Switzerland

Information and Tourism

Home to the European headquarters of the United Nations, Switzerland is a landlocked country surrounded predominantly by Austria, France, Germany and Italy. Switzerland has become known by tourists for its diverse range of recreational activities, which are strongly influenced by the season and include hiking and skiing around the many mountains and valleys, such as the Engadine and the Swiss Alps. Adelboden, Montana, Sargans, Verbier and Weisses Hochland are all popular Swiss skiing municipalities.

Adventure sports have recently become extremely popular in Switzerland and today tourists can enjoy everything from canyoning to skydiving, particularly at Interlaken, in the Bernese Oberland region. Interlaken is regularly visited by backpackers all through the year and features a range of inexpensive hostels, together with two separate funicular railways and breathtaking scenery.


Tourists holidaying in Switzerland always enjoy visiting the main market towns and large cities, such as Basel, Geneva, Lucerne and Zurich. Famous for its leading financial centre and off-shore banks, Zurich is home to many financial institutions and the Swiss Stock Exchange, being considered to be a global city. Zurich hotels are often in great demand, particularly those in the heart of the action, while elsewhere, Switzerland also boasts no less than three world heritage sites - the historic city centre of Berne, the cathedral of Saint Gallen, and also Mustair's convent of Saint John. Those visiting the Bernese Oberland area on a budget will find that the Interlaken hostels are amongst the region's best, being well-placed for accessing both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

	WORLD GUIDES TO SWITZERLAND
	World Guide to Basel, Switzerland A small city known throughout Switzerland for its colourful spring carnival parades during its Basler Fasnacht, Basel enjoys some extremely sunny weather. Visitors to Basel can cool down with boat trips along the River Rhine.
	World Guide to Berne, Switzerland Although the capital city of Berne is perhaps the most well-placed of all the cities in Switzerland, being in the very heart of the country, it is by no means the biggest. That said, this medieval city is filled with tourist attractions and charming streets.
	World Guide to Geneva, Switzerland The Swiss city of Geneva is the third-largest of all the cities in Switzerland and stands next to the spectacular Lake Geneva. The main attractions include the Jet d'Eau fountain, endless museums and the European Headquarters of the UN.
	World Guide to Interlaken, Switzerland Package tourists have arrived in Interlaken since the 19th century, coming to admire the mountainous scenery and views. Today, holiday makers also come to Interlaken for its endless recreational activities and cog-wheel railways.
	World Guide to Lausanne, Switzerland A city surrounded by many hills, Lausanne is located alongside Lake Geneva and also the Jura mountains. The historic centre of Lausanne is presided over by a dramatic Gothic-style cathedral, while Ouchy harbour is also of interest.
	World Guide to Lucerne, Switzerland Enjoying a particularly picturesque lakeside setting, Lucerne (Luzern) is located in the popular tourist area known as Zentralschweiz (Central Switzerland). Lucerne enjoys a mountainous backdrop and is very famous for its wooden Chapel Bridge.
	World Guide to Zurich, Switzerland Capital of the most populated state in Switzerland, Zurich has become a leading centre of finance and a large number of the world's premier banks are based here. Zurich has recently gained a noticeable vibrant and exciting atmosphere.

Switzerland Information and Fast Facts

• Country: Switzerland (Swiss Confederation)
• Area: 15,945 square miles / 41,300 square km
• Population: approximately 7,500,000
  
• Capital city: Berne
• Language: German, French, Italian and Romansh (Rhaeto-Romanic)
• Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
• Country dialling code: +41
• Religion: equal parts Roman Catholic and Protestant

Map of Switzerland