The smallest metropolis in the world
Geneva is known not only as a resort, but also as a world center of science (there is a hadron collider and a laboratory of nuclear physics). Geneva is called the world capital – the headquarters of the Red Cross and the UN are located in this place. In this city you can find everything: historical monuments, museums, entertainment complexes and nightclubs, there is an interesting Botanical Garden.
Guests are provided with free roadmaps at Geneva hotels. Bike excursions are also popular here. To do this, you need to hire a bicycle and take exciting routes. Speaking of Geneva, one cannot fail to mention its symbol – the Jed’O fountain, which hits up 140 meters.
Also in this city you can see on the beaches of one of the largest lakes in Europe – Lehman, it is also Lake Geneva. And one of the most popular beaches is Ben de Paci (Bains des Paquis). The starting point for traveling around the city is the Burg de Fur Square. Another landmark place in Geneva is the Catholic Church of Notre Dame. If you come with your child to visit the Favarger chocolate factory, it is very interesting and informative. Geneva is a versatile city, rich in historical attractions, and at the same time filled with modern entertainment for every taste.
Main port of Switzerland
Those who know Switzerland as a country of ski resorts, bike paths and limitless opportunities for highking will be surprised. Here there is its own cultural and industrial capital, which is called Basel. This is the third largest city in the country, located on the banks of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe – the Rhine. It was here that the first university of Switzerland was opened and its largest library was located.
On the one hand, it may seem that Basel is an incredibly diverse city. Thanks to the university, there are many students here, and therefore in this pacified Swiss air “smells of freedom.” Twice a year, the world financial bohemian and creative bohemian gather here to take part in exhibitions of modern art and watches, but this does not add pathos to its streets. The city is partially divided between Switzerland, Germany and France, but this does not affect its life, and even more so an ordinary tourist is unlikely to be able to determine where the border passes. Industry is developing here, and there are 20! museums, each of which is worthy of attention.
To walk on them, you need to highlight the day and have a clear visit plan. The most interesting, without an excursion to which you simply cannot leave here – the Tangley Museum, in which giant structures are constantly transformed and even self-destroyed, the Art Museum and the Museum of Paper, where they show the process of printing on ancient equipment.
Since the city was based on the river, today the Rhine divides it into two parts, Greater Basel on the left bank, where the Old City is located, and Lesser Basel. The acquaintance should be started from the left bank: it is there that the most interesting historical sights are concentrated – Market Square, Town Hall, the most beautiful gates of the country – Shpalentor Gate. The city has two large railway stations, and none of them belong entirely to Switzerland. Basel SBB station is partially owned by France, and Basel Badischer Bahnhof is owned by Germany. In addition, it is here that four ports are located, from where ships on the Rhine go to Rotterdam.
City that emits light
Lucerne – the gate of central Switzerland – stands on the lake of the same name, inscribed in the magical panorama of the surrounding mountains. Thanks to its sights, souvenir shops and watch shops, picturesque location on the lake shore and easily accessible trips to the mountains – to the peaks of Pilatus, Riga and Stanserhorn – the city attracts both independent travelers and groups of tourists going to Central Switzerland.
The medieval Chapel Bridge under the gable roof, with picturesque paintings under the vault – the main attraction and the most photographed object in Lucerne, in addition, it is recognized as one of the oldest wooden covered bridges in Europe. Another city attraction is Museggmauer: the wall, which, with the exception of the tower alone, was preserved in its original form when it still had fortification significance.
Historic buildings decorated with frescoes surround the picturesque city squares, making up the Weinmarkt quarter in the city center closed to vehicles. Lucerne is a city of churches and squares. The Jesuit church dates from the 17th century and is recognized as the first Baroque religious building in Switzerland, and the Hofkirche twin towers are an integral part of the cityscape. A dying lion carved into a rock in memory of the heroic death of the Swiss guards who defended the Tuileries Palace in 1792 is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland. It is worth mentioning the 122-meter Bourbaki panorama – Lucerne has one of the few picturesque panoramas preserved in the world.
Traditions and modernity are closely adjacent in Lucerne, a city that has gained fame thanks to modern architecture. The futuristic Center for Culture and Congresses, designed by the leading French architect Jean Nouvel, is one of the architectural attractions of the city. The building of the Congress Center symbolizes the justice of the slogan “Lucerne – the city of festivals”: many different cultural events are held here throughout the year.
Lucerne is the ideal starting point for trips to the Central Switzerland region. The mandatory point of the program is the rise to the “home” mountains of Lucerne: Pilatus and Riga, the kings of the mountains. But you can not miss excursions to Stanserhorn and Bürgenstock, as well as a cruise on a steamer along Lake Lucerne with its many bends and bays. Wilhelm Tell Express leaves Lucerne and takes passengers to the foot of the Gottard Pass through Lake Lucerne, and then moves further to the canton of Ticino, in the south of the Alps. The Cherry Road leads from Lucerne through hills planted with cherry trees, from the fruits of which a notorious kirsch is produced.
Fondue
Fondue is the most famous dish, which is the hallmark of Swiss cuisine. It appeared when once the Swiss tried to dip pieces of bread and potatoes into a hot mixture of several varieties of cheese melted in a boiler. The most popular varieties of fondue cheese are Vasherin, Gruyer. Now each canton has its own fondue recipe: Neshatel, Burgundian fondue, Chinese fondue, Tobleron chocolate fondue, etc. It is not recommended to drink fondue with wine, as well as absorb this dish in a hurry.
Röshti
Röshti is a Swiss dish of the German-speaking part of the country, which is prepared from grated potatoes with vegetable fat supplements. Röshti is also called “dranik in Swiss” because of the similarity with the Belarusian dish, but they differ: rashti are prepared without onions (only from potatoes) and potatoes are not as small for them as for draniks. In different regions of Switzerland there are their own recipes for cooking: in Basel, röshti with onions, in the west of the country – with bacon, tomatoes and paprika, etc. They are served on the table as a side dish for meat or vegetable dishes.
Racklet
Racklet is the national dish of Switzerland, the “brother” of fondue (as well as fondue, prepared from molten cheese). The homeland of the dish is the canton of Valais. Classic racklet is cheese melted from fire, spreading over a plate. Today there are many varieties of cheese for Racklet, which is produced with garlic, red pepper or goat’s milk. The racklet is served on the table along with boiled potatoes, pickled cucumbers, cornichons. Racklet is filled, as a rule, with cold white wine – dry or vice versa, very sweet.
Chocolate
Switzerland has long competed with Belgium for the title of home country of chocolate. It is a well-known fact that the Swiss are the leaders in chocolate consumption in the world (an average of about 11.6 kg per year). One of the most famous chocolate manufacturers is Lindt, a company founded in 1845. Her chocolate is considered elite around the world.
Rivella
Rivella is a national soft drink that first appeared in the 50s of the last century. Rivella is a lemonade made on the basis of milk whey, and therefore contains lactose, lactic acid and minerals, which makes the drink very useful: milk whey contains few calories, improves the work of the kidneys and liver, helps to remove slags and toxins from the body, improves blood circulation, etc. In total, there are 4 different types of drink, bottles with 4 labels are on sale: red – traditional, the most popular; blue – low-calorie; green – with tea extract and yellow – vegetarian, made on soy whey, and not on milk.
Chocolate in Switzerland is produced in incredible quantity and variety. It is sold in tiles, souvenir sets, loose candy. As gifts, it is good to buy chocolate sets with sights, handmade truffles and sets with white, dark and milk chocolate in the form of shells. Chocolates in the form of ingots of gold or wristwatches look original.
Choosing from 450 types of Swiss cheeses is very difficult. Tourists usually prefer something traditional and famous, for example, emmental, mozzarella, vashren, appenzel. Buy them better in gift sets or for a spread, but pack in a vacuum. Sbrinz sets look original, in which cheese slices are rolled into tubes, or sets of delicatessen cheeses in wooden boxes. A good gift can also be a set of fondue cheeses.
Swiss watches are stylish, prestigious and almost always expensive. There are a lot of shops in the country, they are found even in small villages. The choice of hours is huge, as is the number of companies that produce them. You can buy gold, gilded, inlaid with precious stones, old-fashioned, classic and modern models. On the shelves of watch boutiques you can find everything from ladies’ pendant watches to old wall watches with a cuckoo. A certificate is issued for all Swiss watches.
Another traditional souvenir is the bells with which cows link in alpine meadows. Their miniature copies are decorated with ribbons in traditional ornaments. It is believed that the ringing of bells drives away evil spirits.
A pleasant gift will be a music box in the form of a chalet house. When opening the door, a beautiful melody begins to play, and in more expensive models inside Swiss figures in national clothes dance.
The Swiss, striving to achieve perfection in everything, did this in ordinary pocket legs. In their performance, an ordinary knife gained 20-30 functions. At the same time, the knife is small, compact, freely placed in a pocket, often decorated with the image of the flag of Switzerland. Razor-sharp blades will not blunt even after ten years of use. Knives are produced in different models, from hunting and army to canteens. Many sellers offer to engrave the owner’s name on the knife handle. Another useful gift is a manicured set.
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Education
In Switzerland, school begins at the age of 4, 4 days (Wednesday-day off).
Economy
You can “slant” from the army officially if you give 3% of all money earned before 30 years to the budget
Economy
Inflation in Switzerland does not exceed 1% per year
Cheese
The first mention of the famous Swiss cheese dates from the 1st century AD
Time of the year
For 200 years now, spring has been announced in Geneva when the first leaf of chestnut under the government building dissolves. Usually spring comes in March, although it happens earlier. The most unique dates were December 29, 2002 (spring came), and in 2006 the chestnut dissolved twice.