Switzerland: in the land of mountains and chocolate

Travel is nothing but a magical exchange of money for memories. Each trip, even the smallest one, brings unforgettable emotions and new impressions. More and more countries are looking to improve tourist attractions in order to attract as many visitors as possible. And what attracts tourists to Switzerland - a country of pocket knives, delicious cheese and very expensive watches?

An indispensable assistant for tourists in Switzerland is the online car booking service. At Zurich Airport, the average cost of renting a compact car will be about 20 euros per day, and in Geneva it will be 21 euros per day.

Few people know that there are about 300,000 bunkers in Switzerland that can accommodate more than 9 million people. That's a million more than the population of the country! However, it was not asylum that made Switzerland one of the ten safest countries in the world. The exceptional kindness of the locals, combined with cultural diversity and a sincere smile on your face, makes your stay here always calm, relaxing, full of positive emotions and impressions.

Switzerland is one of the most mountainous countries in the world - there are 49 alpine peaks over 4000 meters high. The most famous of these is the Matterhorn, which appears in the logo of the Swiss Toblerone chocolates, produced only in Bern.

Traveling around the country is very pleasant, and beautiful views of the mountain peaks complement the lakes scattered like pearls, the crystal clear water of which is amazing every time. One of the most beautiful lakes is located in the high-altitude Melchsee-Frutt valley, which blooms with thousands of flowers in spring. Here is a lonely standing chapel from 1900, which can be reached by gondola lift. Due to the very narrow and steep access road, you can only get here at even hours. The return starts at odd hours.

One of the most famous mountain lakes in Switzerland - Blausee, formed 15 thousand years ago as a result of a landslide of a nearby glacier. According to legend, the water took on the color of the eyes of a maid who, unfortunately, fell in love with a shepherd. After he died by falling off a cliff, the girl sailed every night in a boat to the middle of the lake to mourn her lover. One morning, the girl's parents found her boat empty, and the lake changed its color to deep blue.

At an altitude of 2400 meters, on the Fourkapass pass is the abandoned Belvedere Hotel, which can be seen in the third James Bond film Goldfinger. This is not only evidence of time, but also of climate change. Just 300 meters away is a huge glacier that gives rise to the river Rhone. It is melting at an alarming rate, receding 10 cm a day! According to scientists, in less than 100 years it will cease to exist, despite the fact that part of the glacier is covered with special woolen blankets that slow down its melting rate by about 70%.

A visit to Switzerland is a good opportunity to visit Liechtenstein, a tiny principality that is one of the European tax havens - an offshore zone. In its capital, Vaduz, there is a 12th-century Gothic castle, the seat of the Dukes of Liechtenstein. Small engineering flourishes in the city and, while Liechtenstein itself is “sandwiched” between Switzerland and Austria, surrounded by beautiful mountains and numerous vineyards.

In St. Gallen is the abbey of St. Gall, founded by the Irish monk Gall from Hibernia. It is a complex of buildings in the late Baroque style, built on the site of a medieval Benedictine monastery, which houses an extraordinary library. It is one of the most important monastic libraries in the world, with over 2,000 manuscripts dating from the 8th to 15th centuries and nearly 170,000 books available to the public. The city also has the work of architect Carlos Martínez, who decided to cover the gray urban space with a red carpet, turning ordinary nondescript streets and sidewalks into a huge living room in the city center.

Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, impresses with its unique style. Medieval tenements and renaissance buildings blend perfectly with the turquoise waters of the Limmat River that flows through the city. It is beautifully reflected in the colored stained glass windows of the Grossmünster Church, whose twin towers are the symbol of Zurich.

Switzerland is one of the most tourist-friendly countries in the world. A well-developed road and rail network makes traveling around the country easy and enjoyable. Friendly people, crystal clear lakes and mountain peaks will make the trip unforgettable.