In Depth

Switzerland has a rich cultural life, with many fine museums, theaters, and world-renowned orchestras, but most people visit the country for its superb scenery -- alpine peaks, mountain lakes, and lofty pastures. As important as Geneva, Zurich, St. Moritz, and other obvious tourist centers are, they do not convey the full splendors of Switzerland. To experience these, you must venture deep into William Tell country, into the heart of Switzerland.

The Federal Republic of Switzerland covers 41,287 sq. km (15,941 sq. miles). It has four recognized national languages -- German, French, Italian, and Romansh, a romance dialect. Many of its people, however, speak English, especially in the major tourist regions. You will find the Swiss hospitable, restrained, and peace loving. Switzerland's neutrality allowed it to avoid the wars that devastated its neighbors twice in the past century. It also enabled it to achieve financial stability and prosperity.

Switzerland occupies a position on the "rooftop" of the continent of Europe, with the drainage of its mammoth alpine glaciers serving as the source of such powerful rivers as the Rhine and the Rhône. The appellation "crossroads of Europe" is fitting, as all rail lines, road passes, and mountain tunnels seem to lead to Switzerland. From the time when the Romans crossed the Alps and traversed Helvetia (the ancient name for part of today's Switzerland) on their way to conquests in the north, the major route connecting northern and southern Europe has been through Switzerland. The country's ancient roads and paths were eventually developed into modern highways and railroad lines.

The main European route for east-west travel also passes through Switzerland, between Lake Constance and Geneva, and intercontinental airports connect the country with cities all over the world. London and Paris, for instance, are less than 2 hours away by air. The tourist industry as we know it started in Switzerland, and the tradition of welcoming visitors is firmly entrenched in Swiss life. The first modern tourists, the British, began to arrive "on holiday" in the 19th century, and other Europeans, as well as a scattering of North Americans, followed suit.

Today, the "nation of hotel keepers" hosts some 20 million visitors every year. Swiss catering, based on many years of experience, has gained a worldwide reputation, and the entire country is known for its efficiency and its cleanliness.

Don't be misled. A visit to Switzerland is not tantamount to a visit to paradise. Even in the well-ordered and immaculate city of Zurich, there are drug addicts and the homeless wander its streets, although not in the vast numbers found in most of the world's capitals.

Readers often comment on the reserve of the Swiss. The locals don't necessarily rush to embrace you, as they are, for the most part, a conservative people. Even if they don't have the spontaneity more associated with their southern neighbor, Italy, they will most often welcome you politely and provide you with a good bed and a good meal for the night -- for which they'll charge a good price! Few people return from Switzerland commenting on how cheap it is. However, good value is to be found there by those who seek it out, and the Swiss probably have fewer "tourist traps" than most of the top 10 major tourist destinations of the world.

Did You Know?

A Loose Confederation of Cantons

Switzerland is a confederation of 3,029 communes, each largely responsible for its own public affairs, including school systems, taxation, road construction, water supply, and town planning. The international sign CH, found on Swiss motor vehicles, stands for Confoederatio Helvetica (Swiss Confederation). Over the centuries, neighboring communes have bonded together in a confederation of 23 cantons, each with its own constitution, laws, and government. They have surrendered only certain aspects of their authority to the Federal Parliament, such as foreign policy, national defense, and general economic policy.

The Federal Parliament of Switzerland consists of a 200-member National Council, elected by the people, and a 46-member Council of States, in which each canton has two representatives. The two chambers constitute Switzerland's legislative authority. The executive body, the Federal Council, is composed of seven members, who make decisions jointly, although each councilor is responsible for a different department. The president of the Federal Council, who serves a 1-year term, leads the Confederation as primus inter pares (first among equals).

All Swiss citizens, in general, become eligible to vote on federal matters at the age of 20. Surprisingly, it wasn't until 1971 that Swiss women were granted the right to vote.

Despite its neutrality, Switzerland has compulsory military service. The army, however, is devoted solely to the defense of the homeland. Swiss soldiers are always ready to fight -- they keep military gear at home, including a gas mask, rifle, and ammunition. Annual shooting practice is mandatory.

From Yodeling to Raclette Parties

Swiss towns of even modest size usually have a resident symphony orchestra and a municipal theater. The theater and concert season runs from September through May. In summer, music and film festivals and folklore displays are presented.

It has often been said that there is really no such thing as Swiss music per se, just music in Switzerland performed by Swiss musicians. There is some validity to this view. Except for its alpine melodies and dance music, Switzerland has made only a modest contribution to the world's repertoire.

Yet, Switzerland has several excellent orchestras and opera companies. The Zurich Opera specializes in German-language productions and the Grand Théatre de Genéve, the country's leading opera house, has a predominantly French-language repertoire. The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is the country's best-known orchestra, and the respected Tonhalle Orchester of Zurich has a loyal following.

Local cultural entertainment is highlighted by the folk music and dancing of the alpine regions, which you can also see and hear in the big cities. These include Kuhreigen (round dances), yodeling performances, and a style of dance tunes known as Ländler, performed by small orchestras, whose members usually appear in regional costumes.

Switzerland's cities offer a variety of evening entertainment. In Zurich, the traditional stamping grounds for night owls lie around the Niederdorf, a neighborhood within Old Town known for its strip joints, bars, and music halls. There's even a red-light district. Most nightclubs, however, close at 2am, and many of them seem sterile and a bit boring. Geneva, too, despite its Calvinist traditions, has a sophisticated nightlife.

It might be more interesting, especially if you're a first-time visitor, to patronize some of the local folkloric places, where you can see and hear yodeling and dancing to alpine music. Major Swiss cities also have their international-style bars and discos as well.

Theater presentations tend to be in German or French, so unless you speak either language, these shows may not be for you.

Throughout the winter, the après-ski life in Switzerland's high-altitude resorts might best be described as vigorous, with raclette parties, beer drinking in rustic taverns, sleigh rides, and lots of music, much of it brought in by live groups from Great Britain, France, and Germany or from the United States.

Many after-dark rendezvous joints close down in summer. The Swiss prefer to drink outside, under the summer sky, perhaps in some beer garden, rather than being cooped up inside a deliberately darkened disco.

Hornussen, Schwingen & Waffenlaufen

For the majority of the Swiss, the sport of choice is walking, followed by swimming, and, only then, skiing. The Swiss are fond of some uniquely Swiss sports as well: Hornussen, Schwingen, and Waffenlaufen. And while these sports may not be seen in the Olympics, they do call for a certain amount of athletic prowess.

One of Switzerland's greatest writers, Jeremias Gotthelf, praised Hornuss in 1840. He wrote, "There is not any game which calls for as much strength, agility, and coordination between hand, foot, and eye as 'Hornuss.'" The sport was first practiced in the 17th century and stems from war games that had the objective of avoiding projectiles sent flying in the air. Today, Hornuss can be most accurately described as a cross between lacrosse and cricket. The whistling sound the disk makes as it flies through the air is similar to the sound of a hornet. The German word for hornet is Hornuss, hence the name of the game. The opposing team must try to stop the flying disk as quickly as possible with heavy wooden bats.

In the wrestling game Schwingen, strength counts above all. Two wrestlers, or Schwingers, face each other in the middle of a pit with the goal of grabbing the adversary's oversize shorts, to unbalance him, and bringing both his shoulders down to touch the ground. This sport of attack and defense was once a training technique for soldiers preparing for war.

One sport that exists exclusively in Switzerland is called Waffenlaufen. Runners in military uniform must carry a mountain rucksack to which a rifle is fixed. Together, the rucksack and rifle must not weigh less than 7.5 kilograms (17 lb.). Thus equipped, thousands of Swiss race along courses ranging from 26 to 28km (16-17 miles) each year.