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Switzerland is the sparkling alpine diamond in Europe's crown, with breathtaking snow-capped mountains, intensely pretty valleys and towns which are the epitomy of European quaintness and the central European charm of a by-gone era. It's not for nothing that so many Swiss landscapes carry the 'chocolate box' tag - this is scenery on overdrive!
Factually, Switzerland sits at the heart of Europe, bordered by Italy, Austria, France, Germany and Liechtenstein. Its currency is the Swiss Franc and it is one of the richest countries in the world, with prices to match. Switzerland is home to major financial centres such as Zurich and Basel, which somehow manage to combine their folksy charm comfortably with their powerhouse status. The Swiss speak German, French and Italian, but not necessarily all three and not necessarily in a recognisable dialect! Swiss German is a very different proposition from German Hoch Deutsch.
In terms of holiday activities, much of what is on offer revolves around the mountains. Skiing is definitely king in the winter, along with snowboarding - after all, this is the home of the Matterhorn. Glacier skiing extends to normal ski season. In the summer, these sports give way to hiking through the flower-filled valleys, climbing and mountain biking.
It's not possible to talk about Swiss food without mentioning chocolate, but other popular dishes are fondue (traditionally bread dipped into melted cheese in a pot over a burner) and rosti (a type of pancake made out of potatoes). Swiss cheese is generally well-known.
In terms of places to stay in Switzerland, the Swiss chalet is, of course, world-renowned. Built of wood with a steeply pitched roofs laden with snow, chalets are available to rent in a number of forms and often come with spectacular mountain views. It is possible to hire an entire ski chalet on a self-catering basis, or on a catered basis. Some chalets rent by the room on a catered guesthouse basis. Food in catered chalets can be gourmet or hearty and simple, the standard usually varying with the level of luxury afforded by the chalet. Some large chalets are divided into a number of self-catering ski apartments and most apartment blocks are built in chalet style, other than in large towns where apartments are likely to be in either modern or historic purpose built buildings.
