Holiday Property in Switzerland

Landlocked and encompassed by jagged mountain ranges, Switzerland has since Roman times been the commercial as well as geographical centre of Europe. Ever since the 19th-century Romantics such as Byron, Shelley, and Goethe discovered its snow-capped peaks and the misty shores of its lakes, this small country has welcomed far more visitors than its size would suggest. From the undulating ridges of the Jura in the west to the jagged glaciers of the Engadine in the east, the mountains of Switzerland, more than any other feature of the country, have shaped its national identity. The slopes of the Swiss Alps are a major centre for skiing, and Switzerland still has the most spectacular and best organised (and most expensive) ski resorts in Europe. When the snows melt, the crisp, clear air, gushing waterfalls, wild flowers, and the tinkling of cowbells are a magical setting for hiking and mountaineering. But fresh air and dairy farming are only part of the Swiss way of life.

Switzerland has some of the wealthiest, most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Zurich is the epicentre of that other great Swiss industry, banking. Geneva, with its long tradition of internationalism and philanthropy, houses the European headquarters of the United Nations. Bern, with its medieval buildings of mellow golden stone, is the unspoiled epitome of a central European city. A confederation of cantons, each with a fair degree of autonomy, modern Switzerland makes a virtue of its insularity, having managed so far to hold out against the trend towards greater European unity. But the country's self-sufficient neutrality is of relatively recent origin; its boundaries were forged in the heat of the great dynastic struggles of the Burgundians, Savoyards, and the Habsburgs from the 14th century onwards.

For a country with four languages (French, German, Italian, and Romansh), a tangle of ethnic origins, and more than a million foreign residents, it is perhaps odd that the concept of Swissness is of such all-pervading importance. Yet for all the superficial differences between the chic piazza-dwellers of Locarno, the farmers of Appenzell, and the bankers of Zurich, the country still has a cohesive identity that continues to attract visitors.

Pictures of the lake and mountains at Interlaken, Switzerland

Switzerland is certainly one of the most beautiful places in the world. With gorgeous lakes and mountains offering fantastic skiing and water sports there is always plenty to keep you occupied.

The wooden Chalets are stunningly pretty and part of the landscape which makes Switzerland one of the most endearing place to visit in Europe.

Zurich (Zürich) is not only Switzerland's business centre, it is also the world centre for gold trading and the fourth most important stock exchange in the world. Although it is Switzerland's largest metropolis (with a population of 400,000), it is compact and offers plenty of diversions to the foreign visitor. The old town straddles the River Limmat which runs through the city from Lake Zurich. Handsome guildhouses and monumental churches punctuate the warren of cobbled streets. Its heart after dark is Niederdorfstraße with its lively beer-halls and jazz pubs. Zurich is home to some of the best museums in the country. The Museum of Fine Arts is world-class, the Swiss National Museum houses a fine display of Swiss history, and the Asian collection of the Museum Rietberg is outstanding.

As European capitals go, Bern (Berne) is tiny, almost provincial in atmosphere and ridiculously pretty. The roots of its power go back to the 16th century when it was the predominant Swiss city state. The present city centre was built during this golden age, on a hill in a spectacular bend above the River Aare. Little has changed, and it is now designated as a UNESCO World Landmark. Simply wander along the main east–west cobbled street to see the principal sights: 11 flamboyant 16th-century fountains; the picturesque and intriguing Clock Tower; six kilometres (3.5 miles) of medieval shopping arcades; and Bern's famous Bärengraben bear pits. Just off the main street is the parliament building and the Gothic Münster with its elaborately gilded Last Judgement.

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