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A scintillating blend of pastoral, rustic lifestyles and metropolitan attractions, the mountainous paradise called Switzerland attracts tourists of varied persuasions. Switzerland is the land of cuckoo clocks and bankers, historic landmarks and chalet-dotted countryside.

Though the Swiss are united neither by religion or language they have lived peacefully together for centuries and have maintained their neutrality which has since become their hallmark. They have deliberately kept aloof from political issues the world over and are a self-contained nation, both culturally and economically. Visitors often presume that this would mean meeting a reserved and unfriendly people – Not true! The Swiss can envelop you with their warm hospitality as soon as you allow them to… so be ready for one of the most pleasant travel experiences when you come a-visiting.

Seems like the Swiss have penchant for time – some of the renowned luxury watch brands, like Baume et Mercier, Piguet, Breitling, Chopard, Franck Muller, Audemars, Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rado, Rolex, Tag heuer, Tissot are all Swiss.

In Switzerland it is anathema to loose your piece of bread in your cheese. There is a penalty you will pay and that could be paying for the next bottle of wine, singing a song or something else as embarrassing!

Do you remember Julie Andrews yodelling in Sound of Music? Yodelling originated in Switzerland when one farmer wanted to communicate with the other on the next mountain!

The Swiss are the largest consumers of chocolates. The average Swiss eats 23 lbs of chocolates per year compared to the 11.7 lbs consumed by each American annually. “Lindt” are the most famous Swiss chocolates known worldwide.

For such a small country Switzerland has four official languages – French, Italian, German and Romansch.

Historically Speaking

Unlike many of its belligerent neighbors, Switzerland can boast a recent history of relative "neutrality" and stability. Due to this unique tradition, Switzerland escaped much of the damage during the war years, which is largely why cities like Zurich retained their old world charm.

But that certainly doesn’t mean that this glacial land hasn’t experienced its share of political turbulence and illustrious history. Switzerland formed the empire of a number of famous conquerors, namely Julius Caesar and the Frank dynasty, and witnessed several power tussles prior to settling down. As early as 1518 the Swiss decided that neutrality was the best policy to follow in this war torn world. To their credit they have been able to maintain this even today.

In the 20th century, the independent Swiss Confederation remained largely uninvolved in Europe’s major wars, and was in fact a heaven for refugees during the Nazi occupation. In 1920, the League of Nations was formed in Geneva. In the recent decades, Switzerland was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association, and has also joined many UN organizations

–though it continues to resist those that are repugnant to its neutral balance.

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Habitat

The Swiss landscape is among the most mountainous in the world, with more than three- fourths of its terrain being occupied by the fantastic, breathtaking Alps in the central and southern region of the country. The remaining terrain is home to the lower but equally noteworthy Jura range, which straddles the border between France and Switzerland.

Between these two colossal mountain ranges, lies the Swiss plateau, with an average elevation of 400m above sea level. The breathtaking valleys of Switzerland form the other physical division between the two mountain ranges. The picturesque waterfalls, streams and rivers that typify Swiss landscape are to be found here.

The principal river system is formed by the Rhine and its tributaries. Other important rivers are the Rhone, Ticino and Inn. Any account of Swiss environs would be incomplete without a mention of its scenic lakes, especially in the alpine region– the most famous being Lake Geneva, Bodencie, Lake Lugano and Lake Lucerne.

The highest Alpine mountains are home to the exotic edelweiss, anemone, lily, mugho and Swiss pines. As one ventures downhill,

conifers dominate the intermediate landscape, followed by deciduous forests comprised of beach, oak and maple further down. The plateau is claimed by Mediterranean plant and vegetation such as palm, magnolia, chestnut, walnut, apple and pear.

Chamois and marmots inhabit the Alpine. The forests contain foxes, and many species of birds. Trout and salmon are to be found the in streams and rivers.

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