Are you traveling to Switzerland?

Learn how to make your trip to Switzerland memorable

Tips, entry requirements and places to see on a holiday in Switzerland

Where is Switzerland?

Switzerland is a small country that lies in the heart of Western Europe and is situated on some of the highest points in the Alps. Unlike most Western European nations, Switzerland is not part of the European Union, nor is it in the Schengen Zone.

Switzerland still has its own currency, the Swiss franc, which is more valuable than the euro, the US dollar, or the British pound. Switzerland’s main industries are banking and tourism. Thanks to its banks, Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world.

Entry requirements for Switzerland

To enter Switzerland, depending on your country of origin, you may or may not need a visa to enter Switzerland. Citizens of EU member countries, as well as the United States and Canada, do not need a visa to enter Switzerland.

The only requirement that the citizens mentioned above need is to have a valid passport that is valid for up to three months after the end of their intended stay in the country. If you are from the United States, Canada or any of the EU member nations, you can stay in Switzerland for up to three months without a visa.

If you are a citizen of another country, but are a legal resident of the United States and hold a US Green Card, you also do not need a visa to enter Switzerland. You will need to follow the same requirements as a US citizen.

If your country of origin is not the United States, Canada or the EU member states, please check with your local Swiss embassy or consulate to find out the visa requirements for your country.

places to see

Switzerland is a very beautiful country. You can enjoy the mountainous beauty of the Swiss Alps and visit beautiful European cultured cities with excellent restaurants. Some of the best places to visit in Switzerland are listed below.

1. Basel is a very unique city due to the fact that it is located in an area where different languages ​​are spoken. The unique thing about Switzerland is that the country has four different national languages. The northern part of Switzerland is German-speaking, the southern part of the country is Italian-speaking, and the western part of the country is French-speaking.

In a small area in the high Swiss Alps, there is a small group of people who speak Romansh, which is a living language that is the closest thing to Latin that the Romance languages ​​have. Basel is officially in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and all the street signs are in German, but the French-speaking part of Switzerland is not far away.

Basel is also unique for its proximity to the German and French borders. The center of Basel is a beautiful medieval city on the banks of the Rhine. The tiny dark green trams can take you to all parts of the city. Basel also offers steamboat rides on the Rhine with excellent dining on board.

Some of the steamboats that ply along the Rhine in Basel will even take you to a section of the Rhine that allows you to see both Germany and France. You can also get to Switzerland in Basel, but Basel airport is actually in France.

Basel’s international airport is called Moulhouse International Airport and is in France, just outside the Swiss border. You have the option to travel to France and visit Dijon or go to Basel. There are different forms of entry.

2. Bern is the capital of Switzerland and is located in the French-speaking part of the country. Bern is a fairly small city and the entire city center can be reached on foot. Not far from Bern, in an area where French and German Switzerland meet, is Luzernne, which sits on a lake and is home to the famous Luzernne wooden bridge. The bridge was damaged by fire a few years ago, but has been restored.

3. Geneva is the most famous city in Switzerland. Geneva is home to some of the United Nations offices, including the famous World Health Organization. Geneva is considered the international city and during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union held many summits there.

4. Zurich is the business center of Switzerland. It is also the largest city in Switzerland and is situated in the Alps on Lake Zurich.

5. The Rhône Gletsch is a glacier in the Western Alps and is the source of the Rhône, which flows out of Switzerland through France, where it eventually empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Rhone Gletsch is a great place to visit. You can take unique tours of the glacier and enter some beautiful ice caves that emit a pale blue light inside as sunlight filters through the packed ice and snow.

6. The San Bernardino tunnel connects the northern part of German-speaking Switzerland with the southern part of Italian-speaking Switzerland. The San Bernardino Tunnel passes under some of the steepest and most impassable alpine terrain and is the longest tunnel in continental Europe. South of the San Bernardino tunnel is also the setting where an important part of Ernest Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms took place.

Whatever your reason for wanting to travel to Switzerland, you will find it to be a breathtakingly beautiful country with friendly people. Switzerland also has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe. Another interesting fact about Switzerland is that it has been neutral for more than 700 years and has not seen war since the days of Napoleon.

Although Switzerland is neutral, it is ready for an external attack. Every building in Switzerland, from businesses to residential houses, is required by law to have a built-in bomb shelter and every able-bodied man must serve in the army for two years and then be in the reserves for forty years and receive a rifle for the Swiss government, which they must keep at home and be ready to be called up for duty at any time. The Swiss defense system also influenced the founding fathers of the US to have the second amendment in the US Constitution.