Introducing Switzerland
If you could travel through only one European country, which might you choose? Italy? France? Germany? How about a taste of three in one? That can only mean Switzerland!
Advertisement
Known as a summer and winter sports paradise (just look at those glistening white 4000m-plus Alpine peaks and glittering lakes), Switzerland is where people first skied for fun. Illustrious names evoke all the romance and glamorous drama of the mountain high life: Zermatt, St Moritz, Interlaken, Gstaad, the Jungfrau, Verbier and more. Cities like Geneva (the most cosmopolitan), Zürich (the most outrageous), Basel and Lausanne heave with heady artistic activity and sometimes incendiary nightlife.
Beyond the après-ski chic, edelweiss and Heidi lies a complex country of cohabiting cultures. It not only has four languages (Swiss German, French, Italian and Romansch), but the cultural variety to match. You could be chomping on sausages over beer in an oom-pah-pah Stübli one day and pasta over a glass of merlot in a granite grotto the next. And if over-indulgence becomes a problem try one of the country's thermal baths, from Yverdon-les-Bains to Scuol.
The grandeur of the finest churches, such as the cathedrals in Lausanne and Bern, contrasts with sparkling but lesser-known treasures like the frescoes of Müstair or the abbey complex of St Gallen (both World Heritage sites).
The list of enchanting towns is endless: from Lucerne with its covered bridge to Neuchâtel and its fountains; from Gruyères with its cheese, and Grimentz with its traditional timber houses to the sgraffito-blazoned buildings of Engadine towns like Scuol and Zuoz.
Whether visiting the remotest Ticino villages or sampling the finest of Valais wines, you'll find Switzerland a chocolate box bursting with unexpected flavours.
Last updated: Jul 16, 2010
Tips & articles
-
48 hours in the Italian Lakes
24 August 2010
The Italian Lakes: the name evokes romantic images of twisty roads and James Bond car chases, palatial lakeside villas...
-
Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations
22 August 2010
For celeb spotters, glamourpusses or rich-list wannabes, there’s our pick of ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ holiday haunts, taken...
-
Best adventure travel ideas
22 June 2010
If you’re after an outdoor adventure, look no further. In this excerpt from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we bring...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
Japan Dreaming
by teamkarate 1 reply, last post 02 September 2010
Hi all, My Karate club and I are travelling to Japan for 2 weeks at the beginning of October 2010. We'll be based in Yokohama. As we'll…
-
weekend in Switzerland
by monicaelizabeth87 3 replies, last post 01 September 2010
Hello, I am currently living in the Czech Republic, and my parents are coming over from the States for a visit. They arrive and fly…
-
Really high quality of living
by cubalibre002 45 replies, last post 02 September 2010
If you want a really high quality of living you've got to live in Germany or Switzerland.
Advertisement








