To someone, Switzerland may seem boring, someone - too expensive, but someone will find there the most charming castles in the world, and the other - the best trails Alps .And everyone will be right in their own way .In addition, let's not forget about another property of this country, which for some people stably outweighs all the above-mentioned disadvantages (and the pluses are the same): it is, of course, an opportunity to join the society of all kinds of celebrities .With an enviable regularity, the slopes of the Swiss Alps are announced with a melodious squealing of top models, cries of crown princes and even (in the season) by the obscene constructions of Russian songwriter Sergei Shnurov .

So it's no surprise that the ski resorts in Switzerland fall into two categories: for billionaires and for millionaires .Let this is an obvious exaggeration, however, there is a certain amount of truth in it: the prestige factor is the main tourist treasure here, and joining the elite means tangible financial costs .Perhaps even a snobbery person who has completely overcome it will be pleasant to ride around the mountain serpentine "lit up" in the "Bondiana", or to have dinner "at the same table" .However, the direction has many other advantages: licked tracks for every taste, the world's best mountain hotels and a host of historical attractions, mostly castles .Of the minuses, you can allot the same high cost ... but it's nice to live, as you know, you will not forbid!

More information on when to go to Switzerland and what to do on the spot is described on the page tours to Switzerland.

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The capital is Bern.

The main resorts of Switzerland

• Mountain-skiing
  • Jungfrau (Murren, Grindelwald, Wengen), Gstaad, Engelberg, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Verbier and others. You can find the full list on the city page and the resorts of Switzerland.

• Health-improving
  • Bad Ragaz, Scuol and Leukerbad (yes, the last two are not only ski centers)
  • Lake Geneva
    • Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey, Yverdon-les-Bains

• Just rest on the lakes
  • Lugansk lake and Lake Maggiore
    • Lugano, Ascona, Locarno
  • Lake Lucerne
    • Lucerne, Vitznau, Weggis and Bürgenstock
  • Lake Zurich

How to get to Switzerland

Daily regular direct flights to Geneva and Zurich from Moscow are carried out by Aeroflot (from Sheremetyevo-F) and Swiss (from Domodedovo). The duration of the flight is more than 3 hours in both cases. Swiss also flies from St. Petersburg to Zurich.

In addition to direct regular flights, transit through Europe is possible - Paris, Prague, Vienna, Dusseldorf and Amsterdam. In the ski season, operators usually raise charters from Moscow to Geneva, Basel or Sion (which is in the immediate vicinity of Zermatt, Verbier, Saas-Fee and Crans-Montana).

• Do Swiss Airlines fly to Moscow
• Are there any trains between Russia and Switzerland
• Moscow-Switzerland: are there any direct flights

Road from the CIS countries

"International Airlines of Ukraine" and Swiss carry out flights on the route Kiev - Zurich. With UIA, you can also fly from Kiev to Geneva. From Odessa to Geneva fly Austrian Airlines (via Vienna) and LOT (via Warsaw).

From the Belarusian capital, daily flights to Geneva are jointly carried out by the airlines "Belavia" and LOT (via Warsaw), twice a week Lufthansa planes fly through Frankfurt. On the route Minsk-Zurich, the national carrier of Belarus carries out the following joint flights: once a week with LOT (via Warsaw), three times a week with Czech Airlines (via Prague) and daily with Austrian Airlines (via Vienna).

Regular flights of "Turkish Airlines" (via Istanbul), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt) and KLM (via Amsterdam), British Airways (via London) fly from Almaty to Geneva.

Swiss visa

Switzerland is included in the list of countries that are parties to the Schengen Agreement. A visa is required to travel to the country.

Customs

Import and export of currency is free, but subject to mandatory declaration if the amount exceeds 10 000 USD. It is allowed to import duty-free 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, a liter of spirits and two liters of alcohol is not stronger than 15 °.

It is forbidden to import drugs, meat and meat products, skins of wild felines, crocodiles and lizards - and products made from them, plants with soil.

Useful phone numbers

Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow: Per. Ogorodnaya Sloboda, 2/5, phone: (495) 258-38-30; Web site

The Russian Embassy in Bern: Brunnadernrain, 37; tel .: (31) 352-05-66, 352-05-68; Web site

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Geneva: Rue Schaub, 24; tel .: (22) 734-90-83; Web site

Ambulance: 111, police: 117, firefighters: 118, assistance on the roads: 140

Telephone codes of cities: Bern - 31, Zurich - 44, Geneva - 22, Basel - 61, Lausanne - 21, Lucerne - 41.

Transport Switzerland

Switzerland - one of the most perfect transport systems in the world, Swiss Travel System .This is a system of universal travel, operating on all types of regular transport and giving a discount for many types of tourist transport .These travel "will be repulsed" if you make at least two long trips around the country .The Swiss Transfer Ticket provides a transfer from the Swiss border or from the airport to any destination within the country and back to the point of entry .It is valid for one month, the distance from the starting point to the destination must be overcome in one day .Ticket price: 164 CHF (first class) and 107 CHF (second class) .

In Lausanne there is a map of Lausanne Transport Card, which tourists can get at their hotel or guesthouse. With her, their movement on all types of public transport will be free.

Rent a Car

Terms of car rent: driver's age - at least 21 years (for some models of cars - 25 years), availability of an international driver's license, driving experience of at least three years, the availability of a valid credit card (and for some car brands - even two). @

In cities, in addition to public transport, you can ride and bicycles. Free rent of bicycles is offered in Zurich and in Geneva. At the rental office, you only need to leave a document and 20 CHF for one day's security deposit (in Zurich) or 50 CHF (in Geneva).

Car rental in Switzerland with best price guarantee

Safety of tourists

Despite the fact that the crime rate in Switzerland is one of the lowest among developed countries, tourists still should not tempt fate and leave their wallet and baggage in crowded places unattended.

Medicine in the country is extremely expensive, so before going to a ski resort it makes a direct sense to take out insurance, which includes the risk of injury on slopes.

The climate of Switzerland

Temperate-continental, alpine. He does not have extreme manifestations of heat, cold or humidity. In January-February, the daily temperature fluctuates between -1 ..- 5 ° C. In the north and in the central part of the country the weather is determined by the influence of the Atlantic, in the south is dominated by a mild Mediterranean climate. The average temperature in Geneva in December-February is +2 ° C.

See also the current weather forecast in the main cities and resorts in Switzerland for a week and for 10 days.

• What is the weather in Switzerland in the second half of September

Hotels in Switzerland

Most hotels in the country are members of the Association of Hotels in Switzerland. They have good and spacious rooms with all the services that are offered to the institution of this category. However, hotels that are not members of the Association are usually also cozy and tidy. In general, Switzerland's hotels are better than the "Central European". The price of breakfast (buffet), as a rule, is included in the room price. For an additional fee, most hotels offer two or three meals a day.

The voltage in the electrical network is 220 V, the frequency is 50 Hz. Sockets have a Swiss configuration, different from European, so you need an adapter. It can be obtained from the hotel receptionist at each hotel.

• Rest in Switzerland for pensioners

Banks and exchange offices

Banks are open from 8:00 to 16:00 (some before 17: 00-18: 00) on weekdays, break from 12:00 to 14:00. You can change money in any branch of the bank, and in the evening - at exchange offices of major department stores, airports and some travel agencies. Points of currency exchange at airports and railway stations are open daily from 8:00 to 22:00, sometimes around the clock.

Most prices are indicated in both EUR and Swiss CHF. In some large stores, EUR is even accepted for payment, but the change is issued to the Swiss CHF. Therefore, it is most convenient to pay with plastic cards.

• Swiss Franc rate
• Swiss Currency
• Swiss franc to ruble exchange rate

Shopping and shops in Switzerland

"The big Swiss four of souvenirs" are watches, cheese, chocolate and penknives. For hours of famous brands (Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega) it is worth to go to the French-speaking regions of the country - it is there that the famous workshops are located. You can buy excellent chronometers without a loud name on the lid (and, therefore, at an affordable price) in the rest of Switzerland: in each city there are several watchmaker's masters, whose goods will be no worse than the "patech of the Philippians."

Cheeses, the most famous among which are "gruyer" and "emmental", can be bought everywhere - in supermarkets, shops and specialized cheese shops. In each canton, there is also its own, of course, the best sort of cheese. Sweet tooth will rejoice the abundance of chocolate products: from the already familiar "Lindt" and "Toblerone" to the exclusive Teuscher, Pamaco and Sprungli. The price ranges from 1 to 12 CHF per tile.

Swiss army knives Victorinox and Wenger will cost from 80 CHF for 33 functions (knives and knifes, openers for all occasions, screwdrivers, scissors, corkscrew, further down the list) to 400 CHF per traveler's friend with 80 (stunned!) Tools. @

Shops are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 18:30, some large ones on Thursday to 21: 00-22: 00. On Saturday, all shops are open from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00.

Among other things, from Switzerland you can bring pretty bells of all sizes and purposes - from small souvenir to two-kilogram cow, and also music boxes.

• What souvenirs to bring from Switzerland

Charming St. Moritz

Types of Lake Zurich

Lake Lucerne

Kitchen and restaurants

The peculiarity of Swiss cuisine is the abundance of cheese and sour-milk products, as well as meat with a variety of seasonings. It is necessary to try the traditional "cheese fondue" - the cheese "gruyer" or "emmental", seasoned with spices, melted in boiling white wine.

In addition, Switzerland is famous for its chocolate, lake and river fish, rucletes, dried meat and all kinds of pies. All sorts of sausages and sausages come here from the German neighbors, which are served either "peasantly" in a slice along the bread roll, or as a full-fledged dish with garnish.

In most restaurants there is a "menu of the day", called "Tagesteller" or "Plat du Jour". This is a full-fledged lunch cost from 15 to 25 CHF, rarely more.

And the Swiss - the real fans of everything with the prefixes "eco", "bio" and "organic": in the country there are shops with ordinary chickens, say, and there are - with their eco-consorts. The latter differ from the first in that they walk only on natural grass, chop with the beak of natural worms and generally enjoy a free bird life. The difference in price is very significant, but the taste is also completely different.

Entertainment, excursions and places of interest in Switzerland

Tourists who find the strength to tear themselves away from their skis, sunny slopes and cheerful apres-ski, most often if they go on an excursion, then not further than the neighboring towns - Lucerne, Lausanne, Montreux, Bern, Thun and Zion - which is completely useless, because the country is scattered just a fantastic amount of attractions.

Tour of Bern begins with a trip to the "Rose Garden" with a stunning panorama of the city. Then the path lies to the famous "pit with bears", the house of Einstein and the Parliament. From there you can go to the Historical Museum, the cathedral and the "Devourer of Children" - this is the name that the city fountain bears.

A sightseeing tour of Lucerne, a city of medieval squares, bridges and buildings, includes a visit to the "Ice Garden", a unique mirror labyrinth, Swan Square, and the Chapel Bridge. You can also see the monument to the Dying Lion, the Jesuit Cathedral and the charming bridge with an unpleasant but historically correct name "The Garbage Bridge."

"Swiss Riviera" - a great excursion, including an inspection of Montreux, Chillon Castle, Lausanne and Geneva. You can go to the valley of 72 waterfalls, which is not far from Lake Thun. After seeing the highest waterfall in Switzerland Schaubbach, visiting the waterfall inside the mountain Trumelbach, go to Grindelwald and Interlaken, and from there - to Bern. A unique 12th-century castle of Shadau is also located next to the Tuna Lake.

Switzerland is famous for its castles: in Gruyère (with a stunning collection of works of art), in Egle (where you can see the first-ever organ built in 246 BC), the New Castle (with the original prison tower and punishment cells) and the castle in Tourbillon. In addition, guests of the country have the opportunity to go on standard but very interesting excursions to the dairies and breweries, to the glassblowers and the Alecher glacier, the most powerful and longest glacier in Europe with an unforgettable panorama of the Alps.

And there is a fantastic number of interesting museums in the country.

• What to see in Switzerland
• The best places of interest in Switzerland
• Where can I combine relaxation on a spa and skiing in plain cross-country skiing in January
• Where in Switzerland is better to go skiing
• Are there any parks for children in Switzerland
• Are there any tours in Switzerland - Liechtenstein
• Where in Switzerland the most beautiful places
• What excursions in Switzerland are the most interesting

Photos of Switzerland (1019)