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Travel and Tourism in Switzerland
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Switzerland.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- Climate
- Because of the varied topography (from an altitude of 633 feet above sea level in the Ticino Canton to 15,203 feet — the Monte Rosa peak — in the Alps), climate and vegetation vary from Mediterranean to arctic. Bern does not have great extremes of hot or cold weather. Rain is common in summer as well as winter, with snowfalls in Bern occurring with more regularity in recent years. Humidity is high during spring and fall. Winter brings some warm spells, and all-day fog and cloudy weather are common. Often a 30-minute drive will get you out of the clouds and into sunshine. The Föhn, a dry south wind that passes over the Alps changing the air pressure, has an enervating and otherwise unpleasant effect on some people. The average high temperature in July is 30°C (86°F), and the average low for that month is 6.1°C (43°F). In February, the thermometer reaches 5.4°C (42°F) and dips to about -10°C (14°F).
- Ethnic Groups
- German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
- National Holiday
- Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291; note - since 1 August 1891 celebrated as Swiss National Day
- Geographic Coordinates
- 47 00 N, 8 00 E
- Location
- Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
- Airports
- 65
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Lucerne: The Perfect Swiss City
Lucerne is, by common consent among travellers, the most beautiful and perfectly situated city in Switzerland. It sits at the point where Lake Lucerne narrows and the Reuss River begins, its medieval centre perfectly preserved on both banks of the river, the white peaks of the surrounding mountains reflected in the lake on still mornings, and its famous covered wooden bridge, the Kapellbrucke, providing one of the most photogenic vistas in the country. Lucerne has been a major tourist destination since the nineteenth century, when English and other northern European visitors arrived by the newly built railway to take the waters, enjoy the mountain air, and explore the surrounding peaks, and it has never really lost its role as Switzerland's most visited city.
The Kapellbrucke, the Chapel Bridge, was built in 1333 and is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe, stretching diagonally across the Reuss where it flows out of the lake. The bridge is decorated with a series of painted panels dating from the seventeenth century depicting scenes from Lucerne's history and from the lives of the saints, though most of these originals were lost or damaged in a fire in 1993 and the replacements are faithful copies.
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Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Excellent medical care is widely available. G
Every country, every topic, all activities & recipes
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