Switzerland Tour

More About Switzerland

It's hard to imagine such a small, landlocked European country having such a diverse landscape, rich history and charming cities as Switzerland does. From the soaring and jagged peaks of the Alps, the fertile stretches of land in the plains, to the boxy folds of the Jura mountain region. Everywhere in between this spectacular nature, lies charming cobblestone streets with grand buildings and ornate medieval details.

Switzerland tours are best discovered in two ways, by foot or by train. With a reputation for being organized in every way possible from politics to etiquette, train travel is easy on our Switzerland tours. Since the mid 19th century, railways have connected most of Switzerland. The efficient and scenic rail system, includes the cog railway to the top of Jungfrau Mountain, the Glacier Express route from Zermatt to St Moritz which passes over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels and many more memorable journeys.

On our Switzerland walking tour, we meander through medieval town centres of Lucerne, Zurich and Bern, as well as the top three scenic mountain walks in Switzerland. Stroll the Engadine Valley in the scenic St. Moritz area in the canton of Graubunden, the land of the mountain goat and Heidi's home. Wander at the foot of the impressive Matterhorn, perhaps the most photographed mountain the world. Along the Bernese Alps, stare in wonder at the impressive Eiger Mountain while walking the alpine trails.

Although now known as a politically neutral land since its federal constitution was enshrined in 1848, modern-day Switzerland has historically been divided among various kingdoms throughout the centuries. The Kings of Burgundy as well as the Holy Roman Empire and even Napoleonic France once ruled over Swiss lands. These outside influences created distinct regions within Switzerland's borders, which is now divided into 26 cantons with four official languages. While German, French and Italian are more widely spoken, a tiny canton in the Southwest named Graubunden, has successfully placed Romansch as the fourth official language despite less than 1% speaking the language as a mother tongue.

It is for the respect of traditions and democratic votes that the language law was passed. Mountainside villages still revel in folklore, cowbells still ring on the historical pastures in the alpine valleys, and alpen horns still blast in the air during street festivals year round. Wandering the medieval arcades of cities such as Bern that dates back to 1191, or Zurich's Benedictine abbeys established in AD 853, or reading the writings of Wordsworth to T.S. Eliot on the shores of Lake Geneva, our Switzerland tours make it easy to be transported back in time.

International fame has reached Switzerland in many forms, by being the head office for organizations such as the UN, for producing some of the world's finest chocolate, and housing and displaying some of world'™s finest collections of art and avant-garde architecture. Perhaps for all the elegance and intrigue the cities of Switzerland can offer, it is natural abundance in beauty is that which allures most travellers in. With postcard perfect peaks and vastly inspiring valley views, it is easy to find a reason to keep Switzerland near the top of a must visit list.