Switzerland’s Hidden Gems and Iconic Landmarks: A Journey You’ll Never Forget
Looking at Switzerland in an atlas, the first impression you get is that of a small country, landlocked and therefore far from the world and its conflicts. Nothing could be more wrong: the famous Swiss neutrality does not arise from a condition of forced isolation, quite the opposite. It arises precisely from its central position at the European crossroads, both of communication routes and of trade. Two of the three most important European rivers, the Rhine and the Rhone, rise in these mountains, and the main Alpine passes have always constituted the commercial border between northern Europe and the vast Mediterranean basin.
Here, world-famous architects and designers challenge each other every year with ideas, trying their hand at building hotels, spas, museums, churches, or simple apartments owned by foreign billionaires. Equally fascinating are the architectures of the past, which bear witness to the condition of a country that has always been the hub of European life. Permanently inhabited since 5,000 BC, Switzerland only found its own identity in 1291. On 1 August of that year, to defend themselves from the advance of the Habsburgs, who intended to extend their dominions in Switzerland, the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed the Eternal Pact of the Rütli, with which they guaranteed each other mutual support in case of danger. The treaty laid the foundations for driving the invaders back into Austria, but also for facing the future with a new perspective, in which the idea of a politically unitary space began to take shape. However, the federal state was born only in 1845, at the end of the Sonderbund War, while the constitution was written in 1848, and has since then been revised only twice, in 1874 and 1999.
Geneva: The Elegant Heart of Switzerland
The most elegant city in Switzerland is Geneva, the multi-ethnic capital of the canton of the same name. Many people mistakenly think of it as the country’s capital, and it’s not hard to see why. Beautifully laid out around the glittering shores of Europe’s largest Alpine lake, the city is home to the headquarters of the United Nations, the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, and the International Red Cross, not to mention that just 8 kilometers west of the center is CERN, the world’s leading particle physics research laboratory.
However, unless you are a politician and work in nuclear research, you will find it much more interesting to shop in the boutiques of Paquis, visit the old town and discover its beauties, such as the Jet d’Eau, the 140-meter-high fountain that projects a jet of water into the lake at almost 200 km/h, or the Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre.
The Lavaux Vineyards and Chateau de Chillon
From Geneva, you can visit several interesting places on the lake. On the northern shore lies elegant Lausanne, flanked by a series of pretty towns that stretch from Nyon, in the west, to Montreux, in the east. On this side are expansions of vineyards that stretch from the lake to the steep hills of the Lavaux area, renowned for its prestigious cellars and the excellent wines they produce. Around Montreux stands the enchanted Chateau de Chillon, the most famous of the many castles in the area. Those who prefer lakeside scenery can head further north to the southern tip of Lac de Neuchâtel, near Yverdon-les-Bains. Finally, in the French-speaking canton of Vaud (Waadt in German) lie the Alpes Vaudoises, a paradise for skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer.
Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and the Jura Forests
Less frequented by tourists is the area between Fribourg and Neuchâtel, where the landscape is characterized by the extension of vast hills covered in the green of the Jura forests. Both Fribourg and Neuchâtel are worth visiting for their rich history. Both boast important medieval pasts, still witnessed today by imposing buildings such as the Cathédrale de Saint-Nicolas de Myre in Fribourg and the fifteenth-century castle of Neuchâtel. All around, nature reigns supreme between expanses of forests and three large lakes: Lac de Neuchâtel, Lac de Morat, and Bieler See. As for activities, the area offers thousands of kilometers of hiking trails, cycle paths, cross-country ski runs, and countless opportunities for water sports such as sailing and water skiing.
Valais: Land of Wine, Cheese, and the Matterhorn
Further south lies the Valais, a multifaceted canton that combines extremely rustic landscapes linked to the past with glamorous resorts devoted to tourism such as Zermatt and Verbier. The entire canton has two delicacies in common that will make gourmets happy: wine and cheese, a combination that is actually quite common throughout Switzerland. The landscape is marked by the solitary presence of the pyramid of the Matterhorn (4,478 m) which, on the Italian side, takes the familiar name of Mount Cervino. The view from the Swiss side is however the best, especially if you are lucky enough to see the profile of the mountain reflected in Lake Riffelsee. The Rosa massif also stands out nearby, which with its 4,634 meters of altitude at Punta Dufur represents the roof of Switzerland.
The Bernese Oberland and the Jungfrau
To the north of Valais, in the heart of the Swiss federation, there are other imposing mountains. In the Bernese Oberland, there are lower elevations than in the border area with the Aosta Valley, but characterized by the presence of enormous glaciers, surpassed in size only by the Icelandic glaciers of Vatna-Jokull. Here, in the middle of the Oberland, stands the Jungfrau, the “Young Lady,” the mountain made famous by the highest train in Europe which, with its rack railway, will take you up to 3,454 m of the Jungfraujoch, in the heart of the Alpine chain.
Ticino: The Italian Soul of Switzerland
Finally, there remains the most Italian of the country’s 26 cantons: Ticino. The latter, reachable in a few dozen minutes by car from Milan, faithfully reflects some aspects of Italy, but in others it seems truly antipodal. The passion for good food is as strong in Lugano as in Bellinzona, where, however, a decidedly more Swiss than Italian rigor prevails. Here too, the lakes attract the attention of tourists. In the summer, especially in conjunction with the International Film Festival, Locarno is literally taken by storm due to its particularly pleasant climate and the beauty of the scenery that borders the northern part of Lake Maggiore.
Climate and Transport in Switzerland
It is difficult to imagine, but the Swiss climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The influx of humid ocean air masses keeps temperatures relatively mild, at least in the valleys, and precipitation continues throughout the year. Specifically, the regions south of the Alps have atmospheric conditions somewhat similar to those of the Mediterranean, with warmer winters than in the north; the Alpine valleys receive less precipitation on average and have a drier climate than the rest of the country. Temperatures drop dramatically at high altitudes, and only the Föhn, the warm wind that blows in a north-south direction, sometimes keeps temperatures above zero.
Switzerland is one of the most advanced countries in Europe in the transport sector. Almost all airports and railway stations have been rebuilt or modernized recently, but the program to improve the Swiss infrastructure network knows no respite. In 1998, for example, construction began on the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which, starting in 2017, allows travel between Erstfeld and Bodio along the 57 kilometers of the longest railway tunnel in the world. To move within the national borders, you are spoiled for choice between trains and buses, keeping in mind that boats offer truly unique views of the cities overlooking the large lakes of the country.