Switzerland is located in the central heart of Europe. Apart from the European Union, Switzerland as a Federal State has its own rules and laws. You don’t pay with the Euro, but with the Swiss Franc. The different climates in Switzerland ensure that there are many tourists in both summer and winter. During the summer months, Lake Geneva and cities such as Lausanne, Basel and Lugano are mainly visited. During the winter sports season, places such as St. Moritz and Bern and Engelberg are very popular again. The Swiss Alps are popular all year round. You can also take fantastic walks, climb mountains and practice winter sports. Many details from the Middle Ages can be found in Switzerland’s historic towns and cities. Here the cultural character forms a welcome change from the natural environment. Bellinzona, Lucerne and Bern are excellent examples of this. Check topmbadirectory for how to get to Switzerland.
Switzerland ‘s top 10 sights
#1. Swiss Alps
The snowy peaks, green hills and tranquility are of great attraction to the many tourists who visit the Swiss Alps every year. Most like to go to the Swiss Alps for mountain climbing and hiking. The routes are clearly displayed and you can choose from different levels of difficulty. The highest mountains of the Swiss Alps are located in the Valais area. The Matterhorn in particular is world famous. This mountain was first climbed in 1865 by the Englishman Edward Whymper. You can also visit the mountain via the Gornergrat Bahn in Brig. This train, with wonderful views along the way, takes you via a nine-kilometer drive in about half an hour to the highest and most famous mountain in the Swiss Alps, the Matterhorn. You will find another beautiful area in the Bernese Oberland area. Glistening lakes such as the Brienzersee and Thunersee reflect the magical mountainous environment. Check simplyyellowpages for mass media and culture of Switzerland.
A popular trip through the Swiss Alps is the Jungfraubahn. This trip on a nine-kilometer rack railway offers fantastic views of the impressive mountain landscape. The inspiring story ‘ From Interlaken to the top of Europe ‘ lets you enjoy this very special day trip in words and images.
#2. Bellinzona
In the southeast of Switzerland, you can soak up the Italian atmosphere in the town of Bellinzona. It is often visited when en route to the Alpine passes of Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lukmanier. The medieval fortresses in the historic city of Bellinzona are part of Unesco World Heritage. Castelgrande, Castello di Montebello and Castello di Sasso Corbaro are located on the Castelgrande hill. Castello di Montebello is now an archaeological museum and Castelgrande houses the city’s art history museum. They are accessible via steep paths, but also by lift. The elevator leaves from the Piazetta Della Valle. In Bellinzona are also a number of churches, monasteries, to visit a theater and a museum of modern art. The modern art museum ‘Museo Civico Villa dei Cerdri’ is located in Villa dei Cedri.
#3. Lake Geneva
The more than 580 km² Lake Geneva is located in the southeast of Switzerland. The vast lake is located on the border of France and Switzerland between the mountain regions of the Jura and the Alps. This makes the views in the area really beautiful to see. In the immediate vicinity of Lake Geneva you can discover nice holiday destinations. Think of the beautiful Montreux, the valuable character of the city of Lausanne and of course the city of Geneva itself. Geneva has a number of historical sights such as Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Mur des Réformateurs and a number of beautiful parks. The many museums make Geneva a cultural city. You will find the Musée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, which shows the history of the Red Cross and the work they do. There is a museum of modern art and the Patek Philippe Museum. The Patek Philippe watch brand is inextricably linked to Geneva.
#4. Castle of Chillon
Chillon Castle is located directly on Lake Geneva. It was built in the twelfth century on top of high rocks. The greatest adjustments took place between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. As a residence of the influential Savoy family, as well as a prison, Chillon Castle has had an infamous reputation. The most famous prisoner was the historian and poet François Bonivard. Some traces of this can still be found in the cellars. Other beautiful highlights to visit are the room of Peter II of Savoy and the medieval room ‘Camera Domini’.
#5. Old Town of Bern
Although Switzerland has no capital, Bern is assigned the function of Federal City. This city, on the river Aare, has an old town that is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. City districts are connected to the city center by means of the Kornhaus Bridge, Nydegg Bridge and Kirchenfeld Bridge. The Bundesplatz is a well-known square in Bern, where the parliament building is also located. In the city center is the Zytglogge tower. The tower dates from the 12th and 13th century and served as a prison and bell tower. Other interesting sights are the St. Peter and Paul Church, the Bundeshaus parliament building and the Berner Münster cathedral.
#6. Art Museum Basel
There is plenty of art and culture to be sniffed at in the Swiss city of Basel. There are about 40 museums to visit in this interesting city. For example, the Doll’s House museum on Barfüsserplatz, the Swiss Architecture Museum, Historical Museum, Vitra Design Museum and the Kunstmuseum Basel. This art museum of Basel is one of the largest and most impressive museums in the city and perhaps even in the region. The diverse collection covers art from the fifteenth century to the present day. The most famous and popular collection can be attributed to the Holbein family of artists. Other well-known and lesser-known names you will encounter are Picasso, Léger, Pieter Neeffs, Augusto Giacometti, Andy Warhol and Frans Hals.
#7. Chapel Bridge
In the centrally located city of Lucerne you can visit the old and new center. Altstadt and Neustadt are divided by the Reuss River. These parts are connected by a number of bridges. The most impressive bridge is the wooden and covered ‘Kapellbrücke’. The bridge was built around the fourteenth century as part of the defensive works. The bridge has been damaged and rebuilt several times. The last major restorations took place in the twentieth century. A fire in 1993 destroyed part of the Chapel Bridge. Together with the water tower, the Chapel Bridge forms the symbol of the city of Lucerne. The attractive location of Lucerne with the beautiful mountains ‘Pilatus and Rigi’ on one side and the beautiful lake on the other side, has attracted many tourists over the years. With a cruise you will pass beautiful facades and other beautiful places where you occasionally imagine yourself in the Middle Ages. With a steamship you have the opportunity to sail Lake Lucerne.
#8. Swiss National Museum
The cultural, political and social history of Switzerland is excellently translated in the Swiss National Museum in Prangins. The museum is located in an eighteenth-century castle ‘Château de Pangins’. From the castle and from the accompanying park you have a beautiful view over Lake Geneva. In the museum you will learn more about the foundation of the Swiss Congress of Vienna, the life of Baron Guiguer in Pangins Castle and the history of the country.
#9. Creux du Van
You can enjoy a lot of beautiful things in the Val de Travers district. Among others from the Creux du Van. The round worn rocks with a diameter of about a kilometer, together form a kind of natural amphitheatre. For many years, erosion has deformed large parts of the limestone into what we can see today. The view over the Creux du Van, Lake Neuchâtel and the wooded area can truly be called phenomenal.
#10. Lowendenkmal
Lucerne, the city on the river Reuss, has a number of fascinating sights. The Löwndenkmal is one of them. A dying lion has been carved into a rock that used to be part of the sand quarry. The dying lion is a monument commemorating the demise of the Swiss Guard during the storming of the Tuileries in 1792. The design of the Löwendenkmal comes from the Danish-Icelandic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
