The Wise Directory

Switzerland Travel Guide

overview:

Switzerland is a landlocked alpine country in Western Europe. This small multi-lingual country, of a little over 7 million people, has four national languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansch. The country is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It dates its independence to 1291; historically it was a confederation, and it has been a federation since 1848, with a current division into 26 cantons.

Switzerland has a strong economy in finance and banking, rates highly in international economic standards despite its small size, and maintains a long and strong tradition of political and military neutrality. This background allows Switzerland to host various international organizations, such as the United Nations, which, though headquartered in New York City, has many departments in Switzerland. The safety, security, and scenic beauty of the country, for walking, hiking, and skiing, give it a strong and robust tourism sector.

Switzerland is known for its mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) but it also has a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. The highest point is Dufourspitze at 4,634 m while Lake Maggiore is only 195 m above sea level. The climate is temperate, but varies with altitude. Switzerland has cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters and cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.

related websites:

Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, Interlaken Hostel
Quality hostel in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
http://www.villa.ch