Golden Pass Line – The Golden Pass Tour Switzerland

• Country:Switzerland
• City:Bern
• Area:41, 285 km²
• Weather:Moderate climate
• Local time:CET (UTC+1)
• Currency:Swiss Franc
• Language:French, German, Romansh, Italian
• Population:8,401,120 (Estimate)

HISTORY

It is believed that in 500 BC, a group of people called the Helveti entered Switzerland from the west but by 58 BC, the Romans is said to have ruled the area and built a capital at Aventicum. In the following centuries, Switzerland became thoroughly Romanized. The Romans built roads, towns and cities. However in 260 AD a tribe called the Alemanii attacked the region and Switzerland was not able to recover from that attack and in 400 AD the Roman army withdrew altogether.

By the 5th century AD, group of people known as the Alemans, Burgundians and Lombards came and got settled in Switzerland. However in 600 AD, the Franks which came from France conquered them. In the 9th century, the Franks ruled most of Europe. However their empire was split among his descendants and by the 13th century most of Switzerland was ruled by the Austrian Hapsburg family. Meanwhile trade and commerce saw a great rise in Switzerland in the 12th and 13th centuries and new towns were discovered

In 1291 delegates from the cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden met at Rutli Meadow and formed a group against the Habsburg family which, in turn, formed the basis of modern Switzerland.

In 1315 the Swiss defeated the army of Prince Leopold Hapsburg. Then in 1332 the canton of Luzern joined followed by The canton of Zurich in 1351. Later the cantons of Glarus, Zug and Bern also joined the Swiss Confederation. Furthermore the Swiss defeated the Hapsburgs again at Sempach in 1386 and Nafels in 1388.

As the time passed by, the Switzerland grew larger and stronger. The cantons of Fibourg and Solothurn also joined in 1481 followed by Basel and Schaffhausen in 1501 and Appenzell joined in 1513. There were now 13 cantons which were making up Switzerland

However Switzerland suffered a defeat in 1515. In 1512 Swiss troops occupied Lombardy but in 1515 the French and Venetians defeated them at the battle of Marignano. Afterwards Switzerland began to adopt a policy of neutrality.

In the 16th century like the rest of Europe Switzerland was rocked by the Reformation. Urban parts of Switzerland embraced Protestantism but poor, rural areas remained Catholic. The leading figures in the Swiss Reformation were Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) in Zurich and Jean Calvin (1509-1564) in Geneva.

During the 17th and 18th century, Switzerland prospered and saw a great economic growth. It was boosted by the arrival of (French Protestants) fleeing religious persecutions.

In the late 19th century the Swiss economy developed rapidly. Tourism to Switzerland grew. Switzerland was also known for its chemicals industry, its precision engineering and food like chocolate and powdered milk

In 1920 Switzerland joined the League of Nations and the 1920s were years of prosperity for the nation. However like the rest of the world Switzerland suffered from the depression of the early 1930s. However in the late 1930s the Swiss economy recovered as the world rearmed.

The post war years were also prosperous for Switzerland but it was not until 1971 that women in Switzerland were allowed to vote! In 1993 Ruth Dreifuss became the first woman president of Switzerland.

In 2002 Switzerland joined the UN. Like the rest of Europe Switzerland suffered a recession in 2009 but it recovered from 2010 onward and today it is prosperous.

PLACES TO SEE IN ZURICH

It is located in the southern part of Switzerland and is a popular vacation spot in all over the world. The town lies at the upper end of the Mattertal at the elevation of 1620 m at the foot of Switzerland’s highest peak. It is known for hiking and ice skating.

PLACES TO SEE IN ZERMATT

LUCERNE

It is a city which is located in the central part of Switzerland and is known for its famous preserved medieval architecture. It has been a popular destination of Switzerland for a long time.

PLACES TO SEE IN LUCERNE

PEOPLE OF SWITZERLAND

People of Switzerland are said to be very friendly and will also go out of their way to help others. There are cultural differences but only in terms of the language. As 60% of the Switzerland is Germanic, people over there speak German language. They try to help tourists even though they do not speak their language. They are said to be warm, polite and welcoming in nature.

About 25% of the Switzerland is the French part, which is said to be more cultural and diverse and the people are said to be very casual and friendly over there.

And finally about 15% of the Switzerland is the Italian part which is said to have a more efficient system than Italy itself.

WEATHER

The weather in Switzerland is said to be mild although the temperature differs a lot due to locations, seasons and elevation. The warmest months are said to be July and August and the coolest months are January and February. Also the precipitation too, varies. The driest months are January and February and the wettest months are from May to August.

CURRENCY

The Swiss Franc is the official currency of Switzerland. However, at some places Euros are accepted but the change given back to the visitor will be in Swiss Franc only.

NIGHTLIFE IN SWITZERLAND

The nightlife in Switzerland is said to be the best in Zurich over the other cities. Zurich has the coolest clubs and energetic nightlife scenes. It has the highest density of nightclubs in all of the Switzerland so it is pretty easy to find nightclubs over there. ‘Aura’ and ‘Jade’ is one of the best nightclubs in Zurich which has a wide range of music genre and venue styles among many others.