Switzerland
Is a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. Its cities contain medieval quarters, with landmarks like capital Bern’s Zytglogge clock tower and Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is also known for its ski resorts and hiking trails. Banking and finance are key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolate are world renowned
The city of Zurich, a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history. Waterfront promenades like the Limmatquai follow the river toward the 17th-century Rathaus (town hall).
Zurich
Augustinergasse is a colorful old-world street, known for the carved windows of former merchants’ houses. Shopping boulevard Bahnhofsstrasse is lined with high-end fashion stores and banks. Niederdorf is a popular nightlife area. The 9th-century Fraumünster church houses Marc Chagall's 1970s stained-glass windows, and the Grossmünster’s tower has views of the city, lake and Alps. The Landesmuseum traces Swiss culture over thousands of years. Cabaret Voltaire, a cafe/bar that's still in operation, was the 1916 birthplace of the Dada art movement. Work by modern artists like Alberto Giacometti is on display at the Kunsthaus museum.
Lucerne,
A compact city in Switzerland known for its preserved medieval architecture, sits amid snowcapped mountains on Lake Lucerne. Its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) is bordered on the north by 870m Museggmauer (Musegg Wall), a 14-century rampart. The covered Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), built in 1333, links the Aldstadt to the Reuss River's right bank.The nearby Rigi and Pilatus mountains offer skiing and hiking. The Museggmauer's 9 medieval watchtowers are connected by walkways and offer views of the lake, mountains and river. Steamships take sightseers out on Lake Lucerne, and a cogwheel railway, believed to be the world's steepest, runs through vertical rock walls up Mt. Pilatus. The Rosengart Collection highlights Paul Klee and Picasso. Architect Jean Nouvel’s modernist Kultur und Kongresszentrum (KKL Luzern) is a waterfront center for the performing arts, notably symphonic music.
Interlaken
Is a traditional resort town in the mountainous Bernese Oberland region of central Switzerland. Built on a narrow stretch of valley, between the emerald-colored waters of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, it has old timber houses and parkland on either side of the Aare River. Its surrounding mountains, with dense forests, alpine meadows and glaciers, has numerous hiking and skiing trails.Across the Aare River is the village of Unterseen, whose town square has a late-Gothic church with a stone tower. The funicular to the Harder Kulm summit provides panoramic lake and mountain views. A cogwheel train climbs to the Schynige Platte, a high plateau with an alpine botanic garden. Higher still, the Jungfraubahn mountain railway climbs to the Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe” train station at an altitude of 3,454m. Interlaken is also used as a base for boating trips on the lakes and for exploring the traditional high-mountain villages and hiking trails for which the Bernese Oberland is renowned.
