Interlaken
Situated between the glacier-fed lakes Thun and Brienz, Interlaken is the gateway to Switzerland’s Jungfrau region and one of the best known summer holiday resorts. The Hohematte, 700 yards long, is a pedestrian paradise of shops, hotels and sidewalk cafes, interrupted only by inviting gardens.

Bern
Switzerland’s capital city is built around a crook in the Aare River, where the town traces bback to the 12th century with medieval architecture preserved in the old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lauben offers six kilometres of arcades, one of the longest weather sheltered shopping promenades in Europe.

Lucerne
Lucerne lies on the shores of the Lake of Lucerne where the nearby foothills offer an impressive view of the ice-capped peaks of the Alps and the well-preserved medieval town centre dates back to the 8th century when a small monastery of the order of St. Benedictine was founded at the mouth of the River Reuss.

Zermatt
Set at the foot of the Matterhorn, Zermatt is a car-free world-class resort well known its magnificent mountain and glacier scenery. It offers excellent cuisine and a chic idyllic mountain atmostphere.

St Moritz
A world class ski resort located in the southern part of the Swiss Alps, it is known for its mineral springs and world class restaurants. Also a popular summer destination offering hiking, sailing and leisurely lake walks.

Seasons are clearly distinguishable with spring (March to May), seeing the meadows turn green, the trees blossom and temperatures are pleasant. Summers tend to be warm and may be humid at times, with months of July and August the best for high altitude walkers and cyclists. Autumn sees ripening fruit and the brilliant colours of the leaves changing. Winter has colder temperatures and snow, with late December to early April the high season for the ski resorts.

I was lucky enough to live in Switzerland for a while.

Home was a tiny village outside Basel, in the north-west corner of the country, almost as French and German as it is Swiss. They call the border with France here the ‘green border’ and indeed, as I went horse riding along beautifully maintained riding paths through the forest most afternoons, I often had no idea in which country I was riding! I took the opportunity to explore the country by rail, wandering gleaming shopping boulevards in Zurich gazing through shop windows at brand names I could not afford, cycling along the shores of Lake Konstanz, people watching in Geneva, riding the gondolas and cable cars for which Switzerland is so famous, to Grindelwald and the Matterhorn, and sipped delicious Italian coffee in Locarno on the shores of Lake Maggiore. One evening I was introduced to my first authentic fondue, a rich combination of cheeses laced heavily with kirsch into which we dipped rough chunks of crusty sourdough bread. Served with red wine, it was actually quite delicious.

I found the Swiss people gracious, polite and welcoming, with a quiet but cheeky sense of humour. The whole place runs like clockwork (see what I did there?), trains and buses run exactly on time, it is orderly, immaculately clean and certainly in the villages, you will often be greeted by a cheery ‘Grüezi’ in Swiss German although their French, German, Italian and probably English would undoubtedly be better than mine! Obviously, like Kiwis, they take advantage of the great outdoors with many hiking and walking trails through breathtaking scenery, a necessity after all that cheese.

Oh, and chocolate – I probably ate more than I should.

Kate Couling

Currency Swiss Franc (CHF)

Language Switzerland has four national languages: German (63.5%), French (22.5%), Italian (8%) and Romansh (.5%). German is the most widely spoken, and 19 of the country’s 26 cantons are predominantly German speaking. French is mostly spoken in the western part of the country, Italian in the south, and Romansh in the canton of Graubünden. English is quite widely spoken throughout the country.

Weather The climate in Switzerland is generally temperate, but depending on the altitude the temperatures may vary.

Festivals and events There are numerous events and festivals held in Switzerland throughout the year including jazz, healther, arts and winter events.

Health There are currently no health requirements to enter Switzerland.

Notes *Please be aware that Health information is subject to change at any time and you should always double check these requirements at the time of booking and before travel.