountain of angels," and is a resort town located in Central Switzerland. It is characterized by the historic Benedictine monastery located in its heart, founded in 1120. Engelberg is an adventure playground, with o...
Categories: Engelberg
Categories: Engstligenalp
Fribourg is a beautiful little hillside city 20 mi/30 km southwest of Bern, in one of the many Swiss regions where languages and cultures merge (in this case, French and German). Red-tiled buildings in the old section wind their way up from the Saane...
Categories: Fribourg
Geneva is located between the Alps and the Jura mountains, at the extreme southwest of Switzerland and Lake Geneva. The Rhône and the Arve are the main rivers crossing Geneva. It is the central crossroads of Western Europe. Geneva holds a privileged ...
Categories: Geneva
The village on the high valleys of the Faulhorn Mountain of the Bernese Alps is accessible by Europe’s oldest inclined cable railroad. Highlighting the beauty of Giessbach is the Giessbach Falls that drops to Lake Brienz, a popular passage of t...
Categories: Giessbach
Categories: Giornico
Categories: Giswil
Categories: Gornergrat
Grindelwald, Switzerland, is a good base for both winter and summer activities in the mountains, about 50 mi/80 km southwest of Lucerne. In winter, this town in the Jungfrau region has good skiing; during other seasons, there are plenty of opportunit...
Categories: Grindelwald
La Gruyère is a spectacularly beautiful region of Switzerland. Deep valleys surrounded by high mountains hold wooded hamlets, farms and farmlands. The forests are without equal and are considered a national treasure. The village of Gruyere is ...
Categories: Gruyere
Categories: Gstaad
Categories: Guarda Val
Categories: Habsburg
Interlaken's foundations can be seen in the 12th century castle and its fascinating Augustinian monastery. Nestled beneath the legendary triad of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, Interlaken is a wondrous health resort and an international fav...
Categories: Interlaken
Categories: Jungfraujoch
1,200 meters above sea level sitting in the Bernese Highlands is the village of Kandersteg. The heart of the Swiss Alps, the town is surrounded by beautiful alpine landscape, romantic valleys, serene lakes, and picturesque hiking spots. The small far...
Categories: Kandersteg
Categories: Kleine Scheidegg
Sitting at the foot of Mont Dolent is an alpine village that has it all - alpine scenery, panoramic nature, majestic mountain ranges and a restful haven. In the cold seasons, La Fouly turns into a winter wonderland for skiers, snowboarders and snow-s...
Categories: La Fouly
Geneva is a cosmopolitan metropolis proud of her traditions. A fascinating history that traverses the passage of western Euopean history and features in a great many of the pivotal events, both pre- and post Reformation serves as the foundation for ...
Categories: Lake Geneva
Categories: Lauterbrunnen
Categories: Le Grande Dixence
Categories: Lenk
Categories: Leukerbad
Though it was once the seat of the dukes of Milan, the small city of Locarno has been part of the Swiss Confederation since 1516. Set on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore 145 mi/235 km south of Zurich, Italian-speaking Locarno has a lovely old town...
Categories: Locarno
Without a doubt one of the prettiest towns in Switzerland, Lucerne lies in the heart of the country on famous lake of Lucerne. Dotted with Renaissance and Baroque fountains, colorful paintings on the gables and commanded by the exquisite wooden bridg...
Categories: Lucerne
With its warm climate and Latin Character, Lugano is a carefree town nestled between the peaks of San Salvatore and Monte Bré. The swaying palms and cypress trees give it a distinct Italian feeling, and it is the largest town in the Italian-speaking...
Categories: Lugano
Categories: Matterhorn
It is easy to see why Montreux, with its magnificent scenery reflected in the shimmering waters of placid Lake Geneva, has acquired the title 'The Pearl of the Swiss Riviera'. Situated on the shores of Lake Geneva and surrounded by the majest...
Categories: Montreux
Categories: Murren
Located 25 mi/40 km west of Bern, Neuchatel is truly a sparkling little city—its buildings of yellow sandstone glitter in the sun. It's also the cantonal seat, situated at the foot of the Jura Mountains on one of the largest lakes in Switzerland. The...
Categories: Neuchatel
Categories: Obburgen
Categories: Open-Air Museum Ballenberg
Categories: Rorschach
Categories: Sargans
Categories: Saxony
Most people go to Schauffhausen, Switzerland, a small city near the border with Germany, to see Rheinfall, the biggest waterfall in Europe (think wide and mighty, not tall and graceful). The city itself, which is 31 mi/52 km north of Zurich, has a ni...
Categories: Schaffhausen
Schwyz (pronounced shfeetz) is a very typical Swiss town near Lucerne in central Switzerland, 20 mi/35 km east of Lucerne. The surrounding canton, also called Schwyz, was one of three founding members of the Swiss Confederation and gave its name to t...
Categories: Schwyz
Sils-Maria is a quiet village only 6 miles from St. Moritz. Enjoy spectacular views, outdoor activities and peace and quiet. Sils is a popular base for strolls and hikes into the Fex Valley, and sledders and cross-country skiers enjoy Sils Maria in t...
Categories: Sils Maria
Categories: Silvaplana
Sion, Switzerland, is a charming town in the Rhone Valley, 100 mi/160 km from Geneva. It is perched on a steep hillside with several medieval monuments set, citadel-style, atop craggy peaks. Castle Tourbillon and the Castle of Valeria, seen from afar...
Categories: Sion
Categories: Siviez
When driving from Switzerland to Austria or Liechtenstein, allow an extra night in St. Gallen. This charming town 50 mi/75 km east of Zurich has a strollable and traffic-free Old Town where you can visit St. Gallen's town square, the baroque cathedra...
Categories: St. Gallen
The snow-clad mountains of St. Moritz are loved by ski enthusiasts from all over the world. Outstanding accommodations and nightlife are just the trimmings for a winter playground of superlative quality. Oberengadin's mineral springs are also a major...
Categories: St. Moritz
Susch is a municipality situated in eastern Switzerland. This charming town offers it’s visitors breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps as well as convenient access to the National park in Zernez and Davos.
Categories: Susch
The Swiss Alps is a region composed of alpine mountains that are over 2,000 meters above sea level in in Switzerland. One of the most famous Mountains in the region is the Matterhorn, which a very popular ride in Disneyland was named after.Enjoy acti...
Categories: Swiss Alps
Only a 20 minute train ride away from Zermatt, the village of Taesch (Täsch) has become a very popular Swiss destination in recent times. Visit during the summer to enjoy scenic hikes and first rate golfing. During the winter, guests can ...
Categories: Taesch (Tasch)
Thun, Switzerland, is a well-established market town 15 mi/25 km southeast of Bern that also makes an excellent place to begin an exploration of the Bernese Oberland region. It's much less touristy than Interlaken (just a two-hour steamer trip across...
Categories: Thun
Imprinted deep in Valais is an untouched sanctuary of beauty. Ascend from the high plateau and be welcomed by a wild gorge 200-meters deep that carves the Trient stream's path. From the 114-meter high waterfall, trek to the mystical Nymph Grotto....
Categories: Trient
The canton of Valais is Switzerland's third-largest, stretching from the southern shore of Lake Geneva south along the border with France and east along the border with Italy for half the length of the country (although Montreux and Vevey are not in ...
Categories: Valais
Categories: Verbier
Categories: Verzasca Valley
Categories: Vevey
Also known as Villars-sur-Ollon, Villars is a Swiss village located in the canton of Vaud commonly visited for skiing and snowboarding.
Categories: Villars
Categories: Vitznau
Categories: Wengen
The city of Winterthur, Switzerland, 15 mi/25 km northeast of Zurich, is famous for its art collections. Works from the very impressive Oskar Reinhart Foundation are shown in two museums. Sammlung Oskar Reinhart displays works of art from the late Go...
Categories: Winterthur
Friendly, welcoming Zermatt, with its grandiose panoramas of snow-capped peaks that include the legendary Matterhorn, boasts the longest winter season in Europe and the highest skiiing area. Horse-drawn carriages in summer and snow sleighs in winter...
Categories: Zermatt
Zurich is often referred to as the "garden city on the lake". A stroll through the fascinating city will soon explain the reason for this. Zurich is one of the richest cantons in the country and home to the famous and very beautiful shopping street,...
Categories: Zurich
The popularized image of Switzerland is almost too perfect and timeless: spectacular Alpine scenery, cozy mountain chalets, dazzling ski runs, window boxes spilling over with red geraniums, tidy cities set on serene lakes, elegant grand hotels. Though you'll undoubtedly encounter these along the way, they don't present a complete picture of this modern country. Switzerland may guard its neutrality and assert its independence, but it is very much an active participant in the world.
If you're going for the scenery or for the skiing, there are few places that can equal it (in quality or high prices). And there are few places as clean, safe and orderly as Switzerland. Likewise, few countries have such diversity in terms of culture and language: German is prevalent in Zurich and the northern, central and eastern regions; French in Geneva and the western region; Italian in Lugano and the southern region; and Romansch, the fourth national language, is the language of the southeastern part of the country, which includes the ski resort area of St. Moritz.
Despite its varied cultures and linguistic traditions, Switzerland is one of the most politically and economically stable countries in the world.
Geography
Switzerland shares a border with France to the west and southwest, Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east and Italy to the south. The country has three distinct geographical areas: the Jura (rolling hills with forests) in the west, running more or less parallel with the Swiss-French border and extending into both countries; the Plateau (forests, farmland, cities and lakes), in the center; and the Alps (high mountains), in the south.
Politically speaking, the country is divided into 26 cantons (the rough equivalent of states). There are 20 cantons and six half-cantons.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of Switzerland were the Helvetii. In 107 BC, the region was claimed by the Roman Empire. However, the Romans never established a strong foothold in the region because of the difficult terrain. In the early Middle Ages, the region came under the control of the Alemanni and the Burgundii (two Germanic tribes), then the Franks and, in the 11th century, the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 13th century, Hapsburg rulers sought to establish central control over the area. However, in 1291, three rural communities organized resistance against the Hapsburgs in a league that is considered the beginning of the Swiss Confederation. By 1499, this loose confederation had grown and included both urban and rural members.
Switzerland's military power grew and the confederation expanded until the French defeated the Swiss in 1515, weakening their military power and causing them to rethink their defense strategy. From that time on, Switzerland has followed a policy of armed neutrality.
The Reformation in the 16th century strained the unity of the confederation. Protestant ideas were spread by Zwingli in Zurich and Calvin in Geneva, but central Switzerland (the Four Forest Cantons) remained Catholic. In spite of the religious divisions and tensions, Switzerland maintained its neutrality during the Thirty Years' War. At the end of that war, in 1648, Switzerland's formal independence was recognized by the Treaty of Westphalia.
Switzerland adopted a constitution in 1848, creating a new federal state with Bern as the capital. The country remained neutral in both World War I and World War II. However, there were later allegations made, and lawsuits filed, claiming that Swiss banks had held monies stolen by the Nazis during World War II. In 1998, the country's two largest banks agreed to pay US$1.25 billion to the families of Holocaust victims.
In 2002, Switzerland became a member of the United Nations. Although it is not a member of the European Union, it has close economic ties with several member countries, and the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of people has resulted in a big increase in European nationals working in the country.
Snapshot
Switzerland's foremost attractions are spectacular Alpine scenery, impeccably managed hotels, world-class museums, medieval architecture, hiking, fishing, watersports, skiing, climbing, quality shopping, tennis, health spas, cycling and chocolate.
Switzerland is so visually stunning that almost everyone will be impressed with it. Skiers, climbers and others who love mountains will especially enjoy the Alps. It's an ideal country for families. There are affordable accommodations, but you'll have to look outside the best-known locales for them—Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe.
The only people who shouldn't go to Switzerland are those who have difficulty adjusting to high altitudes or those looking for a bargain vacation.
Potpourri
Despite the fact that Switzerland is politically neutral and hasn't been involved in an armed conflict in hundreds of years, military service is obligatory for its male citizens. They are required to complete a minimum of 300 days of training and service between the ages of 20 and 42. Women are accepted on a voluntary basis. The annual defense budget is almost 10% of all government expenditures (approximately 4.5 billion CHF).
Switzerland was one of the first countries in the world to develop usable nuclear energy, after the U.S. and the former Soviet Union.
In Meiringen you'll find a Sherlock Holmes Museum (http://www.sherlockholmes.ch). The town is near Reichenbach Falls, where Holmes and archrival Professor Moriarty fell to their presumed deaths. (Afterward, outraged fans forced Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to bring Holmes back.)
What some call Swiss cheese is known in Switzerland as Emmentaler, named for the valley near Bern where it originated. It's one of the very few cheeses with holes made in the country. Most Swiss cheeses—and there are many—have no holes.
Switzerland has the largest scientific laboratory in the world. CERN, located near Geneva, is a joint European venture with scientists from more than 20 countries. It was there in 1990 that the beginning of the World Wide Web was developed by scientist Tim Berners-Lee.
Audrey Hepburn fans should visit Tolochenaz, located in the area around Lake Geneva where the actress spent the last years of her life. She is buried in the cemetery there. In Vevey is the burial place of Charlie Chaplin. Some of the well-known writers who have lived, and died, in Switzerland include Victor Hugo, James Joyce, Thomas Mann, Vladimir Nabokov and Patricia Highsmith.
Geneva has a tradition of hosting international organizations: It's the European headquarters of the United Nations. It's also home to the International Red Cross, World Health Organization and International Labor Organization.
Although Switzerland is the oldest democratic confederation in the world, Swiss women did not gain the right to vote in federal elections until 1971.
Although it is landlocked, Switzerland has a merchant navy, with around 30 ships registered to the port (yes, the port) of Basel. They transport goods worldwide, and the fleet is the most modern in the world.
The Swiss canton Graubunden fought against the use of the "devilish" automobiles until 1925, when cars were finally allowed. Even later than that, however, cars were often pelted with stones by angry locals, and police officers fined drivers who went faster than a little boy could run.