{"id":2271,"date":"2018-10-07T08:44:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T08:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.svenlucaworld.com\/?p=2271"},"modified":"2020-07-30T12:20:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T12:20:31","slug":"reisebericht-schweiz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.svenlucaworld.com\/en\/travel-report-switzerland\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel report SWITZERLAND - Fascinating landscapes in the heart of Europe between countless mountains and picturesque lakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Visa and entry requirements Switzerland:<\/strong>
\nPassport not required
\nNo visa is required<\/p>\n

Information from the Foreign Office about your trip to Switzerland:<\/strong>
\nhttp:\/\/www.auswaertiges-amt.de\/DE\/Laenderinformationen\/00-SiHi\/SchweizSicherheit.html?nn=332636?nnm=332636<\/a><\/p>\n

Switzerland is a landlocked country in Central Europe with around 8.5 million inhabitants. The country is one of the most densely populated states on the continent and has a total of four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. By far the most widely spoken language is German and is spoken as a native language by two thirds of the local population.<\/p>\n

Geographically, Switzerland borders Germany in the north, Austria and Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. The federal constitution in Switzerland does not specify a capital; the seat of the government and parliament is in Bern. The national currency is the Swiss franc, with one euro equaling around 1.10 CHF.<\/p>\n

The largest cities in Switzerland include Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Bern, Winterthur, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Lugano.<\/p>\n

The maximum north-south extent in the national territory is around 220 kilometers, while the extent from west to east is around 350 kilometers. Switzerland is divided into three large landscape areas: the Jura, the populous Mittelland and the Alps with the foothills of the Alps.<\/p>\n

The most famous mountain in the Swiss Alps is the 4,478 meter high Matterhorn. Two of the longest rivers in Europe, the Rhine and the Rhone, originate in the country. The Rhine near Schaffhausen forms the well-known Schaffhausen Rhine Falls, the highest waterfall in Central Europe.<\/p>\n

The largest lakes in Switzerland include Lake Geneva, Lake Constance, Lake Zurich, Lake Maggiore, Lake Lucerne and Lake Neuch\u00e2tel.<\/p>\n

Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and the country's economy is considered one of the most stable economies anywhere. The cost of living is the highest in all of Europe, which means Zurich and Geneva are among the most expensive cities in the world.<\/p>\n

Tourism is an important industry in the landlocked state, with over 38 million hotel overnight stays annually. Mass tourism is favored by the central location in Europe, the spectacular Alps, a strong Swiss economy and the unique, picturesque lake landscape.<\/p>\n

The largest tourist attractions in the Alpine republic include Mount Pilatus, the Matterhorn, Thun Castle, the Charles Kuonen suspension bridge, the old town of Stein am Rhein, the monastery library in St. Gallen, the Jungfrauenjoch, the Ebenalp cable car, and the Riffelsee in Zermatt , the town hall of Basel, the botanical garden of Geneva, the banks of the Rhine in Basel, the monastery of Engelberg, the old town and the Rhine Falls of Schaffhausen, the Federal Palace in Bern, the Tinguely fountain in Basel, the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt, the piazza G. Motta in Ascona, the Bern Bridge in Fribourg, the Sauvabelin Tower in Lausanne and the Piazza della Riforma in Lugano.<\/p>\n

With around 410,000 inhabitants, the city of Zurich is by far the largest city in Switzerland and at the same time the country's economic center. The proportion of foreigners in Zurich is above average at 35%. The most important sights in Zurich are the well-preserved old town, the Central Square, the Old Town Hall, the Romanesque Gro\u00dfm\u00fcnster, the Fraum\u00fcnster Church, the Gothic Augustinian Church, the Water Church, the Limmatquai, the Paradeplatz, the main train station, the Swiss State Museum, the Congress House , the opera house and the Church of Our Lady.<\/p>\n

In the last 20 years I have visited Switzerland several times, but mostly in winter to go skiing, for example in St. Moritz or Samnaun. I had to work in the city of Basel for two years, but otherwise I often only used Switzerland as a transit country.<\/p>\n

My last multi-day trip to the Alpine republic took me to the cities of Zurich, St. Gallen, Davos, Schaffhausen and Bern in July 2020.<\/p>\n

While the city of Zurich was particularly notable for its completely overpriced restaurants instead of rare beauty, the other places were definitely worth a visit.<\/p>\n

The cozy city center of St. Gallen, the noble winter sports resort of Davos at around 1,300 meters above sea level, the spectacular Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen or the impressive old town of the unofficial capital Bern were definitely worth seeing. Added to this, this unique and fascinating mountain landscape makes Switzerland an outstanding travel destination in Europe and I therefore highly recommend it.<\/p>\n\n