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As for where to go ,
Switzerland invented tourism: the country's breathtaking
scenery has drawn travellers since the early 1800s.
The most
visited Alpine area is the central Bernese Oberland ,
which has the highest concentration of picturesque peaks and
mountainside villages, although the loftiest Alps
are
further south, where the small but crowded resort of
Zermatt provides access to the country's
most distinctive mountain, the Toblerone-peaked
Matterhorn . In the southeastern corner of the country,
wild, thickly forested mountain slopes provide the setting
for the world-famous resorts of
St. Moritz and
Davos. Of the northern German-speaking
cities, Zürich
has a wealth of sightseeing and nightlife possibilities and
provides easy access to the tiny independent principality of
Liechtenstein overlooking the Rhine.
Basel and
especially the capital
Bern
are quieter, each with an attractive historic core, while
Luzern is in an appealing setting close
to lakes and mountains. In the French-speaking west, the
cities lining the northern shore of Lake Geneva -
notably
Geneva itself, and
Lausanne - make up the heart of Suisse-Romande
. South of the Alps, sunny, Italian-speaking Ticino
can seem a world apart from the rest of the country,
particularly the palm-fringed lakeside resorts of
Lugano and
Locarno , with their Mediterranean,
riviera atmosphere.
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