Travel Guide to Switzerland

Switzerland is known to be the land of the Alps, but snow-topped mountains, cows with large bells, cableways and ski-lifts are not all you can expect from a visit to this small country that has been a major tourist attraction since tourism was invented there.

Switzerland is a land of contrasts - you can sit under palms growing on the lake shores in the warm and sunny southern canton of Ticino and look at mountain peaks covered by eternal snow and ice. Canyons with wild waters and steep rocks are just one hour away from modern cities. But again: "modern cities" does not mean anonymous "deserts" of concrete, glass and steel, most Swiss cities do have a fairly-well preserved medieval (if not Roman) nucleus with cathedrals worth visiting and beautiful old houses. Lucerne, Bern and Geneva are just best known for this, other cities and towns are waiting to be discovered ...

Sightseeing

While the alpine resorts are offering a beautiful landscape and all kinds of activities (hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, river-rafting, paragliding, bungee jumping in summer, skiing and snowboarding in winter), the majority of well-known landmarks can be found in the cities:
> Virtual sightseeing tour to popular Swiss landmarks
> Pictures of some important Swiss monuments
> Pictures of some outstanding examples of Swiss architecture

Gastronomy and Restaurant Guide

Switzerland's cuisine has been influenced by all of its neighbours, but traditionally French influence has been dominating high class restaurants all over the country - also in the larger German speaking region. While one may find top-class restaurants in major cities, some of the best cooks run a restaurant in the countryside. In Switzerland, distances are small and therefore countryside does not mean that these locations are hours away from the cities by car, but it may be a bit more difficult to reach them by public transport.

For those not familiar with European food there are Chinese and Indian restaurants in major Swiss cities and alpine tourist resorts. Vegetarians will find a suitable menu in most restaurants and there are even some completely vegetarian restaurants.
> www.foodguide.ch Interactive Restaurant Guide to Switzerland:
   search for specific cuisine styles and region

Food Specialities

Many, though not all, Swiss food specialities include potatoes and/or famous Swiss cheese. Restaurants on lake shores often specialize in lake-fish dishes, but you may get meat there, too.
> Swiss cuisine specialities: Rösti, Fondue, Raclette and more

Low-priced and Fast Food

Those on budget may choose for lunch from self-service restaurants attached to supermarket chains and department stores offering traditional dishes including vegetables at reasonable prices, U.S. style hamburger restaurants, some cheap pizzerias (not all pizzerias are low-priced, however, depending on the service level), and snack bars selling sandwiches and Turkish specialities like Döner Kebab. Prices for dinner in restaurants are generally much higher than for lunch, so you may prefer to have a warm lunch and have some fast food for dinner.

Links

• Travel by train / bus: Swiss Federal Railways
  Timetables for all public transport systems in Switzerland, ticket calculator, packages for tourists
• Travel by car: roadmaps
  (Select language English/Germany to get a continental European map and then zoom in to Switzerland)