Surrounded by Alps, Switzerland is only a small country, but brimming with natural beauty. Think craggy green mountains dotted with quaint little villages and grazing cows; magical snowy landscapes; mirror-like lakes reflecting stunning alpine scenery; dynamic and charming cities and melt in your mouth milk chocolate.
Known for its banking, chocolate, watches – and of course, the famous Swiss Army Knife – tourists have been drawn to Switzerland for its mountaineering and skiing since the 18th century. Switzerland has maintained a policy of “armed neutrality” for centuries, which has allowed it to build a strong and stable economy uninterrupted by war; the Swiss economy is now ranked by the World Economic Forum as the most competitive in the world.
Switzerland is also a testament to cultural diversity, with four official languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh) and one of the highest proportions of foreign-born residents in Europe. Idiosyncratic, adaptable and sophisticated, Switzerland is a global powerhouse that punches well above its weight.
Switzerland is undoubtedly a paradise for hikers, skiers, mountain-climbers and other nature enthusiasts. All manner of winter sports are well catered for in the many resorts and mountain villages of the Swiss Alps, such as picturesque Grindelwald. Switzerland boasts awe-inspiring scenery, including the UNESCO World Heritage listed Jungfrau region, and the eternal snows of alpine glaciers such as the Aletsch Glacier. The country’s most famous natural sight is arguably the pyramidal peak of the Matterhorn, which has inspired generations of painters, and graced Toblerone boxes since 1908.
Zurich is considered Switzerland’s trendsetting city, with a perfect combination of old and new. With some 1.8 million people living in its metropolitan area, it has the largest population of any city in Switzerland and is a global centre for finance, science, and research. Picturesquely situated on the banks of Lake Zurich and Limmat River, it enjoys magnificient views of the snow-capped Alps in the background.
Zurich has a healthy amount of art galleries and museums worthy of exploration, particularly Kunsthaus and Rietberg Museum. Bahnhofstrasse (Station Street) is a mile-long street of banks, cafes, boutiques and department stores and what makes Zurich a shopper’s mecca for high-end fashion, jewellery and watches. Visit the delightful old town stretching across both sides of the river and wander around the cobbled streets.
Geneva, Switzerland’s second largest city, serves as the global or European headquarters for hundreds of international organisations and companies, including the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and many more. The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, or CERN, is also based in Geneva; the World Wide Web was born at CERN in the early 1990s, and CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is the biggest particle accelerator on the planet. Visitors to the city can visit the art deco Palais des Nations - the European headquarters of the United Nations - or enjoy a picnic on the banks of Lake Geneva, Europe’s largest alpine lake. On a clear day, views of famous Mont Blanc (which straddles the French/Italian border) can be seen from the city.
