Tell me good things about Switzerland

xxxpost

http://hep-proj-photon2001.web.cern.ch/hep-proj-photon2001/images/Ascona.jpg

OK, time for a serious answer here...

I just got back from a week-long trip to Switzerland and can provide a little insight..

I started in Geneva, which was a nice, clean city. VERY clean, in fact (the water in most of the fountains is potable!). The old town is beautiful and great for a walk around, although your legs will get very tired thanks to the steep hills. Actually, get yourself some good walking shoes, since you'll find yourself walking up a lot of hills in Switzerland... Anyway, if you're looking to buy a watch or a knife, or set up a private bank account, Geneva can sort you out. Check out the Reformation Wall in Bastions Park, and if you're good at chess, take on some of the locals in the giant-piece games you can play for free nearby.

Anyway, the whole damn country is spectacular. I was lucky with great weather the whole week, which cetainly helps. Interlaken was nice, and Luzern is a great little city with a cool medieval area. I went to the cheese factory in Gruyere, which actually wasn't that exciting, but I did get some samples (I LOOOOVE cheese). Definitely have some cheese fondue while you're there. MMMMMM. Oh, the little town nearby is worth a visit. Here's some info. The castle is a MUST. I was very surprised to find HR Giger's museum there - it seems so out of place in this cute little spot. I'm no goth or anything, but it was pretty cool. The bar next door is bizarre - you get to sit in these skeletal/alien-type chairs. Neat-o!

Gstaad is a good resort-type town with a nice pedestrian area in the middle. Not much to do there, really, but there is a cable-car nearby where you can go hiking along the top of the hills which gives you some great typical Swiss views (lots of grassy hills), of course accompanied by the ever-present sound of the ringing cowbells.

I think the best way to get around the country is by train, although we drove the whole time, which was also pretty good. A warning, though - the mountain passes (like the 'Furkapass' which I went through) can really give you THE FEAR. The roads are right along the edge, and for the most part have NO guard-rails. If the roads are wet, well, be careful!

My top recommendation (if it's not booked up, and you can afford it) would be to stay in Zermatt, which is at the base of the famous 'Matterhorn' mountain. You have to take a train to get to the town (there are no cars allowed there!), as it is up at about 5000 feet. It's mostly just hotels/chalets, restaurants and expensive shops, but great nonetheless. If you luck out and get a clear day, spend the big bucks (78 CHF!) and take the cable cars (there are 3 stages) to the top of the Klein Matterhorn (it is next to the big one). Here's a little 360 QTVR thingy.) This is up about 13,000 feet, and the viewing platform at the top affords you some incredible views. Even though Zermatt was warm-ish at the time(about 17-18 degrees), it was minus 10 with a VERY cold wind at the top. June will be nicer, but be prepared anyway. There is a big outdoor bar/restaurant at the 2nd last stage on the cable car trip, which was frozen over when I was there, but in June it would a great place for a beer.

It's an amazing country - the air and water is so clean, and no matter where you look the view is great. The people are friendly, and even if you suck at German or French, fear not because a lot of people speak English, which helps.

2. Yello

http://www.toltecimages.com/trains/2408.jpg

ihttp://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/ch/SBB_CFF_FFS/electric/historic/crocodile/14253_210504-1rp.jpg

I like cheese too. And fondue!

hotels? maybe the EUROPE, in basel. maybe the ZICZAC, in zurich. maybe the THERME, in vals. don't know.

anyone got good things?

*makes appropriate hand signal*

pros: has joe cocker themed room ...

cons: no toilets, in rooms, apparently ...

Compared to Haiti, the zombie problem in Switzerland is very manageable.

If you have a lot of money, then it will feel very welcome in Switzerland, and the Swiss will go out of their way to try to make it feel at home.

It's a good place to buy a bumper sticker that says "I brake for fallen rocks" - in three languages, no less!

You're never far from a bank.

No unsightly litter in the streets. Littering is strictly cordoned off into special 'trash opportunity zones' and confined to a few hours in the early morning on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

You will not be asked to particiapte in the Euro-song contest.

Also, according to the information I have gathered (from my dad), Switzerland is NOT in the EU. Right?

Didn't they vote to join in the European Community?
nope. they only vote for this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4610729.stm

ok..
It's about 1 to 1.5 hour by train.
(http://www.sbb.ch/)

Jordan be sure to get 1) a watch and 2) a POCKET KNIFE

and a BANK account

and you're bringing home a swiss cow, natch.

OH SHIT YEAH

I hope they're not too sick of tourists opening bank accounts and depositing one (1) dollar.

"bloodless bovine battles"

Money laundering looks fun!

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/kimb0086/gimmelwald.jpg[/IMG]

probably the most jaw-droppingly beautiful place I've ever been.

xpost, but that one is beautiful too

http://www.flickr.com/users/hotbeatz

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hotbeatz

Can anyone recommend a restaurant or bar in Zurich? I have one night there next weeks and want to make the most of it.

Allegedly the official portrait of the current government:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Bundesrat_der_Schweiz_2010.jpg/427px-Bundesrat_der_Schweiz_2010.jpg

do any ilxors live in switzerland?

i'm moving to zurich next year for work..need some advice

I don't live there but I took a train from Zurich to Lugano last summer. Wonderful journey, Ticino worth a visit. The lake is lovely.

So Basel - quite nice really. Also found a pretty awesome record store on the other side of teh river

okay

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wef-report_switzerland-is-the-world-s-most-competitive-economy-/42478248

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2017/12/switzerland-prepared-civilizational-collapse.html

More than any other country, Switzerland’s ethos is centered around preparing for civilizational collapse.

...

The Swiss have been tunneling the Alps for hundreds of years creating innumerable secret hideaways for people and stores.

As a further example of how ridiculously well prepared the Swiss are for any and all threats, there are things like hidden hydroelectric dams built inside of unmarked mountains so that in the event of mass bombings, they’ll still have electricity from these secret facilities. And, remember, these are the things the Swiss government has let us know about. It is thought that there are probably more fortifications and hidden goodies scattered about the country’s landscape. (ital. added, AT)

TS: physical defense vs digital defense

Two weeks (of mostly work) coming up in Basel. I have a big list of museums, sights, and beer gardens but curious if there's anything that shouldn't be missed, beyond that.

Float down the river

Can you do that in Basel as well? I used to enjoy floating along the River Aare in Bern in the summertime.

def, seemed the only fun thing to do there, town is $$$$$

On the other side of the river, there's a slightly bohemian artsy neighborhood with some interesting venues and bars.

Switzerland’s ethos is centered around preparing for civilizational collapse.

On the one hand, this seems very wise. On the other hand, it seems deeply, hopelessly bourgeois.

I'll be in Zürich several times a year now apparently.

Went for a gorgeous hike up Grosser Mythen. Was supposed to take a bus to the trailhead but having no cash, I walked all the way from the train station. Turned out to be for the best, because the main part of the hike was pretty crowded, but the lower part of the hike - alpine meadows, directly through a herd of cows etc - was all mine.

Still not sure being inches away from those cows was safe.

I’ll also be visiting there a bunch next year since my wife is moving there for a job while I stay back here in LA

I got chased by a cow in Switzerland

Saw lots of people floating down the Rhine yesterday. It flows a lot faster than I expected, being used to the lazy pace of the upper Mississippi.

Geneva resident here. We have the Rhone, which also flows along at a fair old pace.

I got chased by a cow in Switzerland

That sounds terrifying. They’re huge and surprisingly nimble!

Bern’s clock tower works (1530) was one of my favorite things to inspect and hear about ever.