Switzerland
(Overview)
Switzerland Travel Guide
Switzerland is a country of still lakes, rolling hills and snowy mountainous landscapes.
Located at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe, it also separates Germany
from Italy, serving as the gateway to Southern Europe from the northern half of the
continent. With speakers of French, German, Italian and Romansh, Switzerland is all the
best of four cultures jammed into one. The town of Basel, on the German border, is the
‘pocket-sized metropolis’ of Switzerland, complete with stylish architecture, compelling
museums and a rich historical city centre. The chic city of Geneva, on the other hand, is
almost entirely surrounded by French land. Nestled in cozily around the shores of Lake
Geneva, or Lac Léman, the city is elegant and luxurious, as well as vibrant and energetic.
Back in the German speaking part of the country you’ll find Zürich. Here you can head
down Bahnhofstrasse, a street famous for its shopping destinations, enjoy the burgeoning
gastronomical scene or take a trip to the cascading Rhine Falls. Then take a break from the
city streets and make your way up to Klosters, a snowy haven for lovers of nature and
winter sports. Try out your skiing, go tobogganing or wind down at the Engadin Baths in
the town of Scuol.
Place to visit
- o Zurich
- o Geneva
- o Zermatt
- o Interlaken
- o Lake Geneva
- o Bern
- o Lake Maggiore
- o Grindelwald
- o Lake Lucerne
- o Lauterbrunnen
- o Montreux
- o Lake Zurich
- o Wengen
- o Lake Thun
How To Reach Switzerland
By Air: Major international airports are in Zurich, Geneva and Basel, with smaller airports
in Lugano and Bern/Berne. Flying into nearby Milan (Italy), Lyon or even Paris (France) or
Frankfurt (Germany) are other options though rather expensive and time-consuming (3h
Frankfurt-Basel, 4h Milan-Zurich, 5h Paris-Berne) by train. Some discount airlines fly to
Friedrichshafen, Germany which is just across Lake Constance (the Bodensee) from
Romanshorn, not too far from Zurich.
By Railways: Trains arrive from all parts of Europe. Switzerland is together with Germany
one of the most central-lying countries in Europe, making it a center of railways and
highways to the rest of Europe.