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!
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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.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Trek around the Mont Blanc
- Take in the alpine scenery around the Matterhorn
- Ride the cogwheel train to Europe's highest railway station
Last updated: Feb 6, 2012
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Paris, Italy, Switzerland and London in August
by clementis_fur_cap 27 May 2012
Sushi, you've expressed my feelings far more reasonably and diplomatically than I could have managed. Thank you.
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RE: Paris, Italy, Switzerland and London in August
by sushi75 27 May 2012
+I think 2 nights in Florence is fine. It's amazing and I love it, but can be seen in a day or so for your first visit.+ Remarks like…
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RE: Great Place - but issues
by Pirate_at_50 27 May 2012
Aren't you the bleeding heart? BBC? How's England doing in that regard? Or did you watch it in Switzerland where they actually know what…
Hotels & Hostels
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Switzerland
Things to do
- All things to do (783)
- Activities (114)
- Entertainment (188)
- Restaurants (197)
- Shopping (64)
- Sights (200)
- Tours (20)
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Our Top Picks For Switzerland
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1 Basel
Modern art and contemporary buildings by likes of Frank Gehry and Herzog & de Meuron
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2 Lucerne
Iconic timber bridges, a stroll through the old town and cruises on the mountain-ringed lake
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3 Bern
Bear pits, a dip in the Aare, Paul Klee in the Kunstmuseum and Einstein's house
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4 Lac De Neuchâtel
The château of Neuchâtel, colourful historic fountains, the Gothic Église Collégiale and lake cruises
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5 Lausanne
The Art Brut gallery, hilly medieval centre, Olympic museum and lakefront Lavaux vineyard hikes
Fast Facts about Switzerland
- Average life expectancy
77.9 (men), 83.7 (women)
- GDP per capita
Sfr65,830 (2007)
- GDP
Sfr480 billion (2007)
- Highest point
Dufourspitze at 4634m
- Area
41,285 sq km
- Unemployment rate
2.4% (2007)
- Inflation
2%
- Population
7.59 million
- GDP growth
1.9%
- Non-Swiss nationals
20.7% of population
- You Fondue?
Most of the world left fondue back in the 70s, but in Switzerland it's always in style. The classic fondue is bread dunked in Emmental and Gruyère cheeses mixed with white wine, potato flour and a dash of nutmeg - consumed, of course, on shag-pile carpet.
Our favourite Switzerland Blogs (beta)
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Travel Inspiration – Abandoning The Status Quo
Blog: Canada's Adventure Couple - 14 May 2012
Flash back 5 years. We are travelling through 8 countries over the course of a summer. The whole trip was life-altering and transformative.Our thirst for adventure led us to Interlaken, Switzerland to white water raft through the Alps.
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Railway to The Top of Europe on Jungfrau Mountain
Blog: Living the Dream: RTW - 14 April 2012
When thinking of Switzerland, an image of the snow-capped mountains are always the first thing to pop in a traveler's mind. The majestic mountains of the Alps are littered throughout this tiny country, and is often the number one exploration choice for all those who vi
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Navigating Skiing in Davos-Klosters with Kids
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 26 March 2012
When many people hear the name Davos, the first thing they think of is the World Economic Forum, while Klosters evokes thoughts of Prince Charles and his annual ski trip. That’s all I knew before last week ... The full story is that Davos Klosters is a multi-faceted mountain resort (one of the oldest in Switzerland) in the heart of the Swiss Alps with 700+ km of hiking trails in the summer and 300+ km of ski slopes in the winter. We spent a weekend here this month and got a first-hand look at all it has to offer for my Skiing in Europe with Kids’ series.
