Switzerland is a country with just around 8 million inhabitants! Bern is its capital and Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. It is a cosmopolitan city, full of people from all over the world!!!! Mostly Catholic country, but still with a large percentage of Evangelicals and Protestants, much still for their ancestors!!!
This country is divided into Cantons, so 4 different languages are spoken:
- French
- German
- Italian
- Romansh (which is basically a mixture of these languages)
Talking about this country is much more than talking about Milka chocolates, Heidi, cheeses or the breathtaking landscapes of the Swiss Alps!!!!
Being Switzerland, a country known for the production of chocolates, it is one of the biggest exporters in the whole world.
There we find the biggest brands known worldwide, such as:
- Lindt
- Nestlé
- Cailer
- Milka
Main gastronomic attractions:
- Fondue
- Raclette
- Cheeses
- Rosti
- Rivella
- Birchermüesli
- Schnitzel
- Swiss chocolate
- Croissants
Also known for its numerous ski resorts and winter sports.
The best Ski Resorts in Switzerland are:
- St. Moritz: one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland
- Zermatt has a privileged view of the iconic Matterhorn mountain
- Verbier: a Swiss ski paradise for experts
- Grindelwald: winter activities and a trip to the top of Europe
- Davos-Klosters: a Swiss ski resort in the highest city in Europe
- Engelberg-Titlis and the world’s first revolving cable car
The main winter sports are:
- Alpine snowboard
- Alpine skiing
- Ice Hockey
- Figure skating
- Ski jump
- Bobsleigh
- Slopestyle snowboarding
- Curling
- Nordic combined
- Skeleton
Switzerland is also known for its hundreds of stunning lakes and true landscapes that remind us of real postcards. The best time of the year to visit the counttry will be outside the winter season, more precisely between May and October, because many of these lakes freeze during the winter.
The main Swiss lakes are:
- Faulensee
- Seealpse
- Oeschinensee
- Blause
- The famous trail of the “Five lakes of Pizzol”
- Gelmersee
- Bann Alpsee
- Lungern See
- Caumasee
- Crestasse
- Brienz
- Lake Lucerne
- Walensee
- Lake Léman
- Bachalpsee
Here we also find more than 1000 Glaciers, some of which are easily accessible and can be visited.
Here are some not to be missed:
- Zinal Glacier (the junction of three glaciers: Grand Cornier, Durant and Mountet and it is possible to enter all of them) in this case it is only possible to be visited in winter, when it is not melting.
- Aletsch, one of the largest glaciers, is located between the capital Bern and the Valais area. Considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being the largest ice flow in the Alps.
- Arolla Glacier, composed of 2 glaciers, the Glacier du Mont Collon and the Haut Glacier d’Arolla.
- Rhône Glacier, here annually a tunnel is opened by scientists to study climate change
- Matterhorn glacier, located on the most photographed mountain in the world, Zermatt
- Glacier 3000, here it is possible to visit it in summer and winter
- Grand Désert Glacier, also possible to visit in summer and winter and it is perfectly possible to do it on foot
In the French part of the country there are several tourist attractions to consider. But I leave you with 3 of the main Swiss cities:
- Montreux
- Geneva
- Lausanne
Points of Interest:
- Rhine Falls, considered the highest waterfall in Europe, located in the Canton of Schaffhausen, is an excellent tour for those who love direct contact with nature.
- Go to Heidiland. If you want to travel back in time and (Re)live the stories of dear Heidi and Pedro. Heidi is a region located in Maienfeld. Here you can visit Heidi’s house, which nowadays has been transformed into a House-Museum.
- Switzerland is beautiful any time of the year, but if you visit it in spring, you can visit the Tulip festival in Morges, a town near Geneva, right on the banks of the river Lèman.
- If you go in the summer months, you can visit the Montreux Jazz Festival at the beginning of July. If you like being in contact with nature, you can choose to hike through the mountains and glaciers. And take the opportunity to visit the beautiful Swiss cities, such as:
- Geneva
- Lucerne
- Lausanne
- Zurich
- Well
- Zermatt
- Interlaken
- Gruyeres
- Basel
In winter, enjoy the Christmas Markets, spread across several cities such as:
- Montreux Noel
- Basel Christmas Market
- Zurich Christmas Market
- Christmas market near Bahnhofstrasse
- Christmas market in Bremgarten
- Christmas market in Einsiedeln
How to get:
It is possible to arrive through the airports of Geneva, Zurich, Basel and Bern.
As it is a country with a privileged location, it is possible to travel by car
How to get around the city:
The public transport system works very well, from:
- Buses
- Trains
- Trams
- Boats and ferries.
Moreover, here you can buy train tickets for spectacular trips. I remind you that Switzerland is also known for its magical train rides. This is where you used to travel on the world’s slowest express train – The Glacier Express. A journey of approximately 8 hours, passing through more than 90 tunnels and more than 290 bridges, from St Moritz to Zermatt. This train journey is without a doubt a visual delight for our eyes!!!!
Swiss Travel Pass, a set of the entire public transport network that can only be purchased by visitors to the country (includes train, tram and bus tickets)
NOTES:
Visiting Switzerland is not getting into monotony!!! Of course, its main attraction is undoubtedly the ski resorts, which are very popular in winter. But visiting Switzerland can be truly magical at any season. Spring and Summer for the beautiful green landscapes and Autumn for the harvest festivities and winter for the beautiful white cloaks that cover a large part of the territory.In addition to chocolates, cheese and wine are Swiss strengths, with Gruyère cheese being the best known and, in terms of wine, the Lavaux region, which has even become a UNESCO heritage site.
The currency is the Swiss Franc