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    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook)
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook)
    Ebook449 pages3 hours

    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook)

    By Berlitz

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    About this ebook

    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland

    The world-renowned pocket travel guide by Berlitz, now with a free bilingual dictionary.

    Compact, concise and packed full of essential information about where to go and what to do, this is the ideal on-the-move travel guide for exploring Switzerland. From top tourist attractions like the Jet d'Eau in Geneva, the imperious Matterhorn and the Bernese Oberland, to cultural gems, like taking part in the colourful Basel Carnival, admiring the oldest painted ceiling in Europe at a 12th century church in Zillis, or hiking and listening out for corn horns in the mountains, plan your perfect trip with this practical, all-in-one travel guide.

    Features of this travel guide to Switzerland:
    - Inspirational itineraries: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, highlighted with stunning photography
    - Historical and cultural insights: delve into the country's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions
    - Practical full-colour map: with every major sight and listing highlighted, the full-colour maps make on-the-ground navigation easy
    - Key tips and essential information: from transport to tipping, we've got you covered
    - Dictionary: quick-reference bilingual language guide to help you with vocabulary 
    - Covers: Zurich; Winterthur; Schaffhausen; St-Gallen, Appenzell; Basel; Solothurn; Baden; Bern; Biel; The Emmental; Bernese Oberland; Thun; Interlaken; Lucerne; Chur; The Vorderrhein; The Hinterrhein; Engadine; Ticino; Bellinzona; Locarno; Lugano; Valais; Geneva; Vaud; Lausanne; Fribourg; Neuchatel; The Jura

    Get the most out of your trip with: Berlitz Phrase Book & Dictionary German

    About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInsight Guides
    Release dateJan 1, 2020
    ISBN9781785732652
    Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook)
    Author

    Berlitz

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      Book preview

      Berlitz Pocket Guide Switzerland (Travel Guide eBook) - Berlitz

      How To Use This E-Book

      Getting Around the e-Book

      This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Switzerland, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

      The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Switzerland, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

      In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

      Maps

      All key attractions and sights in Switzerland are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

      Images

      You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Switzerland. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

      About Berlitz Pocket Guides

      The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

      Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

      Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

      © 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

      Table of Contents

      Switzerland’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      Top Attraction #2

      Top Attraction #3

      Top Attraction #4

      Top Attraction #5

      Top Attraction #6

      Top Attraction #7

      Top Attraction #8

      Top Attraction #9

      Top Attraction #10

      A Perfect Day In Zurich

      Introduction

      Grassroots government

      City and country

      A Brief History

      The Middle Ages

      Turn of the tide

      Religious strife

      Neutral but caring

      Historical landmarks

      Where To Go

      Zurich and vicinity

      Discovering Zurich

      Zurich’s museums

      Excursions

      Winterthur

      Northeast Switzerland

      Schaffhausen

      St-Gallen

      Appenzell

      Northwest Switzerland

      Basel

      Exploring the city

      Basel’s museums

      Excursion from Basel

      Solothurn

      Baden

      Bern and vicinity

      Bern

      The Old Town

      Bern’s museums

      Biel

      The Emmental

      Bernese Oberland

      Around Lake Thun

      Interlaken

      Towards the peaks

      Brienz Lake

      Lucerne and Central Switzerland

      Lucerne

      The Old Town

      Lake Lucerne

      Three Mountains

      East of Lucerne

      Grisons

      Chur

      The Vorderrhein

      The Hinterrhein

      Engadine

      Ticino

      Bellinzona

      Locarno and Lake Maggiore

      Lugano and its Lake

      Valais

      Lower Valais

      Sion and environs

      Upper Valais

      Geneva

      A stroll through the city

      The Old City

      International city

      Parks and gardens

      Geneva’s museums

      Vaud and Lake Geneva

      La Côte

      Lausanne

      The Vaud Riviera

      Four resorts in Vaud

      Fribourg, Neuchâtel and the Jura

      Fribourg

      Around Fribourg

      Neuchâtel

      Around Neuchâtel Lake

      The Jura

      What To Do

      Sports

      Shopping

      Where to shop

      What to buy

      Entertainment

      Children’s Switzerland

      Calendar of events

      Eating Out

      Fondues and cheeses

      Specialities of French Switzerland

      Specialities of Italian Switzerland

      Specialities of German Switzerland

      Swiss wine

      Other Drinks

      Coffee

      Reading the Menu

      To help you order

      …and read the menu in French

      …and in German

      …and in Italian

      Restaurants

      Basel

      Bern

      Chur

      Davos

      Geneva

      Gruyères

      Gstaad

      Interlaken

      Lausanne

      Locarno

      Lucerne

      Lugano

      Neuchâtel

      St-Gallen

      St Moritz

      Schaffhausen

      Zermatt

      Zurich

      A–Z Travel Tips

      A

      Accommodation (see also Camping and Youth hostels)

      Airports (aéroport/Flughafen/aeroporto)

      B

      Bicycle rental

      Budgeting for your trip

      C

      Camping

      Car hire

      Climate

      Clothing

      Crime and safety (see also Emergencies)

      D

      Travellers with disabilities

      Driving (see also Car hire)

      E

      Electricity

      Embassies and consulates (Ambassade, Consulat/ Botschaft, Konsulate/Ambasciata, Consolato)

      Emergencies (urgences/Notfall /emergenza)

      G

      Getting there

      Guides and tours

      H

      Health and medical care

      L

      LGBTQ travellers

      Language

      M

      Maps

      Media

      Money

      O

      Opening hours (see also Public holidays)

      P

      Police (police/Polizei/polizia)

      Post offices (bureau de poste/ Post/ufficio postale)

      Public holidays (jours fériés/gesetzliche Feiertage/feste)

      Public transport

      T

      Telephones (téléphone/Telefon/telefono)

      Time zone

      Tipping (pourboire/Trinkgeld /mancia)

      Toilets

      Tourist information

      V

      Visas and entry requirements

      W

      Websites and WiFi

      Y

      Youth hostels (auberge de jeunesse/Jugendherberge/ostello della gioventù)

      Recommended Hotels

      Appenzell

      Basel

      Bern

      Biel

      Crans-Montana

      Davos

      Geneva

      Gstaad

      Interlaken

      Lausanne

      Leukerbad

      Locarno

      Lucerne

      Lugano

      Montreux

      Mürren

      Murten

      Neuchâtel

      Pontresina

      St-Gallen

      St Moritz

      Schaffhausen

      Solothurn

      Wengen

      Zermatt

      Zurich

      Dictionary

      English–German

      English–French

      Switzerland’s Top 10 Attractions

      Top Attraction #1

      swiss-image.ch

      The Matterhorn

      A challenge to mountaineers from around the world. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #2

      iStock

      Engadine

      Zernez is the main gateway to the Swiss National Park. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #3

      Getty Images

      Basels Carnival

      This popular three-day cultural event takes place during Lent. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #4

      swiss-image.ch

      Lucerne and its lake

      Picturesque city at the heart of William Tell country. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #5

      swiss-image.ch

      Château de Chillon

      Austerely beautiful, the old stronghold of Château de Chillon looks out over Lake Geneva. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #6

      swiss-image.ch

      The Jet d’Eau

      The tallest monument in Geneva reaches the height of a 40-storey building. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #7

      swiss-image.ch

      Bern

      The capital is listed by Unesco as one of the world’s cultural treasures. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #8

      swiss-image.ch

      The Bernese Oberland

      This spectacular region of mountains, lakes and glaciers works a special magic on visitors. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #9

      Getty Images

      Zillis

      Where the oldest painted ceiling in Europe can be seen. For more information, click here.

      Top Attraction #10

      Shutterstock

      Ticino

      Its valleys and lakes have an Italian feel. For more information, click here.

      A Perfect Day In Zurich

      9.00am

      Breakfast

      Start your day in Zurich by following in the footsteps of Lenin, Trotsky, James Joyce, Herman Hesse and Mati Hari and breakfasting in the Jugendstil Café Odeon at Limmatquai 2, which opened in 1911. Einstein gave lectures there.

      10.00am

      Retail therapy

      You are well placed to explore the warren of pedestrianised streets north of Rämistrasse where most of the city’s interesting shops and galleries can be found. Pick up paintings and prints, antiques, books, toys, musical instruments, collector’s comics, and fashion items.

      11.00am

      Coffee break

      Head across the River Limmat to browse Zürich’s most opulent shopping street, Bahnhofstrasse. Head to Sprüngli at No. 21 for tasty cakes and coffee.

      Noon

      Lunchtime cruise

      Trams 2, 8, 9 or 11 from the adjacent Paradeplatz stop will take you to Bürkliplatz (or walk – it’s just two stops). The Züurich Card entitles holders to a short round trip on the lake from the pier at Bürkliplatz. Disembark at any pier and take a later boat back, but many have lunch on the boat.

      2.30pm

      Culture fix

      Take tram 11 to Bahnhofquai for a visit to the Swiss National Museum at Museumstrasse 2 which offers an insight into Switzerland and the Swiss people from pre-history to banking. There are themed exhibitions on home design, clothing, arms and armour, and reconstructed rooms from the 15th to 19th centuries.

      4.30pm

      Indulge

      Take tram 13 to Waffenplatzstrasse for the short walk to Brandschenkestrasse 150 for one of the latest additions to the Zürich scene, the Thermalbad & Spa, in a brilliantly converted brewery. Besides a series of cavernous pools, hot rooms and showers and a great hydro-massage, it offers fantastic views of the city from the rooftop infinity pool.

      6.00pm

      An aperitif

      Take tram 13 back to Stockerstrasse and hop on tram 8 to Römerhof for the cog-wheel Dolderbahn and the terrace of the Dolder Grand Hotel. From there you can watch the sun set over the lake and the Alps.

      7.30pm

      Dinner

      Return on the Dolderbahn and take tram 3 to Neumarkt for an alfresco dinner (if the weather permits) at Restaurant Neumarkt at No. 5. In its quiet tree-shaded garden, you can enjoy imaginatively reworked Swiss dishes.

      10.00pm

      On the town

      Take tram 3 one stop to Kunsthaus and tram 9 to Sihlstrasse, which will take you to the stylish club Jade at Pelikanplatz.

      Introduction

      A country of contrasts and of great natural and cultural resources, Switzerland may be located in the heart of Western Europe, but possesses a unique identity. Two decades into the 21st century, past and future coexist, confronting and complementing each other in a present that many Swiss see as less perfect than that of a few years ago, with the hint of further socio-political changes to come.

      In this small country at the heart of old Europe, larch trees climb the mountainsides of the Alps, whose peaks are cloaked in eternal snows; fierce torrents hurl their icy waters into mirrored lakes; verdant valleys resonate with the tinkling of heavy bells hung from the necks of plump, well-kept cows. Here and there, a castle gives the landscape a fairy-tale look. And everywhere, during the summer, geraniums cascade from windows and balconies.

      No map can recreate the geographic reality of Switzerland. Nearly two-thirds of the country is mountainous. Some summits are more than 4,500m (14,750ft) high; no one can resist the myths surrounding the Matterhorn (Mont Cervin) or the imposing trio formed by the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. To the east, beneath the slopes of the Grisons, lie the prestigious ski slopes of Arosa, Davos and St Moritz. Fertile lowlands, situated between the Alps to the southeast and the rocky green range of the Jura to the northeast, spread in a circle between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance. At once pastoral and industrialised, this narrow band contains all the big cities and the majority of the 8.5 million inhabitants that make up the Confederation.

      The diversity of Switzerland, however, goes beyond its landscape and climate, which is Alpine in the mountainous regions and nearly Mediterranean in southernmost Ticino. Cultural currents converge at this linguistic crossroads wedged between powerful neighbours. Three major languages have official status: in fact, some 65 percent of the population speaks Schwyzerdütsch, an Alemannic German dialect, while almost 23 percent claims French as their major language, and 8 percent Italian. A fourth national language, Romansh (0.5 percent), spoken in some Grisons mountain valleys, owes its survival to the fierce determination of its speakers. Each group has its own traditions, literature, gastronomy and way of life, but there are cultural interchanges – some of them institutional, others more hidden, none of them easy – that make Switzerland a vibrant patchwork of individuals and ideas.

      What’s in a name?

      Suisse, Schweiz, Svizzera, Svizra… the country has so many official names that its stamps and coins cannot contain them all. So they carry its Latin name instead: Helvetia.

      Grassroots government

      Politically, a grassroots democratic system takes account of regional aspirations. Each of the 26 cantons and demi-cantons that make up Switzerland enjoys considerable autonomy, as do some 3,000 communes, both rural and urban. Popular initiatives and referenda are used on the local and national level to propose new laws or to abolish contested regulations. All of these mechanisms make the political apparatus somewhat cumbersome, slowing the decision-making process.

      As Switzerland has chosen to have a grassroots parliament, so it has also chosen to have a grassroots, militia-based army: all eligible men between the ages of 20 and 34 are enrolled in the army and required to do regular military service. For, strange as it seems, neutral, peaceable Switzerland is ready to respond to any attack: anti-tank traps, bunkers and landing strips are hidden in the most bucolic valleys.

      The Parliament Building in Bern

      iStock

      Executive power in Switzerland is entrusted to a cabinet of seven wise men and women, elected by the Parliament, in a system that respects the subtle balance of power among political parties, as well as among regions. These seven take it in turn to be President of the Confederation. Since each president’s term only lasts one year, the average citizen often has a hard time remembering who is in office.

      The modesty that characterises Switzerland’s political figures extends to the population at large. The Swiss do not like to hear praise, either of their country’s riches or of its position. Nonetheless, the average standard of living is high – and one must remember that this prosperity has been acquired in spite of meagre natural resources. Lacking coal and oil, the Swiss have struggled to tame the waters of their own Alps. Mineral resources are imported, then transformed into luxury goods that can be exported for profit.

      Of course, Swiss trains are more punctual than most; the pavements are cleaner and traffic laws more respected than in some neighbouring countries. But if the concern for order and detail still characterises Swiss life to an extent that may at times seem pedantic, there are also bursts of whimsy and exuberance, especially in cultural and artistic life. Also, because of the significant numbers of foreigners in the country – political refugees, immigrant workers or stars escaping the tax laws of their own countries – some neighbourhoods, particularly in the big cities, are nothing like the Swiss clichés.

      Café culture in Geneva

      swiss-image.ch

      City and country

      The German-speaking majority occupies most of the country, except for the west and southwest. Zurich, the economic and financial capital, is at the heart of this majority. In the realm of international finance, the ‘Zurich gnomes’ have the reputation of being able to make judgments that can make or break a business, or several. But for tourists, the city offers elegant boutiques, museums, music and memories of a rich past. Geneva, the largest French-speaking city, has a very cosmopolitan air, thanks to its location at the French border and the presence of dozens of international businesses and organisations there. The political capital of the Swiss Confederation, Bern, is provincial and modest, lying halfway between these two linguistic poles and economic rivals. No grand monuments or majestic avenues here: Bern is too Swiss for such pomp. Nonetheless, it is one of the most agreeable capitals in Europe.

      Each Swiss city has its own particular atmosphere, tied to its history, language and vocation. Even the smaller towns have much to offer culturally. Half a day by train is enough to go

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