Switzerland Interlaken Zurich St Moritz and Geneva

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Switzerland is the land of skiing, chocolate and very private banking. Ah, but there is so much more to experience in the land of neutrality.

Interlaken

Interlaken gets its highly creative name from sitting on the split of land between two lakes. If youre looking for a little extreme sporting, this is place. You can backpack, horseback ride, parasail and so on. To really take in the majesty of the alps, I highly recommend you cough up the money for a go at skydiving. You may have gone ski diving before, but I guarantee you nothing compares to free falling down through the mountains of Switzerland. This is how God must feel looking down at the earth. While God gets the view for free, you will have to paya lot. Still, the view and experience is something you will never forget.

Zurich

Zurich is the cleanest city in Switzerland, Europe and maybe the world. There place simply sparkles. Various guide books challenge readers to find a cigarette butt or piece of trash on the sparkling streets. Personally, I find the cleanliness of the city a bit of a negative. Stop rolling your eyes. The place is simply so clean that it seems to lack any real character. One keeps getting the feeling you are walking around a Disneyland Park. The budget traveler should be aware that Zurich is more expensive than even Disneyland.

St. Moritz

If youre looking for the arrogant rich, over the top luxury and incredibly expensive prices, St. Moritz is for you. Not really my crowd, so on to the next city

Geneva

Geneva is not just another clean city in Switzerland. Okay, it looks like it at first and second glance, but the third glance may prove a delight. With cobble stone streets, the city reminds one of the stereotypical Swiss images in the media. In reality, Geneva has a bustling underground of live music, art and general fun. Four aspirin and two bottles of water later, I can certainly attest to it. The only way to let your hair down in Geneva is to buddy up to a local and follow their lead. Trust me, youll have a blast.

Switzerland often seems a bit too good to be true. Perhaps it truly is a mountain mirage. Guess youll just have to visit to do your own investigation!

Switzerland Interlaken Zurich St Moritz and Geneva

An Overview of Switzerland for Travelers

TOP TRAVEL DESTINATIONS – http://routebyroad.com

The official name of Switzerland is the Swiss Confederation. If you are considering visiting Switzerland, you should know something about the country.

An Overview of Switzerland for Travelers

Switzerland is uniquely positioned in Europe because it sits on the crossroads of many routes. Although not as important in modern times, the geographic position explains the odd situation where the official languages of the country are German, Italian and Romansch. French is widely spoken in the west and English is prevalent throughout the country. There is no language unique to SwitzerlandSwitzerish perhaps.

Switzerland is a very modern country rating at or near the top of all living standards in the world. Literacy rates are near 100 percent, 25 percent of adults hold diplomas from higher education and religious freedom is guaranteed. Switzerland has one of the highest usage rates of computers and the Internet, not to mention a high per capita income level. Health care services are outstanding and nearly all Swiss are insured.

Historically, Switzerland was first inhabited by Helvetic Celts. It eventually came under the rule of the Roman Empire. During this period, it flourished as cities such as Geneva, Basel and Zurich served as major commerce centers in the Roman Empire.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Switzerland was invaded and ruled by various groups. It later passed into control of the popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Eventually, the three dominant families in Switzerland agreed to a joint rule pact in which they pledged joint defense, peace and autonomous rule. They signed the agreement on August 1, 1291, a day now considered Nations Day in Switzerland. Following this period, Switzerland pursued land capture through military ventures, defeating the Habsburgs on three separate occasions. They were subsequently defeated by the French and Venetians and renounced expansionist policies, the foundation of Swiss Neutrality.

After a brief civil war between Protestants and liberals, Switzerland settled into the country it is today in 1848. Free of Catholic rule, the country passed a constitution establishing strong civil liberties. Unlike most countries, the Swiss federal government is very weak. The states, known as cantons, have significant autonomy and the effective law makers in the country.

The citizens of Switzerland go by the name Swiss. The population totals about 7.3 million and grows less than one percent a year in size. Religiously, Swiss categorize themselves as Roman Catholic 42 percent, Protestant 33 percent, Muslim 4.3 percent, others 5.4 percent and no religion 11percent. The literacy rate is claimed to be 100 percent and the average life expectancy is 76.5 years for men and 82.5 for women.

Switzerlands policy of neutrality has served it will through two world wars. Much of the country has escaped the damage inflicted on its neighbors. With soaring peaks and beautiful cities, it is a travelers delight. Now that you know something about it, give it a visit.

An Overview of Switzerland for Travelers