Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Switzerland boasts sweeping valleys and soaring mountains with sparkling alpine lakes. Although its lovely scenery and exciting outdoor activities are understandably what attracts visitors, its cities and towns are very culturally diverse with four national languages being spoken around the country.
Set right in the heart of Europe, it is dominated and defined by its massive mountain ranges; the Swiss Alps rising in the south and the Jura Mountains in the west. Bordered by France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy, Switzerland is a very prosperous and peaceful place with most of its population residing amidst the rolling hills and wide-open pastures of the Swiss Plateau. Dotted about you can find over 1,500 scenic lakes with the largest being Geneva, Constance and Neuchatel.
As each region has its own look, feel and identity depending on whether it is French and German or Italian and Romansch that is spoken, it can be hard to know where to begin. While its capital Bern, for instance, has a magnificent medieval old town to wander around, Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano all lie along lovely lakes with majestic mountains rising up around them.
The international city of Geneva also attracts lots of visitors with its famous Jet d’Eau and striking Saint Peter’s Cathedral, as does Zurich due to its attractive architecture and world-class museums. In addition, Basel’s beautiful old town is also well worth visiting while Interlaken acts as the country’s adventure sports capital with whitewater rafting, bungee jumping and skydiving all being on offer.
To top it all off, visitors can always take a cable car to the top of Mont Saleve and bask in fantastic views of Mont Blanc, go skiing at the glitzy resorts of Davos and St Moritz or scale the steep sides of the mighty Matterhorn – Switzerland’s standout symbol and sight.
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