Switzerland - Useful information for your trip

Switzerland is an alpine state in Central Europe, landlocked, with Bern as a capital city. It consists of three cantons, being federated states, and the official languages ​​are German, French and Italian, but also Romansh is the national language, partially official since 1996.

The Swiss territory can be divided into three macro-regions; the Alps, the Central Plateau and the Jura chain. Alps and Pre-Alps cover 60% of the territory. The largest and most spectacular lakes are Lake Constance and Lake Geneva. The highest points are represented by Dufour Peak (4634 m), the Dom (4545 m), the Matterhorn (shared with Italy) (4478 m).

The major rivers that cross the Swiss territory are the Rhine, the Ticino and the Rhone. The climate is influenced by the Atlantic, despite the location in Central Europe. The air is always quite moist and mild thanks to currents from the west, with cool summers and mild winters. 30% of the country is covered by forests.

In the Alps the flora includes conifers, while in the central plateau and Jura deciduous trees prevail. The wildlife includes lynxes, wolves, brown bears (protected), beavers, white hares, chamois, ibex and golden eagles.

Switzerland is one of the most economically advanced countries in the world. Two-thirds of the workforce is employed in the tertiary sector and one third in the secondary. It is known for bank secrecy that has attracted big financial capitals from abroad. The transport network is highly developed: the railroads serve the territory in a capillary way, the road network is advanced and covers the territory organically.

Tourism also plays an important role: in the winter are ski centers are crowded, while in spring and summer the Swiss forests are visited for long walks and trekking. Even the major towns are destinations to visit, from Basel to Bern, Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva and Lugano.