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Berne
is the capital of Switzerland. The Swiss Federal
capital has the honour of being registered as a
world heritage site by Unesco. It was founded on an
island and is curled into a bend of the river Aar.
It owes the unity of its style to a fire which
destroyed it in 1405, it was then rebuilt in grey
stone and has managed to keep its medieval facades
intact over the years. Today Berne cultivates
discreet good taste, it is severe and does not show
off its wealth. In the old town visit the vegetable
markets, the winding roads, the twenty one
fountains, the towers and the famous bear den.
Berne is a bridge between the French and the German
speaking parts of Switzerland, and as capital it is
a bridge between Switzerland and other
countries.
Don't miss the Museum of Beaux Arts which has the
biggest collection of Paul Klee in the world.
Basle
is Switzerland's second town, an international town
built on the Rhine very near France and Germany. In
the greater Basle admire the Elisabeth Church and
the cathedral, built in pink sandstone, the main
part of which dates back to the 12th century. In
the smaller Basle, when you go over the Mittlere
Brücke, the oldest bridge, you will find
little restaurants in narrow streets, and medieval
and 19th century facades. Basle has a good theatre
and 30 museums. A Mobility Pass, offered by hotels
to their clients, gives free access to public
transport within the town. The carnival starts on
the first Monday after Ash Wednesday.
Lausanne
is the chief town in the Vaud canton. The fifth
biggest town in Switzerland has grown up over three
hills on the banks of Lake Leman. To avoid having
to cross its 500 meters of 'ups and downs', you can
take the "ficelle" (the 'string'), the shortest
underground in the world, which starts on the edge
of the lake and drops its passengers in the centre
of the pedestrian district. Pedestrians have
priority in Lausanne. In spite of its apparent
stuffiness, and its impeccable cleanliness, the
town manages to radiate a very pleasant
ambiance.
To visit : the Art museum, the very beautiful
Olympic museum, the Hermitage Foundation.
Geneva
is a determinedly
international town. It hosts an enormous number of
international organizations : the UN, WTO,
WHO,ENRC, ILO etc... (72 consulates, 184 United
Nations missions, 61 government organizations and
139 NGOs). Several multinationals have also
established their headquarters in Geneva.
Side by side with these modern buildings flying
flags from all the nations in the world, there are
numerous little cobblestone roads edged with
boutiques and cafes. In the old town you can visit
Saint Peter's Cathedral, climb to the top of the
north tower for a panorama of the town and the
surrounds. Visit also the Art and History museum,
the Watchmaking and Enamel museum, the contemporary
art museum, the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum and
the Voltaire Museum.
Zurich
was founded 2000 years ago by the Romans. It was
initially a frontier post and made a reputation for
itself as a trading centre. The heart of the town,
called 'the city' has an international reputation
as a financial centre. It welcomes a lot of
tourists as well as business men and has any number
of hotels and congress centres. Do a tour on the
lake, and walk around the old town with its
charming streets.
Other main towns are Lucerne, Lugano,
Neuchâtel.
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