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Zurich
Located in the Zurich canton, Zurich is the largest city in
Switzerland and the people here really know how to party.
Zurich is the richest and most densely populated part of Switzerland,
an has a quite different, more European character to the rest
of the country. It is the business, artistic and creative
hub of the country, with Dada, Lenin, James Joyce and
Trotsky all spending time here. The Old Town is
home to most of the tourist sights with many fountains and
winding alleys. St Peter's Church has the largest clock
face in Europe (a staggering 10ft wide) and the Fraumunster
Church has elegant staned glass designed by artists Marc
Chagall. The Swiss National Museum is home here.
Expect to see more action, crime and poverty here than the
rest of conservation Switzerland. The unique ritual of Sechselauten
is held in Zurich every April to celebrate the end of the
long winter, where a firework filled 'bogg' (snowman) is rocketed
through the air. Near the city, take a train trip to Uetliberg
and the Planetary Path where you pass a scale model of the
solar system.
Elsewhere in the Zurich region, Winterthur town attracts
visitors with its many museums including two dedicated to
art collector Oskar Reinhart and the Swiss Technorama
science museum.
Mittelland
Bern is the Swiss capital, located in the heart of
Mitteland near the French border, although only its 4th largest
city. Dating back to the 10th century, it is rich in medieval
history. Taking its name from the city's mascot, the bear,
you can see a rather depressed pair of doped brown bears in
a pit in the city. Bern is like a fairytale, with its strange
creatures, turret tower buildings, lavish gold town clocks
and cellar shops and bars underneath the street. It is the
seat of federal parliament and you can visit the impressive
Bundeshauser parliament building. With several historic
and art museums and a quaint town market with traditional
foods and crafts, Bern is a pleasant and unspoilt city to
pass a day or two in.
A three-hour drive from Zurich is the Emmental region,
and the town of Langnau, a great place to go cycling
or learn the art of yodelling or the other famous Swiss musical
speciality, the Alpine Horn.
Bernese Oberland
This region located south of Bern, is one of the most picturesque
parts of the country. The little town of Interlaken
is just an hour by train from Bern with nearby mighty peaks
and elegant lakes.
Great hikes, landscapes and exceptionally high mountain characterise
the Jungfrau region where colourful area with rugged
white and grey mountains mingling with green hills. There
are many ski resorts here like Grindelwald, Schilthorn,
Wengen, Gstaad and natural beauty like the Trummelbach
Falls and the ice gallery in Jungraujoch.
The area known as The Lakes has popular excursions
being Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and the Giessbach
Falls, and pretty medieval towns like Spiez. The
Reichenbach Falls in the Hasli Valley is famed
as where Sherlock Holmes fell to his death and the village
of Meringen boasts a Museum dedicted to the fictitious
character.
To the west of the region the river valleys of Simme
and Kander are renowned for skiing and white water
rafting.
Central Switzerland
The historic and traditional home of Switzerland, this region
is centred around the lake city of Lucerne. Here you
can cruise the massive lake, and walk on covered bridge and
explore medieval architecture. It's a tourist centre with
an awesome collection of souvenir shops. Lake Lucerne itself
is a region in its own right some 20 miles in length and can
be explored by paddlesteamer. The overlooking Mt Pilatus
has the intriguing myth that he who climbs to the summit would
unleash storms below. Alternatively, the superstitious can
climb Mt Rigi, a heavy 4 hour hike.
The tiny town of Engelberg is a fantastic place to
hear the tinkling of cow bells, as well as visiting the 10th
century monastery and climb the gentle Mt Titlis.
Einsiedeln is an important pilgrimage site where apparently
the voice of God himself prevent the destruction of the monastery.
Cherries are grown in this region and you can taste cherry
liquor at distilleries an d cherry cake is a regional speciality.
Basel
Basel in the northwest is Switzerland's second largest city
and a home of commerce, study and creativity. It sits on the
border of France and Germany. The carnival in April is nationally
renowned. A significant zoo and fine arts museum ensures a
pleasant visit. Nearby, the Roman ruins of Augusta Raurica
and the Black Forest, home of the cuckoo clock and
Hansel and Gretel, are good day trips out.
Aargau
Highlights of the region include the spa town of Baden
and the ruins of Habsburg Castle.
Fribourg
Near the Jura mountains, the Fribourg region and town is
similar in style to Bern and founded by the same bear hunter.
It is home to several significant churches and museums. Nearby,
take a cheesy tour of Gruyeres, a small village renowned
for guess what.
Neuchatel
This lake region was first settled on in 3000 BC and is rich
is pre-historic lore, located on the shores of Switzerland's
largest lake. Take a trip on the lake in summer, or take a
canal trip to the nearby lakes of Biel and Murten.
It's also known for its vineyards and wine tasting.
The town of La Chaux-de-Fonds is known for watch
and clock making, and thus a good place to buy a time piece.
The region's mountains are great for easy going treks
and cross country skiing.
Jura
The new canton of Jura, created in 1974 is known for its
mountains. It's not much visited and thus much cheaper to
stay here where horse riding and woodlands walks
are the top activity.
Valais
Valais, due to its many peaks, used to be totally inaccessible,
and it is home to all of Switzerland's great mountains including
the Matterhorn. This of course makes it a haven for
skii fanatics and it is home to some 50 ski resorts including
trendy Verbier, Zermatt by the Matterhorn and in close
reach of France's Mt Blanc. The little capital of Sion
is home to several museums and the impressive Grande Dixence
Dam, which is size of two of Egypt's pyramids. Leukerbad
is home to the largest thermal centre in Europe, a great place
to enjoy a natural outdoor heated swim!
Bourg St Pierre sits on the border of Italy in the
Alps. You can ski the famous St Bernard Pass which
links Switzerland to Italy, and was first opened by the Romans.
The St Bernard Hospice has been a haven for hikers and skiers
stranded in the snow since the 11th century and its famous
St Bernard dogs have saved over 2000 lives, including
those of Napoleon's soldiers who crossed the area in the early
1800s. The dogs are trained by monks at the local monastery,
although more often now their role has been replaced by Alsatians.
Ticino
South of the Alps with a Mediterranean feel, Ticino is closest
to Italy in style, in parts like Campione D'Italia
with its palm trees, piazzas, pizzas and pasta, you will have
trouble telling whether you are still in Switzerland or across
the border. Its capital is Bellinzona, a city of 3
medieval castles between two alpine passes.
The financial hub of Lugano, once home of a post WWI
peace conference, is a good place to explore the nearby hills
and Lake Maggiore. Lugano's Verzasca Dam - sight
of the famous bungy jump as featured in James Bond's 'Golden
Eye' and the site of the world's highest bungy jump. At 700
ft it's not for the faint hearted!
The Northern Valleys are pleasant walking trips in
areas where you're unlikely to meet any other tourists.
Graubunden
Home to the first winter sports in Switzerland, this Alpine
region boasts beautiful rural villages and mountain vistas.
The capital of Chur, an ancient city, has an interesting
art museum where you can see works by local artists, HR
Giger who created the aliens in the 'Alien' films. The
quiet resorts of Lenzerheide, Davos and Valbella
are great places to ski away from the crowds.
The Romansch-speaking valley of Engadine offers tremendous
views and unique floral designs on the houses.
The jet set arrive in St Moritz all year round for
winter and summer play, and the toboggan Cresta Run
is renowned. You can stay more cheaply in the youth hostel
of nearby St Moritz Bad if you want a taste of the
action but don't have the cash. Nearby Celerina also
has an Olympic bob run.
North-East Switzerland
The north-east, although not so popular with tourists and
not so rich in scenery is home to many fine castles like the
medieval town of St Gallen with its twin-tower cathedral.
Appenzellerland is perceived as a backward town (women
only got the vote in 1991) but it has a quaint oldy-world
charm. In Stein you observe the 10 stage cheese making
process, and climb the moderate Santis mountain. Schaffhausen
town has the unfortunate history of being deliberately bombed
twice by the USA during WWII to incite them to join the war
effort. The Rhine Falls are worth a visit, the largest
falls in Europe, and Lake Constance is a fantastic
base for water sports.
Liechtenstein
Little known Liechtenstein is an independent country with
close ties to Switzerland, though previously it allied with
Austria. It has its own monarch from a 300 year old dynasty
and its own postage stamps. The concept of government in such
a small country is fairly sketchy, the King tried to dissolve
parliament in 1989 when the government failed to support his
plan to open a new museum. Tension is still rife, and the
King (Prince Hans Adam) has threatened to leave the country.
It's a tax haven with its own autonomy and a wealthy region.
It's a largely Catholic region and wine and denture are its
main exports. Prices and environment compare to Switzerland.
Vaduz village (population: 5000) is the 'capital' but
contains a castle and the Prince's famous art collection.
There is also a ski resort in Malbun. |
