Switzerland: An Introduction

“Switzerland would be a mighty big place if it were ironed flat.” 

– Mark Twain

Hello, friends! I’m back from my trip to Switzerland and I’m excited to tell you all about it! In the last trip I wrote about, I visited three different countries in one week. This time around, I spent three weeks in just one country–minus a couple days to visit the tiny micronation of Liechtenstein, and about a half an hour in Italy (I’ll explain later). Now that I think about it, the time I spent in Switzerland is actually the longest continuous amount of time I’ve ever spent in a single country outside the United States. That’s a bit surprising on the surface, because geographically, Switzerland is a pretty small country, less than twice the size of my rather small adopted home state of Maryland. And yet, I found so much to see and do in Switzerland that I had to skip a lot of places that I would have visited if I had more time, including the country’s two biggest cities, Zurich and Geneva, as well as the entire Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. That’s because Switzerland is actually a huge country folded up into a compact form like the Swiss Army Knife I bought as a souvenir. When exploring Switzerland, one needs to throw away the four-direction concept of navigation most of us are used to. Here, there are six directions, and the most important ones are often up and down. The Alps cover 58% of the country with the Jura mountain range occupying an additional 11%. Yet according to the Swiss Federal Council website, only 11% of the Swiss population lives in the Alps, and settlement areas only cover 7.5% of the country’s territory. And while those population centers are full of historic charm, beautiful architecture, and interesting regional cultures (not to mention delicious chocolate), it’s the mountains that draw most people to Switzerland. I got to spend time on several of them, while appreciating many others from a distance. I will describe them in more detail later, but first, let’s establish a little more background on the unique and fascinating country of Switzerland.

Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, each with some level of local autonomy and elements of direct democracy, although the federal government has significantly more power today than it did historically. Together these cantons make up the Confoederatio Helvetica, named after the ancient Helvetii tribal group that lived in Switzerland before Roman times. While the current government was founded in 1848, the first Swiss Federal Charter goes all the way back to 1291. Both years are engraved on the Federal Council building in the unofficial capital of Bern. It is from the older date that Switzerland derives the most complicated of its five official names: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. This German name that is unique to Switzerland’s history, roughly translates to the Swiss “Oath Commonwealth” or “Oath Alliance”, which refers to a semi-legendary event in which the leaders of the first three cantons that would form the core of the Old Swiss Confederation gathered in a meadow near Lake Lucerne and swore an eternal oath of alliance between the cantons. Although Switzerland wasn’t officially recognized as a fully sovereign and independent political unit until 1648, it was on that fateful day in 1291 that the first seeds of the Swiss nation were planted. Switzerland is different from most other European nations because it was founded as a voluntary confederation of independent cantons. Although it would be some time before all of Switzerland could truly be called a democracy, it has always asserted its independence both externally and internally. At the same time, the Swiss very quickly gained a reputation for their military prowess, proving themselves again and again by defeating much larger forces in battle and fending off the powerful empires that surrounded their tiny country, including the infamous Hapsburg family that originated in Switzerland but were unable to keep control of their homeland even though they ruled most of Europe. In fact, the Swiss were so good at fighting that they began to hire themselves out as mercenaries to other countries and notably the Vatican (which still has a ceremonial Swiss Guard unit today). During the religious conflicts that raged throughout the continent during and after the Protestant Reformation, Switzerland became a haven for free thinkers. Although many cantons remained faithful to the Catholic Church, many others eagerly joined the Reformation, led by theologians like Ulrich Zwingli who created the Swiss Reformed Church and John Calvin who founded the city of Geneva as an intentional community for his new sect of Christianity. Of course, Catholics and Protestants fought each other in Switzerland like they did in the rest of Europe (sometimes imprisoning and torturing each other in their many castles), but after the dust settled, these conflicts were ultimately resolved by compromises that left the religiously divided Swiss Confederation intact, if on shaky ground. One canton that couldn’t agree on which religion to follow was Appenzell. So instead, they broke into two half-cantons, Appenzell Innerrhoden (Catholic) and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Protestant). They separated more or less amicably and they remain separate half-cantons to this day.

In its early years, the Swiss Confederacy expanded in all directions, growing the number of cantons and eventually encompassing such diverse territories that Switzerland now has four official languages, each centered in its own distinct geographical and cultural region: German, French, Italian, and Romansch–the latter being an old Swiss language based on Latin that dates back to Roman times and is still spoken in some parts of eastern Switzerland. Swiss German is almost a separate language unto itself which differs quite a bit from standard or “High” German. That being said, Swiss people learn standard German in school and it is used in all official communications. Swiss German is used more informally, usually in speech, not writing.

After its early expansion, the Swiss people gradually came to the conclusion that the best way to remain independent as a tiny country surrounded by powerful empires was to establish a policy of armed neutrality. The Swiss stayed out of international conflicts and offered their services as a neutral territory where other countries could come together to make agreements. The most well-known are the Geneva Conventions, which establish rules about war and respect for human rights. Many international organizations have been founded in Switzerland, including the International Red Cross. Some other international organizations headquartered in Switzerland today include the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the World Economic Forum, FIFA, and the International Olympics Committee. Yet despite playing such an important role in the international community, Switzerland has continued to remain stubbornly independent, refusing to join the European Union or adopt the Euro as its currency, opting to hold onto its highly valued Swiss francs (CHF).

Along with its neutrality, Switzerland also adopted a tradition of granting asylum to political exiles from other countries, provided that those individuals didn’t try to stir things up too much within Switzerland itself. Most famously, the country sheltered V.I. Lenin before his triumphant return to Russia. They also served as a refuge for draft dodgers, army deserters, and pacificists from both sides during World War 1. Switzerland’s record during World War 2 is more controversial. While many Jews and political refugees did escape to Switzerland during the war, others were turned away, and Swiss banks and financial institutions turned a blind eye as they laundered fortunes in cash, gold, art, and other goods stolen by the Nazis. This subject is still a sore spot for Switzerland today.

Of course, Switzerland’s economic successes don’t all stem from dealing in stolen goods. In the 1800s Switzerland began to transform itself from an agricultural society to an industrial powerhouse that specialized in the production of luxuries like fine watches alongside a very intentionally cultivated tourism industry that took advantage of the country’s incredible natural beauty. By managing to avoid both World Wars, Switzerland managed to maintain a growing economy while its neighbors suffered economic crises. At the same time, it became more difficult to trade with other countries during the war, forcing Swiss businesses to rely heavily on the domestic labor pool. This put Swiss workers in a very strong position to demand a higher standard of living. Swiss unions launched the nation’s first and only general strike in 1918. Fearing a Communist revolution like the one taking place in Russia at that very moment, the government mobilized the military to crush the strike (which was already fizzling out on its own) while also acceding to some of its demands, like implementing proportional representation in elections and establishing a 48 hour workweek. During World War 2, the unions and their allied political parties again exerted pressure, albeit without resorting to another general strike. This resulted in the passage of some of the strongest labor laws and retirement policies in the world. However, after World War 2, the more radical labor parties and organizations started to lose influence, ensuring that Switzerland would remain committed to capitalism, although it maintained a strong social safety net. As Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev quipped, “When all the world is socialist, Switzerland will have to remain capitalist, so that it can tell us the price of everything.”

Today Switzerland is one of the richest–and most expensive–countries in the world. If you want to visit Switzerland on a shoestring budget, you’d better make sure your shoestrings are made by Jimmy Choo. Expect to spend at least 20 to 30 CHF on a simple meal with no drinks or sides. However, in Switzerland you also tend to get what you pay for, especially when it comes to their unrivalled public transportation system. In Switzerland, you can hop on a train from just about anywhere to just about anywhere at a moment’s notice. For example, there are trains departing from Zurich to Geneva and vice versa every 20-30 minutes, and the trip takes less than 3 hours despite these cities being on opposite ends of the country. The trains run on time and you can track them with extremely detailed real time updates on the SBB Mobile app. They’re also really nice. Second class train cars are much more comfortable than their class designation might suggest, although they can sometimes get crowded at peak times. First class cars are even more comfortable and more spacious, and usually have very few passengers. Swiss trains have special cars with different functions. Most long-range trains have a restaurant car. Certain train cars are customized for bicycles or strollers. There are designated family cars with play areas where children are allowed to get as loud as they want and there are designated quiet cars where talking above a whisper level is not allowed. In first class there are also business cars that are set up with desk-like fixtures to make work or business easier. On some routes there are “photo wagons” with open windows for taking photos. In good weather, there are even some open cars with no roofs. In addition to these regular trains, there are special mountain cogwheel trains, cable cars, gondolas, and special panoramic trains that are almost entirely made of windows. On these trains you can choose to upgrade to Prestige Class to enjoy the ultimate in luxury, including 7 course meals. Or you can go old school and take a Belle Epoque Train, furnished and decorated in a distinctly old-fashioned and elegant manner. The same public transportation system that operates the trains also operates local transportation such as trams, busses, subways, etc. as well as boats on most of Switzerland’s many beautiful lakes. Although this patchwork quilt of transportation is actually run by hundreds of different companies and local or regional authorities, it is all seamlessly integrated into a single national public transportation system. Nothing could be simpler than using the SBB Mobile app to type in where and when you want to go and choose among the options available to you.

Now, travelling by train in Switzerland can quickly get very expensive, which is why most residents and visitors alike purchase at least one pass or reduced fare card. For Swiss residents, there is a physical semi-permanent pass called the Swiss Pass that includes photo ID and an associated online account. International visitors can purchase a different version of this pass called the Swiss Travel Pass, which is offered for different lengths of times ranging from 3 to 15 days. A second class Swiss Travel Pass will cost you between $283 and $524 depending on the number of days you select. A first class pass is $450-$824. There are discounted rates for children and youth. While the regular Swiss Travel Pass can only be used consecutively (for example, a 3 day pass expires 3 days after its starting date whether you use it or not), there is also a Swiss Travel Pass Flex option that is only slightly more expensive and can be activated on whichever individual days you choose to use it within a 30 day period. So using the previous example, if you had the 3 day Flex pass you could choose to use it during three separate weeks instead of three days in a row. The Swiss Travel Pass covers all regular trains, local transportation, and boats. It also gives a major discount on special mountain expeditions and gives you free or heavily discounted entry to most museums and cultural sites in Switzerland. The Swiss Travel Pass also covers all travel (other than ski lifts) within the tiny country of Liechtenstein. For special panoramic trains like the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, or the Golden Pass Express the actual ticket price is completely covered by the Swiss Travel Pass but you still have to pay for a seat reservation. Although it isn’t cheap, the Swiss Travel Pass will still save you a ton of money if you plan to travel a lot in Switzerland. The more days you purchase the pass for, the better the rate is. Crucially it also offers you the flexibility to change your plans at the drop of a hat. You can literally hop on and off almost any train, tram, bus, boat, etc. in the country at any time without having to purchase any tickets or reservations. You just look up where you want to go on the mobile app and you step on board.

If you’re planning to travel to multiple countries, you should also look into the Eurail Pass, which can be used all over Europe. Adult prices for their second class “global” pass (which covers 33 countries–mostly in Europe) range from $286 for 4 days to $1,051 for 3 months. While this sounds like a potentially amazing deal if you really use it to the max, keep in mind that the Eurail Pass does not cover seat reservations, which are mandatory on most international trains. Getting back to Switzerland-specific options, there is another very popular option called the half fare card, which is exactly what it sounds like: It lets you purchase individual tickets for trains and other forms of public transpiration at half the regular price. It costs $147 and is valid for one month. Children under 16 travel for free when accompanied by a parent who has a valid half fare card. The half fare card is a great deal if you plan be in Switzerland for an extended period of time but don’t expect to move around often enough to justify buying a Swiss Travel Pass.

Then there are the various regional passes you can purchase for specific areas within Switzerland, such as the Berner Oberland pass (starting at $281), the Tell Pass Central Switzerland (starting at $232), and the Jungfrau pass (starting at $190). These passes often offer steeper discounts on mountain excursions within the region and can be a better deal than the Swiss Travel Pass if you’re only going to be travelling within one region.

There are also local city transpiration passes, which hotels will often give you for free if you book a stay for multiple nights. I received these in several cities, including Bern where I only stayed for one night.

So which passes did I end up purchasing? I splurged on a first class 15 day Swiss Travel Pass Flex and also purchased a 3 day Jungfrau Regional Pass. Between the two passes, this covered every day of my trip except for one day in Montreux where I was covered by a free local pass and one day in Malbun, Liechtenstein, where I spent the day hiking near my hotel and didn’t need to take public transportation. One of the main reasons why I sprung for first class is because I planned to take both the Golden Pass Express (in both directions) and the Glacier Express panoramic trains, and for these special trains you really want to be in first class if you can afford it (although I did not upgrade to the insanely expensive Prestige Class). I also was concerned about overcrowding and the COVID risks associated with it, so first class helped me avoid the crowds (although some regional trains don’t have first class compartments and those did get very crowded at times). Finally, a first class pass lets you ride on the upper deck of boats, which gives you a much better view and a much more relaxed experience. That being said, I will acknowledge that second class in Switzerland is still very nice and you can also upgrade to first class for individual trips without having a first class pass, so if I ever go back to Switzerland again, I’ll probably just get a second class pass next time.

By now you’re probably wondering if I’m ever going to talk about the actual places I visited on this trip. Of course I will, but it is far too much to fit into one blog post. So I’m going to split my three weeks of travel experiences into 6 separate posts, which I plan to post every Monday and Thursday until I finish (but I can’t guarantee that I will stick to that exact schedule 100%).

Here are the destinations you can look forward to reading about (and seeing pictures of) over the next 3 weeks:

[UPDATE: ALL SIX DESTINATIONS ARE PUBLISHED NOW. CLICK ON THE NAMES BELOW TO READ ABOUT THEM!]

1. Lucern (including excursions to Mt. Rigi and Mt. Pilatus) to Bern

2. The Jungfrau region (including excursions to Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn/Piz Gloria)

3. Spiez/Thun to Montreux (including the Golden Pass Express and a daytrip to Vevey)

4. Zermatt to Chur (including Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, cable car to Italy, and the Glacier Express)

5. Liechtenstein (Vaduz, Triesenberg, and Malbun)

6. Appenzell (including an excursion to Ebenalp)

And here’s a Google Map with all of the places I visited to give you a better sense of my itinerary:

Please check back periodically to see these new posts. Once they have been published, I will also link to them here to make it easier for future readers to navigate. While you wait for the next post, you can see some of the photo albums I already posted from the first leg of my trip. Last but not least, please leave comments or send me a private message using the contact form, and share my blog posts on social media if you like them. I would love to hear some feedback on my new site. Some things still don’t look exactly how I want them to but I’m working on it. I’m new at this and I’m eager to improve and grow my readership. If there are any topics or features you’d like me to cover in the future, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do. Thanks!