Visiting Switzerland - Land to Live - Places to Visit - Beautiful Picnic Spots in Bern

Switzerland is located in Central Europe, a small country, known as Land of Alps with 17 Mountain Peaks above 4,000 m equivalent to 13,100 ft above sea level. Other mountains are between 2000 m - 4000 m with many plateaus and lakes. The total area is 41,293 sq km in which land is 39,773 sq km, water is 1,520 sq km. The population is  7,870,500.

Neighbour Countries are Germany, France, Italy and Austria.

The government is federal republic with far reaching cantonal autonomy. Switzerland has 26 Cantons the Federal States of Swiss Conferation. Bern is the capital city. The economic center is Zürich, the International City is Geneva, National Holiday is August 1 remembering the confederacy of 1291.

The money currency is Swiss Francs which is considered the most stable currency of the world. Switzerland has also a stable politics, social peace  and is one of the world's important financial centers.

Switzerland has excellent education system, well qualified workforce, high wages which corresponds to the high standard of living though labor cost is still lower compared to other countries. Switzerland is among the the top five of the most important economies.

Switzerland has four languages: German 74%, French21%, Italian 4% and Rumantsch 1%. The traditional religions are Catholic 42%, Protestant 35%, Jews 0.3%, without religion 15%.

About more than 20 % are immigrants of different nationalities. There are rarely Native Swiss people in some major cities like Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Bern, Basel. In some schools there are two or three per class with Swiss Nationality, the rest are multi cultural races, mix Swiss/foreigner generation.

Switzerland's Neutrality between European powers were defined at the Vienna Congress of 1815 ending the wars of Napoleon.

I have been living and working in Switzerland since 1986. I got married in 1992. As a nurse i have a good well paid job. My family have been able to travel to many places, enjoy many social, health, security privileges, and have savings for the future. One has to adopt the swiss culture and mentality of swiss people. For the first two years, it is hard to adjust with the climate, languages, the environment, the ways of swiss life. For the moment after so many years we adopted the swiss culture although we still treasure our own tradition from where we came from, living with it day by day.

Switzerland is a nice place to live that i and my husband decided to settle down with our family. It is a peaceful country. Here has a high standard of living that mostly cope up having higher wages.

We became our Swiss nationality in the year 2004. We have 2 children, a dog, a house with a little garden. We are contented with our ways and status of living that we decided to remain in Switzerland until retirement and in the future spend some months in our homeland and the rest months here in Bern.

Begin your trip from the wonderful lakeside towns to the alpine magnificent scenery.

Lucerne

Chapel Bridge with Water Tower, the most ancient preserved wooden bridge in Europe, around 1300. Spreuer bridge with scenes from the Dance of Death, old downtown, Jesuit Church, Musegg Wall & Towers, Carnival (look over the calendar event)), Swiss Transport Museum, Cultural and Congress Center, Picasso Museum, Glacier Garden, Rosengart Collection, Mount Pilate, Glacier Garden, Steamboat ride on Lake Lucerne, Lion Monument.

Interlaken

Oldest Swiss tourist resort, governor's castle, Tell - Schiller's drama, folklore.

Lausanne

Cathedral Notre.Dame, town hall, St. Francois church.

Vevey

Food Museum, Camera Museum, School of Photography.

Montreux

Chilon Castle, Hotels in Riviera style (19th century), Lakeside promenade, Chatelard Castle (15th century), Jazz Festival in July.

Other Cities and Towns

Bern

Capital of Switzerland - Bundeshaus, old towm (UNESCO World Heritage site), eleven fountains, allegoric figures, Gothic Cathedral, clock tower- play of figures 4 minutes before the full hour, bear pit, open air rock festival in Gurten Hill.

Geneva

Water jet 130 m, botanical garden, town hall, Monument of Reformation, Headquarters of 130 international organizations, UNESCO / UNICEF headquarters.

If you have more time, visit more interesting towns and cities: Basel, Zurich, St. Gallen, Baden, Bellinzona, Biel/Bienne, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Chur, Locarno, Lugano, Neachàtel, Winterthur, Yverdon-les-Bains,

Prealpine & Alpine Resorts

Bad Ragaz - Thermal Spa.

Bernese Oberland Classical Alpine Region

Gstaad-Saanen - Hiking in summer, Swiss Open Tournament, winter sport resorts, St. Nicholas Gothic, Worthwile Village Museum in Saanen.

Interlaken - see above.

Grindelwald - Glacier village, Eiger north face, hiking and biking in summer, ski resorts for beginners and families.

Murren - Located on a terrace opposite to mounts Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

Wengen - At the feet of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. 

Davos - Largest alpine resort in Switzerland.

Engelberg - Gateway to Mt. Titlis, winter skiing or summer skiing in Titlis Glacier 3200 m. 

Leukerbad - Thermalbad Spa.

Zermatt - Most famous mountain in Switzerland, Matterhorn.

St. Moritz - Very expensive place, lively nightlife, thermal spa, famous for Engadin Skimarathon with over 12'000 candidates, Engadin region is ideal for cross-country skiers.

Scoul/Schuls - Thermal Spa

Saas Fe - Winter sport, skiing resorts, summer hiking.

Pontresina - Outlet Bernina region, Morteratsch and Roseg glaciers, calm alternative to St. Moritz.

Klosters - Prince Charles place, small, quite, traditional village.

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