Switzerland

Switzerland compresses four language regions, 48 four-thousand-metre peaks and some of the world's finest trains into a country you can cross in half a day. The Matterhorn, Jungfrau and Aletsch glacier anchor the Alps; Zürich, Geneva, Bern and Basel supply museums, old towns and lake promenades; and Ticino swaps everything for palm trees and Italian.

Capital

Bern

Population

8.8M

Area

41,285 km²

Currency

Swiss franc (CHF)

Language

German, French, Italian, Romansh

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

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  01

  Zürich Region

  Lakeside metropolis, guild houses and modern art

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  02

  Geneva

  Lac Léman, the Jet d'Eau and international institutions

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  03

  Lake Geneva Region (Vaud)

  Lavaux terraces, Chillon castle and Lausanne

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  04

  Bern Region

  Sandstone arcades, Emmental valleys and the Aare

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  05

  Bernese Oberland

  Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau above Interlaken

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  06

  Valais

  Matterhorn, Aletsch glacier and Rhône vineyards

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  07

  Fribourg & Neuchâtel

  Three-Lakes country, medieval Fribourg and watchmaking

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  08

  Jura & Solothurn

  Limestone ridges, gorges and baroque Solothurn

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  09

  Basel Region

  Rhine bend of museums, Roman Augusta Raurica

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  10

  Aargau

  Habsburg castles, thermal Baden and river country

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  11

  Lucerne & Lake Lucerne

  Chapel Bridge, Pilatus, Rigi and the founding cantons

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  12

  Central Switzerland

  Uri, Schwyz and Zug — Gotthard passes and lake shores

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  13

  Eastern Switzerland

  St. Gallen's abbey, Appenzell hills and the Rhine Falls

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  14

  Graubünden

  Engadine villages, Bernina railway and Swiss National Park

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  15

  Ticino

  Italian-speaking lakes, Bellinzona's castles and palm promenades

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  Historic Site

  Aabach (Seetal)

  The Aabach is a small river that runs through the Swiss cantons of Lucerne and Aargau, in the Aare catchment area. It flows from south to north through the valley called Seetal and ends in the Aare.

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  Historic Site

  Aarau

  Aarau is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The town is also the capital of the district of Aarau.

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  Garden

  Aargau Jura Park

  Aargau Jura Park (Jurapark Aargau) is located north of Aarau, between the rivers Aare and Rhine, in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It straddles the border between Jura and Basel.

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  Museum

  Aargauer Kunsthaus

  The Aargauer Kunsthaus is a Swiss art museum founded in 1959, and located in Aarau. The museum collection consists of Swiss art from the 18th century to the present day.

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  Historic Site

  Aargauer Literaturhaus

  The Aargauer Literaturhaus is a cultural institution in Lenzburg (Canton of Aargau, Switzerland) dedicated to the popularization of literature and literary practices. It carries out author talks, reading conferences, and literary workshops for all ages on a regular basis.

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  Historic Site

  Altberg

  Altberg is a range of hills in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It runs between the Limmat Valley in the south and the Furttal valley in the north.

• Aquae Helveticae

  Historic Site

  Aquae Helveticae

  Aquae Helveticae was a vicus and mineral spa established in the 1st century AD near the Roman legion camp of Vindonissa. It is in and was the origin of the name of Baden in Switzerland.

• Baden District, Aargau

  Historic District

  Baden District, Aargau

  Baden District is a district in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. The district capital is the town of Baden and the largest municipality is Wettingen, located in the Limmat Valley.

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  Historic Site

  Baden, Switzerland

  Baden, sometimes unofficially, to distinguish it from other Badens, called Baden bei Zürich ("Baden near Zürich") or Baden im Aargau ("Baden in the Aargau"), is a town and a municipality in Switzerland. It is the main town or seat of the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau.

• Zürich

  Lakeside finance capital with guild houses and Kunsthaus art.

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• Geneva

  Jet d'Eau, the UN quarter and Lac Léman sunsets.

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• Bern

  UNESCO arcades, bear park and a loop of the Aare.

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• Lucerne

  Chapel Bridge, painted facades and mountain excursions.

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• Basel

  Rhine bathing and nearly forty museums.

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• Lugano

  Italian-speaking lake city beneath Monte Brè.

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• Swiss National Park

  Strictly protected Engadine wilderness with ibex and deer.

• Jungfrau-Aletsch

  UNESCO ice world around Europe's longest glacier.

• Creux du Van

  Natural rock amphitheatre in the Jura.

• Rhine Falls

  Europe's most powerful waterfall near Schaffhausen.

• Matterhorn

  The 4,478 m pyramid above car-free Zermatt.

• Jungfraujoch

  'Top of Europe' railway station at 3,454 m.

• Pilatus

  Lucerne's peak, reached by the world's steepest cogwheel railway.

• Fondue

  Melted Gruyère and Vacherin with bread, a winter ritual.

• Raclette

  Scraped melted cheese with potatoes and pickles.

• Rösti

  Crisp grated-potato cake, the Swiss-German staple.

• Swiss chocolate

  Milk chocolate perfected here in the 19th century.

• 01

  Prices are high — a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card usually pays for itself.

• 02

  Trains leave exactly on time; connections are built on minutes, not chance.

• 03

  Tap water is drinkable everywhere, including most village fountains.