Switzerland: An unforgettable experience

One should not forget that Switzerland is not only a land of mountains, but also one of waters. Lakes, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers and mineral and thermal springs, all can be found in abundance. Many of the largest European rivers, like the Rhine, the Rhone or the Inn originate from Switzerland. Though I had a limited number of days with which to explore Switzerland, Reichle & De-Massari AG (R&M), who had invited some journalists from the Middle East and Europe for the R&M Cube presentation ceremony at Wetzikon near Zurich, recently arranged a special tour to experience the cultural and scenic diversity that is unique in Switzerland. After a busy business schedule, we went around Zurich. It has become one of Europe’s new style capitals. The shopping in Zurich is sensational, there are music and club events every night of the week, high culture is well served at the opera house and there is the superb Kunsthaus gallery. Its web of cobbled lanes, clustering on the banks of the River Grossmunster is atmospheric and evocative. A boat trip beneath the city’s bridges is an unforgettable experience. During our free time, we suddenly decided to visit the Swiss capital Bern, about 100 km from Zurich. While traveling to Bern, we saw Basel, which is important as it is home to the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the central bank of central banks. This city is well known in the financial world. Flanking the Rhine, at the point where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, Basel boasts a tradition of high culture stretching back centuries. When asked more about this city, our guide told us that Basel’s old town is full of beautifully preserved medieval buildings and baroque townhouses, while trams weave gracefully through the grand squares of the city center. An impressive roster of museums is headed by the Kunstmuseum and Fondation Beyeler, two of Switzerland’s leading art galleries. When we arrived in Bern, the weather was fine and the sky was clear. Bern’s tiny, quiet, riverside elegance is not at all what you would expect of Switzerland’s capital. We noticed Bern is delightfully slow-paced, with a well-preserved medieval core that features tall sandstone buildings straddling the pavements. The old town’s river-hugged, cobbled streets and arcaded buildings date back to the 11th century. Beneath their arcades, which crisscross the city for 6 km, you can shop till you drop. Other city attractions include the house where Albert Einstein lived in when he devised his theory of relativity in 1905 and the glittering new Zentrum Paul Klee, designed by Renzo Piano, housing the collected works of Bern’s most famous artist. Switzerland offers many attractions for young people too. With its glorious vistas, dynamic sports, different accommodation opportunities, convenient train and bus systems and multilingual people, Switzerland has something to offer for everyone. Anyone who has ever visited Switzerland will tell you that its public transportation service is one of the finest worldwide. Fast, efficient, and frequent, it connects even the remotest of places. Switzerland is also the favorite destination of Middle Eastern tourists. Large numbers of tourists from the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, visit Switzerland every year. Switzerland Tourism, which has regional headquarters in Dubai, tries to attract holiday goers from the Gulf region. With its four languages, varied cultures, beautiful landscapes and peaceful political environment, Switzerland also plays a leading role in the international education field. There are many students from the Middle East studying there in Switzerland. Though we didn’t have enough time to visit other locations, Switzerland has much to offer. Geneva is the world’s smallest metropolis, which is centered on the huge Jet d’Eau fountain. La Chaux-de-Fonds, perched in the Jura mountains near the French border, is Europe’s highest city in the heart of Switzerland’s watch-making region. There is another beautiful city, Lausanne, rising above Lake Geneva. These are places worth visiting. It is well known that the Alpine nation is super-safe, many locals speak two or three languages including English and the country is loaded with rich food, cheese (about 450 varieties) amazing pastries and chocolates. No wonder it was an unforgettable experience.