For the nearly eight million that live there, Switzerland is home. For the over 35 million that visit the land every year, Switzerland is a heavenly place to visit. There are a variety of customs and the diverse culture makes Switzerland a colourful tourist destination.

Sights and To-Dos

Swiss Alps are perhaps the face of Switzerland, and tourists will never tire with them.  They are one of the most beautiful in the world, and are every tourist’s revelation. Schilthorn is a must visit mountain in the Alps. The wonderful fresh air is sure to captivate the senses. Jungfraujoch is another mountain right next to Schilthorn that tourists ought to visit. At 3454m this is the highest peak in Switzerland. Tourists would want to visit the glass obsethe glass observation deck from where they can witness the surroundings in a different way.

In Wengen and Murren you wouldn’t know from where the waterfalls are originating and where they are ending. Trummelbach falls are a must see, and for about $10 it is simply awesome to watch them disappear into the mountains.

Swiss National Park is an interesting visit. The variety of plants and animals found in the park is simply stunning and the range is diverse, from marmots to bearded vultures to golden eagles. Tourists will enjoy hiking in the park that offers hiking trails spreading to over 80 kilomtres.

Aletsch Glacier is another stunning sight. This is an over 23 kilometre long glacier in the Alps and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are organised tours of the glacier, and will take roughly two hours of time well spent.

Cyclists will appreciate Lake Geneva region that is also popular with wine lovers. The lake stretches upto Lausanne, where an Olympic Museum awaits the tourists. Over 3300 kilometres of cycle tracks keeps them insanely happy.

Zurich is a must visit town that excites tourists. Lake Zurich in particular attracts tourists and they can take a trip through a steamer and the experience is pretty unique.  There are hiking opportunities nearby to take advantage of.
The Swiss love their sports, and there is no other sport as maddening as football. FIFA and EUFA are based in this land.

Food

Switzerland food is as diverse as the culture of the land. The food and ingredients all vary wildly region to region and the preparation style differs, too. Basically a dairy products consumer, Switzerland is famous for quality fruits and vegetables too, apart from rich seafood.

Food is pretty much expensive in Switzerland, and normal menus will always contain different varieties of pasta, vegetables prepared in numerous ways, meat ranging from beef and chicken to pork and even horse meat, and fish along with other seafood. There is a marked shift towards vegetarianism in Switzerland, and consequently, vegetarian dishes are on the rise, with at least main course being vegetarian.

Tourists must savour the delectable cheeses in Switzerland, the land of Heidi, and the variety of breads to go with the cheeses and otherwise. Zopf is a popular and revered bread normally consumed as the Sunday breakfast. Burli bread is usually breakfast bread and is also seen at barbeques.

Desert is an important and integral part of the Swiss meal, and it consists of cheese and cakes or cookies in a variety of flavours. Epiphanies Cake or Dreikonigskuchen is a special cake made only on January 6 which is Epiphanies Day. Fondue is extremely popular with tourists as well as locals. Made of molten cheese eaten by dipping bread, it is a wonderful combination of several flavours of cheese. Tourists can have it all the year round, but traditionally, it is a winter dish.

Shopping

Linen, embroidery, wood carvings, handmade watches and clocks are quite popular with tourists. Cow bells are popular too, though primarily with Indian tourists. Pottery, steel cutlery, textiles, and crystal ware are also in great demand. All the big brands can be found here, from Tag Heuer to Omega to Swatch to the iconic Rolex.

Being a nation feeding highly of dairy products, it is natural to pick up from the variety of cheese the land has to offer. Chocolates are perhaps the best that Switzerland has to offer. They are much revered around the world for their wonderful and unique taste.

Facts

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