Tourism

As a tourist country, Switzerland has something for every kind of holiday. Switzerland has a special feel simply because of its four national languages, German, French, Italian and Rumantsch.

Switzerland has a long tradition of tourism. The infrastructure is well-developed and offers plenty of variety. It has accommodation, from camp sites to luxury hotels, to satisfy every requirement.

There are attractive and interesting possibilities for both short stays and for longer visits in every part of the country:

• Unspoiled historical towns
• A wide variety of cultural activities
• 1,500 museums
• Shopping
  

Sports enthusiasts can choose from a huge range of activities, from the traditional to the trendy:

• In winter there is a wide selection of winter sports, from skiing, to snow shoeing and dog sleigh riding.
• In summer, when the hottest days reach temperatures well above 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit), there are countless public swimming pools, lakes and rivers to tempt bathers.

Anyone interested in history can visit historical sites associated with prehistoric lakeside villagers, the Celts, Romans. Alamans, Carolingians or Burgundians.

There are six spectacular places on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the Alps the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region, with the 23 km (14.3 miles) long Aletsch glacier is breathtakingly beautiful. Monte San Giorgio, the “Dinosaur Mountain” on the border with Italy is a site where unique fossils have been found. The castles of Bellinzona are impressive reminders of the Middle Ages, as is the old city of the federal capital, Bern. The frescoes of the Benedictine Convent in Müstair and the Convent of St Gallen with its world famous library are unique items in the world’s heritage.

Roads, Rail, Cycling Tracks and Footpaths

Getting around in Switzerland is very easy: an extensive road network, the densest railway network in the world and the cycle tracks provided by the “Cycling in Switzerland” foundation provide the right answer for every need.

Cable cars and chair lifts make it easier to get to the top of mountains. One of the best ways to get to know Switzerland is still by foot: a well maintained network of footpaths of various kinds enable visitors to make interesting excursions into unspoiled nature.