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Switzerland

Smack in the centre of Europe, Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Italy to the south, France to the west and Germany to the north.  Consequently, many languages are spoken throughout the country.  As a general guide:  Swiss-German is spoken mainly in the north, east and central areas, French in the west, Italian in the south, and some Romansch in the southeast. 

Switzerland is officially known as the ‘Swiss Confederation’ (Latin ‘Confoederatio Helvetica’) and the country code ‘CH’ often causes confusion.  Zurich (in the north-east) and Geneva (in the south-west) are major economic centres and cities, but the capital city is Bern.

Think of shaking a snow-globe and watching as the flakes settle on a fairytale world of wooden chalets nestled in spectacular mountains, world-class ski resorts, mouth-watering cheese and chocolate and horse-drawn sleighs.  More than sixty percent of Switzerland is covered in mountains and although it is a small country it is huge when it comes to some of the best ski resorts in the world. Just as it is famous for its watches and Swiss precision - expect everything to run like clockwork.

Ski at any of the glamorous Swiss resorts and you may find yourself rubbing shoulders with film stars and royalty, especially at places like St. Moritz, Klosters, Zermatt, Gstaad, Davos and Verbier.

Although the Matterhorn may be better known (at 4478 m/14,692’), it is not the highest peak in Switzerland; that honour goes to the Dufourspitze, at 4634m (15,203’).  (Mont Blanc is the highest summit of the Alps, at 4808 m/15,774’).   Glacier skiing is available at several locations, including Les Diablerets/Glacier 3000, Zermatt, Saas-Fee, and Grindelwald in the Bernese Alps.

Switzerland offers all kinds of winter sports, with plenty of terrain and parks for snowboarders, cross country skiing, shoeshoeing, tobogganing, dog-sledding, ice-skating and snow-tubing – to name just a few.  Non-skiers needn’t be left out, as there are mountain railways and gondolas to whisk them up to sunny terraces to enjoy a fondue or raclette and be part of the action.