Hotels in Switzerland

The name Switzerland means compound containing Switzer and it comes from the Alemannic Schwiizer, the original inhabitant of Schwyz and its associated territory which formed the centre of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for "Confederates", since the 14th century. During World War I, Switzerland was home to Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) and he remained there until 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, on condition that it was exempted from any military requirements. During World War II, Switzerland was never attacked and was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence. Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup and was the joint host with Austria, of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.

Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in the conflict and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers. This country joined the Council of Europe in 1963. In 2002, Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership.

The main areas in Switzerland are Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne and other major cities like St Gallen and Lugano. Switzerland also has major transportation hubs like the railway station and an efficient train system. However, Zurich International Airport is the busiest in the country, handling international and domestic flights. Besides that, among the popular attractions in Switzerland are The Castle of Chillon, The Lavaux vineyards and The Castles of Bellinzona as well as The Abbey of St. Gallen.

Switzerland has four official languages which are German, French and Italian as well as Romansh, a Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual canton of Graubünden. According to statistics, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (60.1%), French (23.4%), Standard German (10.1%), and Italian (8.4%). Other languages spoken at home included English (4.6%), Portuguese (3.5%), Albanian (2.6%), Serbian and Croatian (2.5%), Spanish (2.2%), and Turkish (1.3%).

The Swiss climate is generally temperate from glacial conditions on the mountaintops and a Mediterranean climate at the Southern part of Switzerland. Summers in Switzerland is warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall. The less humid winters in the mountains may see long intervals of stable conditions for weeks, while the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion, during these periods, thus seeing no sun for weeks. There is also a weather phenomenon called föhn which can occur at all times of the year and bring unexpectedly warm wind at very low relative humidity to the North of the Alps during rainfall periods on the Southern face of the Alps.

One of the most popular food in Switzerland is chocolate which has been made since the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century, conching and tempering techniques have been introduced into the production of chocolate at a high-quality level. The famous solid milk chocolate was invented by Daniel Peter in 1875. This makes Swiss the world’s largest consumers of chocolate. Besides chocolate, Swiss health food pioneer Maximilian Bircher-Benner has created first nutrition based cereal dish called Birchermüesli when food processing has developed.

Switzerland is widely known for wine due to many types of grapes grown at vineyards. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era and wine can be differentiated by soil, air, types of grapes and many other factors. Besides that, traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The famous food using cheese is fondue which is hot cheese gravy eaten with complimentary dishes.

For EEA and non-EEA citizens (United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia), they only need to have a passport which is valid for the entirety of their stay in Switzerland. Other nationality needs to purchase a visa and must have a passport which has at least 3 months validity prior period of stay in Switzerland. Visa can be purchased online at trusted websites to be shown at customs.

How to Get There?

By Plane

Switzerland is a country in which visitors prefer to reach by plane. There are flights to major international airports situated in Zurich, Geneva and Basel and also to smaller airports in Lugano and Berne which handle mostly domestic flights. Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific are among the airlines that fly to international airports in Switzerland. Visitors from countries in Asia can choose direct or transit flights at Dubai as the journey consumes more than 15 hours. The flights from countries around Europe such as Italy, Germany and France to Switzerland only consumes around 3 to 5 hours journey.

By Train

Besides travelling by plane, one of the most popular way to reach Switzerland is by train. Switzerland is one of the most central-lying countries in Europe and also comprised of efficient railway and train station. There are regular trains like ICE from Zurich to Stuttgart and Eurocity trains from Zurich to Munich. Besides that, hourly trains to and from Milan with connections to all parts of Italy and InterCity-Express and German high-speed trains from Zurich to Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt in Germany are also available. On top of that, there are also night trains from main cities of Europe countries like Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague and Vienna. International travellers also prefer travel to Switzerland by train as the cost is much cheaper than taking flights.

By Car

Many travellers also commonly reach Switzerland by car from France and southern Germany. Passport checks are usually practised at major EU/Swiss border posts alongside customs checks. There are often queues lasting hours to use the tunnels under the Alps from Italy such as Mont Blanc and Gotthard. Visitors are required to purchase Swiss motorway vignettes at the border if your car does not already have a valid one for the year and you intend to use the Swiss motorways.

What to Do There?

Alpina Green

One of the main recreational activities in Switzerland is hiking. There are over 60,000 kilometres well- maintained hiking trails as this country consists of many forest and mountains. The most popular trails are Alpina Green, Altdorf and Adelboden trails. The trails are carefully planned and easy to follow. There are yellow trail signs which show distance and the next hamlet, village, town or city. The trails are not recommended for beginners because they are tiring hikes which require hikers to climb over 12, 157 metres. Fortunately, visitors can pitch a tent or check in to cosy accommodation like huts on mountain tops or Airbnb to sleep for a few days. Besides that, hikers are reminded to arrange journey thoroughly and only pack essential things like first aid kit, windbreaker and food.

Alpina

Besides hiking, winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports in Switzerland. Winter sports are practised by the natives and tourists since the second half of the 19th century and the first world ski championships were held in Mürren in 1931 and St. Moritz in 1934. The town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth in 1948. Among the most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche. The main attraction of these sports is at Alpina where many international tourists usually come. Visitors can rent the standard kit like a snowboard, winter jacket and other essential according to preferred sports and for beginners, there are trainers on site to help and teach the sports at additional charges.

Where to Stay?

Hotel Dom

Just a short walk from Abbey of Saint Gal, Hotel Dom offers well-appointed accommodation at St Gallen city. It offers modern and contemporary guest rooms equipped with standard amenities. Among them are television, telephone, wardrobe and private bathroom.  As for food options, the hotel also features local Swiss and international dishes, as well as a large vegetarian selection, are available in the buffet restaurant. Besides that, guests will receive the Mobility Ticket St. Gallen-Bodensee during their stay, including free use of public transport in the city centre and to Lake Constance (fare zone 210, 211 and 231). In addition, there are other facilities and services such as vending machine, currency exchange and meeting and banquet facilities.

Novotel Zurich City-West Hotel

Novotel Zurich City West hotel is located minutes away from Zurich’s city centre and nearby airport and railway station. This hotel is inspired by a blend of European style and modern and contemporary concept. It is a great choice of hotel for business and leisure travellers to explore the attractions in the city. All elegantly designed, spacious rooms consist of top-class amenities such as flat screen television, wardrobe and private bathroom with complimentary toiletries. Guests also can enjoy dining at Le Jardin restaurant which offers local Swiss cuisines and other ala carte menu. For recreational activities, there are swimming pool and fitness centre available for guests to work out and burn excess fat.

Ameron Luzern Hotel

The Ameron Luzern Hotel is a 4-star hotel situated at a short distance away from main attractions like Chapel bridge and Lake Lucerne. This modern hotel features guest rooms with air conditioner, television and satellite television. Complimentary WiFi access and toiletries are also available in all guestrooms. Besides that, The Brasserie Flora serves a wide array of breakfast buffets such as freshly baked croissants, scrambled eggs, cereals, cheeses and meats. The excellent selection of cuisines at restaurants on site makes a remarkable dining experience for guests. This hotel also provides meeting and event rooms as well as banquet facilities.