Very different Swiss Cities

Each Swiss city takes on some of the characteristics of the area they are in, and don’t much look like each other, which is good for visitors. BERN is the capital of Switzerland, and the seat of Government. It is a charming old town on a steep sided peninsula near the River Aare. It has quiet cobbled lanes and shows little of the modern except for the shop signs and cars. ZURICH is the largest town in Switzerland and lies on the river Limmat where it flows out of Lake Zurich. The city is a cultural mecca, and in the 19th and 20th centuries attracted many key writers and composers. The Dada movement was born in Zurich. GENEVA is Switzerland’s biggest city, situated in the south-west, near to the French border, at the western end of Lake Geneva, and is home to many international organisations. Geneva is also well known for its watches, but to be truthful, not a lot more. LUCERNE is at the north western end of Lake Lucerne, and is the economic and cultural centre of central Switzerland. Its economy is based on tourism and commerce, and has a high number of service occupations. It has medieval battlements and cobbled alleys and garden courtyards – a most pleasant tourist spot. LUGANO is the biggest city in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, and lies on Lake Lugano, and is surrounded by mountains, and is around 8km from the Italian border. Lugano is a very popular holiday destination because of its situation and climate. Like nearby Locarno the lakeside resorts are beautiful; where mountain landscape merges with the subtropical vegetation of the Mediterranean climate.