Switzerland

Understand

A landlocked country with an area of 41,285 km², Switzerland is a land of picture-perfect Alpine ranges and verdant greenery. The country offers a range of old towns, diverse cultures and outdoor adventure-related activities. It sits at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It has borders with France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It is officially known as the Swiss Confederation in English. Its abbreviation "CH" comes from Latin, Confoederatio Helvetica, which is often used internally to avoid giving preference to any of the country's official languages.

History Switzerland has a history reaching far back into the Roman Empire times, when the tribes inhabiting it were called "Helvetians" by Roman sources. You can find many references to "Helvetia" or "Helvetic" in the naming of Swiss organisations and companies, and on postage stamps. A quarrel between Julius Caesar and the Helvetians is one of the first things to be described in detail in Caesar's De Bello Gallico, which is still read by Latin students all over the world. The Helvetians and their successors have adopted various forms of democracy and devolution to govern their lands, rather than feudalism or autocracy prevalent in the rest of Europe, thus conserving and in a sense modernising Germanic traditions otherwise only found in the Nordic countries. Functioning as a (initially very loose) confederation for centuries, the country has grown to become one of the most diverse in Europe, while also vividly celebrating their national and local identity and the direct democracy employed to make a wide range of civic decisions. Swiss independence was a gradual process and for a long time the only document all cantons had signed was an alliance with France, but by 1648 after the Wes

See

The seven wonders

The 1 C

Getting there

Entry requirements

Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Agreement. See Travelling around the Schengen Area for more information on how the scheme works, what countries are members and what the requirements are for your nationality. In summary:

There are normally no immigration controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty; there may be such controls temporarily, such as in connection with important events and various crises. The operators may carry out identity checks before passengers board international flights, ferries or trains, even between Schengen countries. Citizens of the EEA countries and Switzerland do not need visas to travel in the Schengen area, and may stay up to 90 days with no requirements other than having a valid ID card or passport. See European Union#EEA citizens. Normal visas granted by any Schengen member are valid in all countries that have signed and implemented the treaty (with exceptions for some overseas territories). The granting country may offer additional rights (such as longer stays or right to work) that apply only locally. Switzerland is not a member of the EU, however. Therefore, travellers entering Switzerland from the EU are subject to customs controls even if there are no immigration controls, and persons travelling elsewhere in the Schengen Area will also have to clear customs. On the other hand, Switzerland maintains a customs union with Liechtenstein, and there are no customs controls when travelling between the two countries. As a tourist: Personal goods worth a total of more than Fr.5,000 and cash and all cash equivalents in excess of Fr. 10,000 have to be declared. Also some amounts of foodstuffs, alcohol and tobacco. The importation of animal products coming from countries other than EU states

Getting around

Getting around Switzerland is quick and easy, albeit sometimes on the expensive side, no matter which mode you choose. The country has had a love affair with railways for over a century now, despite having been something of a late bloomer in railway construction. The few places not served by trains are served by the "Postauto" bus system and everything is seamlessly integrated, meaning you'll never have to wait long. Should you wish to drive a car, there are excellent highways throughout the country and many mountains are bypassed with tunnels. Hiking paths across the Alps have existed for centuries and are usually well blazed and maintained. Switzerland is also making an effort of marketing itself as bicycle friendly under the slogan "Veloland Schweiz".

By plane As Switzerland has probably the most well-developed public transportation system in the world, and the country's airports are not that far apart anyway, there is very limited domestic air traffic. The connections offered by Swiss International Airlines and Etihad Regional include Zurich-Geneva, Zurich-Lugano and Geneva-Lugano. In most cases taking the train, sometimes combined with bus or other means, will be a cheaper option, and often it may prove just as fast and convenient as flying. If you arrive on an international flight to Flughafen Zürich (in Kloten) or Genève Aéroport (in Cointrin), you may take a direct train or bus from stations integrated into the airport terminals. From there, easy connection with several means of transportation including only one or two swift transfers will bring you to many destinations

Public transport

The Swiss will spoil you with fantastic transport – swift, disturbingly punctual trains, clean buses, and a half dozen different kinds of mountain transport systems, integ