Switzerland: Mother Nature’s Beauty
The country of Switzerland is located in western and central Europe, where it is surrounded by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein at its borders. It’s motto is “unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno” in Latin which is translated to “One for all, all for one.” The country’s official languages are known to be German, French, Italian, and Romansh. About 65.5% of the country speaks German as most of the country’s population is Swiss German Speaking. French is known to be spoken in the western part of the country. Four cantons (Switzerland is split up into cantons): Geneva, Jura, Neuchatel, and Vaud are known to be French speaking. Three cantons: Bern, Fribourg and Valais are bilingual where both French and German are spoken. Italian is spoken in Ticino and four of the southern valleys of Canton Graubunden. A language which is spoken by at least 6% of the Swiss population is known as Rhaeto-Rumantsch which is a trilingual language. Rumantsch is a language with Latin roots. Switzerland is a country where there are many languages spoken by its people as well many of the foreigners who have brought their own language with them which has now outnumbered both Rumantsch and the Italian language. The largest foreign language group is shown to be Serbian/Croatian according to the 2000 census. English was the main language for only 1% of the population. So make sure that when you getting ready for a trip to this beautiful country that you don’t just buy a book for just one language, but four languages. It’ll be a very colorful culture experience for one in that way!
A country with the world’s 19th largest economy, Switzerland happens to be one of the richest countries in the world holding the highest wealth counting in each adult’s financial and the non financial assets than of any other country in the world. The cities of Zurich and Geneva have been ranked as cities that have the highest quality of life when in comparison with many other countries.
The country has a population consisting of approximately 8 million people. The economy of Switzerland mainly consists of very high skilled work such as micro technology, hi tech, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as well as banking and insurance. And when it comes to recycling, the Swiss are very serious, so make sure that you don’t liter and you stay environment safe when you are visiting the country!
When it comes to the beauty of Switzerland it is because of its forests, woodlands and the alps. Mother nature’s beauty is what any tourist would enjoy seeing as they go hiking, biking and mountain biking, skating and canoeing for leisure when they visit. To carry on all these activities, the route covers over 20,000 kilometers in Switzerland and to make it easier to travel, it is coordinated with the public transportation. Of course if you are traveling during the December time of year, due to the cold and the snow, you won’t be able to do the summer outdoor activities, but you can take a run down the slope for a ski ride or snowboarding down the mountains to enjoy the cold itself. If you want to get a new pair of skiing or snowboard equipments you can visit the Kitchener Sport store or any other store which might be recommended by the locals. If you ever have a doubt make sure that you ask the locals, as they would know what is where and when and how the best.
When you visit the country make sure that you know the real spellings (the one which the locals know about) of the regions when you visit in Swiss. Bern is also known as Berne in English or French and Berna in Italian or Rhaeto-Rumantsch. The city of Geneva is known as Genève in French, Genf in German, Ginevra in Italian, and Genevra in Rhaeto-Rumantsch. Note down the spelling as it will help you immensely to avoid any confusions. On your vacation make certain that you make a visit to the city of Its Bern, the Swiss capital. As the city of Bern makes you feel as if you have traveled to the ages of the Renaissance (not literally), but because of the architecture, it casts a certain medieval spell abound with its fountains, sandstone facades, and the historic towers making you feel like you have stepped into another world (somewhat like a fairytale world), kids would enjoy sightseeing in this city of narrow roads and high towers. When you are in the city you can also catch the family of bears at the Bear Park, and go around the arcades where you can shop no matter the weather. The arcades consist of many stores, boutiques, and galleries are six kilometers long and It is known to be one of the longest shopping promenades in Europe. You can also visit the Kitchener, where you will find some of the most classist fashionable shoes and dresses. If you are more into handmade gifts and souvenirs then do make certain to visit the Schweizer Heimatwerk which has drawn in many visitors since 1930, where you will find various crafted items which will be pleasing for any age group. And if you have a sweet tooth, and are craving delightful confetti’s, take a trip to Beck Glatz Confiseur where you can find Mandelbarli which will be a treat for your taste buds. You can also get baked goods, coffee, and sandwiches here, but don’t miss out on the Mandelbarli which comes in a variety of flavors like chocolate, honey and lemon!
Once you are done with all the shopping, and you want to relax down, you can go up to the tower in Bern, where though you have to walk almost 254 steps to the highest church steeple in the country, it will be worth your time. You will get to see the heaviest bell in Switzerland known as “Heavy Susanna.” When you reach the top you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city of Bern while you sip on wine. Apart from Bern, your next stop should be in the largest city in the rich country of Switzerland known as Zurich.
When it comes to traveling around the cities you can travel by bus, train or even boat. But however it is that you travel around, you will find the city to be very clean, and your trips to be very relaxing, that you won’t even feel tired from having travelled all day. When travelling by boat, you get to see the alps, and the clear blue waters.
There are also many entertaining events in the cities which only come around at a certain time of the year. During the months of March to May, there will be the Bern Jazz Festival. In March there is also Museums night where Bern’s museums will be open till the wee hours of sunrise. In May there is the Grand Prix, which happens to be Switzerland’s biggest racing event. In the month of June you will find yourself entertained with the Bern Dance Festival known as the Berner Tanztage where there will be performances, workshops, discussions, and exhibitions which is dedicated to dance. You can entertain yourself with thousands of others in the month of July with the music scene as several artists from the international music world perform at the Gurten festival. There is another music festival in August called Buskers Bern Street Festival which happens to be a cabaret where artists perform in about 20 places according to a fixed programme.
Now if you are a bachelor or bachelorette traveling with your friends for a good time, at the end of the day you can enjoy the night life of Switzerland by hitting the Bonsoir, or the Wankdorf Club which happens to be one of Switzerland’s most modern clubs. You can also visit Volver in Bern which is located by the Bern town hall which is also a restaurant where concerts are also held at times.
Whether you are with your family or friends, you will not find a dull moment in the country, you will entertained throughout as there will be many events happening around the cities. And even when there aren’t events you will be able to enjoy the simplicity of nature in a country where culture and tradition still carries on. Also when you visit Switzerland make sure that you don’t forget to visit their chocolates shops, as Switzerland is known for their chocolates! But wherever it is that you visit keep in mind that the country is very environment friendly and make certain to be as environment friendly as the locals always are, because what makes Switzerland the way it is, is not only the culture, the traditions and it’s people, but natural beauty which you won’t be able to find in many places nowadays.
Denisha Sahadevan
