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Switzerland

Nature of Switzerland - national parks and reserves for active recreation

Lake Geneva Switzerland is one of the most picturesque countries in Europe. About 60 percent of its land is occupied by the Alps; the rest of the territory is covered by the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Plateau. In addition to the majestic mountain peaks, there are several picturesque lakes with crystal clear water in Switzerland. These are Geneva, Boden, Zurich, and Neuchatel. The River Rhine originates in Switzerland. Glassy lakes encircled with massive high mountains, oak and beech forests with untouched nature, an abundance of flowers, and the famous alpine meadows wait for the traveler who comes to Switzerland.
The Swiss are very attentive to everything that represents the cultural value for the country, including the old buildings that quite often house …
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The most famous mountain in this country is the Matterhorn. The mountain is located in the canton of Valais on the border with Italy. The height of the peak is about 4 500 meters above sea level. Matterhorn gained its fame thanks to the tetrahedral pyramidal form. Each slope is directed to one side of the world. There are several routes of ascent; however, even the simplest ones require the maximum concentration. Despite the modern equipment and professional training of climbers, the Matterhorn still is the most deadly alpine peak. The highest point of the Alps is another peak, Dufour, in the canton of Valais. The third highest is the picturesque Jungfrau; it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are about 70 lakes on the territory of Switzerland, and all of them are of natural origin. The largest is Lake Geneva. It has a shape of a crescent moon. The southern part of it belongs to France. The region of Lake Geneva is often called the paradise on Earth. That's a very picturesque place combining mountain panoramas, alpine meadows, majestic ancient castles and, of course, a crystal clear water. Lake Constance is located on the border with Austria. There is a large number of different resorts, where sports competitions, festivals and other events take place. Reichenau Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It houses a monastery built in the 8th century. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
There is an incredible number of holidays in Switzerland. Festivals and events held in each canton are added to the nationwide ones. The Swiss …
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The Rhine Falls, which is the largest in Europe, is in the canton of Schaffhausen. Its height is 150 meters, and its width is about 20 meters. The water falls with incredible intensity. On sunny days, a huge rainbow is formed above the waterfall. You can watch the elements from the observation deck. Switzerland is a small country, but there are several national parks on its territory. The Swiss are very responsible for the conservation of nature. The largest national park in the country is the Swiss National Park located in the Alps, on the slopes of the Engadine Valley.  Alpine mountain goat, lynx, brown bear, stone marten, alpine newt, and also about 100 different kinds of birds live on slopes. In the reserve, even emitting loud sounds that can interfere with some animals, is prohibited.
Dawn of Zermatt In French Switzerland, there is La Pierrez located on the stony bank of the full-flowing river Sarin. The nature here is surprisingly beautiful. Goats graze and partridges nest on the alpine slopes of the mountain. In the central part of the country, there is the Entlebuch National Park, which occupies the picturesque slopes of the Kleine-Emme valley. There are heath fields, pastures, forests, peat bogs and dense forests on its territory. The Jura National Park is located in one of the most beautiful valleys of Switzerland, the Zhu Valley. The places are characterized by delightful views of the mountain massifs, a rich forest, in which there are more than 300 species of plants, ancient marshes, and mountain pastures.
Switzerland guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Switzerland

Reference information
Map of all parks
National and city parks of Switzerland
♥   World Heritage Site 'Monte San Giorgio' . On the map   Photos
♥   World Heritage Site 'Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch' . On the map   Photos

Famous places and sights of Switzerland

Contra Dam

From the series “The Greatest Dams in the World”
An important tourist attraction is Contra Dam, located in Switzerland. Most tourists know it under the unofficial name - Verzasca dam. The unique architecture has long attracted curious tourists and active recreation enthusiasts. The dam construction took more than four years and ended in 1965. The dam, whose height is 220 meters, was chosen as the turning point of an episode of the film about James Bond in 1995.

'The role' of the dam in the film was quite impressive. The agent 007 jumped from Contra Dam, when hundreds of thousands of fans came to this area. Since then, thousands of people strive to repeat the leap of the agent. The dam serves as a place for Bunjee Jumping. Contra Dam is also known among the fans of the other film - Dhoom 3. This was one of the most exciting moments of … Read all

Cleuson-Dixence

From the series “The Greatest Dams in the World”
The highest settlement in the world is located in Switzerland. Many travelers know Cleuson-Dixence under the other name - Grande Dixence. The wall of the dam on the Dixence river has the height of 285 meters. The dam has always been used since 1964 and has not lost its functional characteristics over the years. The dam building took 14 years. In order to reach Cleuson-Dixence, the modern tourists now have to overcome more than 30 kilometers of a very complicated mountain chain.

It should be noted that Cleuson-Dixence Dam is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. In the middle of the 20th century the small house was built for the construction workers, which was later converted into the hotel. The experienced travelers recommend visiting this area in the second half of … Read all
All unique sightseeing Switzerland
Country maps Maps of Switzerland
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Map of cities Cities map of Switzerland
Map of sights Map of sights in Switzerland

Preferred to Open 9 New Hotels in 2022

In September 2022, the Sommerro hotel in Oslo will start operating in a carefully restored 1930s Art Deco building. This building is a true landmark of Frogner, a historic neighborhood of the Norwegian capital. A multi-million-dollar renovation carefully turned the largest preservation project in Norway into a modern hotel with 231 rooms, including 56 residences. Preferred will open five more hotels in 2022, namely, The Wall Street Hotel in New York, Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences on Singer Island (Florida, the US), TOA Hotel & Spa in Zanzibar, Pendry hotel in Washington, and Pendry Park City hotel in Utah. Read this

28.03.2024

Photogallery of Switzerland

Cultural sights in regions of Switzerland

Zurich
Liebfrauen Catholic Church was built a little earlier, in 1893. The name of the church is literally translated as "Beloved Woman". In the hall of the church visitors can see a beautiful statue of Madonna, and the walls of the church are decorated with skillful paintings, which are the creation of the famous artist Fritz Kunz. Predigerkirche tower is one of the oldest monuments of the city. It was built in 1230 and was a part of the monastery founded the Order of Dominicans. On Sundays a weekend … Read more
Zermatt
Tourists, who want to see the main historical symbols of the resort, should take a walk in its well-preserved medieval district. Marvelous buildings with the century-old history border with modern buildings, creating an incredibly harmonious atmosphere. Many luxurious hotels also have the remains of protective constructions in their territories. Over a century ago, these facilities defended the Alpine settlement from uninvited guests. At the gorgeous resort, tourists have an opportunity to … Read more
Geneva
Fans of excursions should definitely not forget to visit Museum of Lake Geneva. Its exposition is also quite unique and provides visitors with examples of life forms that once have inhabited the pond. The total area of the museum is more than a thousand square meters – during a long history of the museum here have appeared really many exhibits. Your trip to Museum of Clocks will be no less exciting. The museum has become a symbol of not only Geneva, but of the whole country. Among the … Read more
Interlaken
The city also has some natural attractions. For example, visitors will be amazed to see picturesque parks and squares throughout the city. Do not forget to visit Brienz and Thun Lakes and make a walk along their shore. These lakes gave the name to the city. There are beautiful deciduous and coniferous forests right at the shores, so there’s no wonder why this place has always attracted a large number of fans of ecotourism. Excursions to Zytgloggeturm Bell Tower are popular among generations … Read more
Luzern
The Mill Bridge is of the same high interest. It features a unique zigzag form and crosses the Reuss river. The construction of the covered bridge was finished in 1408 after which the famous artist Kaspar Meglinger decorated the bridge with plague paintings. The medieval fresco paintings resemble the local folks and city visitors of another significant event – plague epidemics killing the town folks in the medieval period. The city as well as its suburbs has preserved many ancient religious … Read more
Basel
You should definitely visit Museum of Paper, which was opened in an old mill. During the excursion in the museum guests will hear many interesting facts about the development of paper industry. Old typographic equipment occupies a large part of the collection represented in the museum. Moreover, everybody can try to print several pages on a machine, which age is several hundred years. Jean Tinguely Museum is another place that is definitely worth visiting when you come to Basel. This talented … Read more
Locarno
Travelers can see many interesting architectural buildings scattered around the Piazza Grande. A unique historical building is placed there. It was built more than 300 years ago and today it hosts a renowned hotel. The main natural landmark is the Verzasca valley. Many touristic routes are crossing its territory. Hiking through the ancient reservation one can reach the ancient sea wall Verzasca Dam. This stroll will be of the greatest interest for extreme leisure enthusiasts as the wall opens a … Read more
Saas-Fee
There are also interesting sights in the settlement. Everyone who comes here should visit them. They will be equally interesting for an athlete-skier, a fan of hiking, and tourists who came to Saas-Fee precisely for the pacification of the Swiss mountain village. By the way, there are many fans of the peace of the Swiss mountain village here. This is due to one feature of the settlement. It is a certain attraction. There are no private cars in Saas-Fee at all. All cars are parked in a large … Read more

Switzerland: Map of sightseeing in regions

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