The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland’s sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland’s role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland’s ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
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Swiss Tourism Information…


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The Best of Switzerland…
Basel-Stadt
- Cantons: Aragau, Basel–Landschaf, Basel-Stadt, Solothurn
- Cities: Basel, Liestal
- Towns: Laufenburg, Rheinfelden
- Villages:
- Others Sights & Attractions: Augusta Raurica, Rhine River
BernE Region
- Cantons: Bern, Solothurn
- Cities: Bern, Thun
- Towns:Interlaken, Schwarzee, Speiz
- Villages: Gimmelwald, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Wengen
- Others Sights & Attractions: Jungfraujoch, Lauterbrunnen Valley, Slithorn, St. Beatus Caves, Oberhofen Castle
Bernese Oberland
- Cities: Interlaken, Thun
- Towns: Brienz, Gstaad, Kandersteg, Meiringen, Speiz,
- Villages: Gimmelwald, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Wengen
- Others Sights & Attractions: Jungfraujoch, Lauterbrunnen Valley, Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, Slithorn, St. Beatus Caves, Oberhofen Castle
Central Switzerland
- Cantons: Lucerne, Niwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Uri
- Cities: Altdorf, Lucerne,
- Towns: Brennen, Sarnen, Schwyz, Stans
- Villages: Andermatt, Flüelen
- Others Sights & Attractions: Lake Lucerne, Pilatus, Mount Titlis
Graubünden
- Cities: Chur
- Towns: Davos, Disentis, Ilanz, Klosters, Lenzerheide, Pontresina, St. Mortiz, Samnaun, Samedan
- Villages: Guarda, Zernez
- Others Sights & Attractions: Bernina Pass, Oberalp Pass, Rhine River, Rhine Gorge, Vals
St. gallen
- Cantons: Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Thurgau
- Cities: Glarus, St. Gallen
- Towns: Appenzell, Frauenfeld, Herisau, Sargans, Stein am Rhine, Rapperswil
- Villages:
- Others Sights & Attractions: Lake Constance, Lake Zürich, Rhine Falls, Rhine River, Walensee
Ticino
- Cities: Locarno, Lugano
- Towns: Ascona, Bellinzona, Chiasso, Mendrislo, Tenero
- Villages: Morcote
- Others Sights & Attractions: Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore
Western Switzerland
- Cantons: Fribourg, Genéva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud
- Cities: Delémont, Genéva, Gruyères, Lausanne, Montreux, Neuchâtel
- Towns: Hermance, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Porrentruy, Saint-Ursanne, Vevey, Villars-sur-Ollon, Yverdon
- Villages: Château–d’Œx, Murten
- Others Sights & Attractions: Lake Geneva
Valais
- Cities: Brig, Saint-Maurice, Sion, Visp
- Towns: Martigny, Sierre, Zermatt
- Villages: Crans Montana, Flesch, Leukerbad, Saas-Fee, Verbler,
- Others Sights & Attractions: Matterhorn, Portes du Soleil, St. Bernard Pass, Aletsch Glacier
Zürich
Zürich – For more detailed information go to our ➾ Zürich web page.
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Swiss Country Information…
Capital:
Bern
Largest City:
Zürich
Government:
Federal Republic
Currency:
Swiss franc (CHF)
Area:
41,285 km² – ranked 133rd water:4.2%
Climate:
Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Population:
8,179,294 (July 2016 est.) ranked 98th
Language:
German (official) 63.5%, French (official) 22.5%, Italian (official) 8.1%, English 4.4%, Portuguese 3.4%, Albanian 3.1%, Serbo-Croatian 2.5%, Spanish 2.2%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 6.6% note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages; totals more than 100% because some respondents indicated more than one main language (2013 est.)
Ethnic Groups:
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Religion:
Roman Catholic 38.2%, Protestant 26.9%, other Christian 5.6%, Muslim 5%, other 1.6%, none 21.4%, unspecified 1.3% (2013 est.)
Electricity:
230V, 50Hz (European plug C, J)
Telephone Code:
+41
Local Emergency Phone Number:
Ambulance: 144; Fire: 118; Police: 117
Internet TLD:
.ch
Time Zone:
CET (UTC+1) Summer (UTC+2) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October
Road Driving Side:
Right
Anthem:
Swiss Psalm
Motto:
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin) “One for all, all for one”
President:
Simonetta Sommaruga
Federal Chancellor:
Walter Thurnherr
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Holidays and Observances in Switzerland in 2020
Date | Name | Type | Details | |
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Jan 1 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day | Common local holiday | All |
Jan 2 | Thursday | Berchtold Day | Common local holiday | 15 cantons |
Jan 6 | Monday | Epiphany | Common local holiday | GR*, SZ, TI, UR |
Feb 14 | Friday | Valentine’s Day | Observance | |
Mar 1 | Sunday | Republic Day | Common local holiday | Neuchâtel |
Mar 19 | Thursday | Saint Joseph’s Day | Common local holiday | GR*, LU*, NW, SO*, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG* |
Mar 20 | Friday | March Equinox | Season | |
Mar 29 | Sunday | Daylight Saving Time starts | Clock change/Daylight Saving Time | |
Apr 2 | Thursday | Näfelser Fahrt | Common local holiday | Glarus |
Apr 10 | Friday | Good Friday | Common local holiday | All except TI, VS |
Apr 12 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Observance | |
Apr 13 | Monday | Easter Monday | Common local holiday | All except NE |
Apr 20 | Monday | Sechseläuten | Observance | Zurich |
May 1 | Friday | May Day | Common local holiday | AG, BL, BS, FR*, JU, SH, SO*, TG, TI, ZH |
May 21 | Thursday | Ascension Day | Common local holiday | All |
May 31 | Sunday | Pentecost | Observance | All |
Jun 1 | Monday | Pentecost Monday | Common local holiday | All except NE |
Jun 11 | Thursday | Corpus Christi | Common local holiday | 14 cantons |
Jun 20 | Saturday | June Solstice | Season | |
Jun 23 | Tuesday | Jura Independence Day | Common local holiday | Jura |
Jun 29 | Monday | St. Peter and St. Paul | Common local holiday | GR*, SO*, TI |
Aug 1 | Saturday | Swiss National Day | National holiday | |
Aug 15 | Saturday | Assumption of Mary | Common local holiday | 14 cantons |
Sep 10 | Thursday | Jeune Genevois | Common local holiday | Geneva |
Sep 12 | Saturday | Knabenschiessen | Observance | Zurich |
Sep 13 | Sunday | Knabenschiessen | Observance | Zurich |
Sep 14 | Monday | Knabenschiessen | Observance | Zurich |
Sep 20 | Sunday | Swiss Federal Fast | Common local holiday | All except GE |
Sep 21 | Monday | Federal Fast Monday | Common local holiday | Vaud |
Sep 22 | Tuesday | September Equinox | Season | |
Sep 22 | Tuesday | Mauritius Day | Common local holiday | AI*, Solothurn* |
Sep 25 | Friday | St. Nicholas of Flüe | Common local holiday | Obwalden |
Oct 25 | Sunday | Daylight Saving Time ends | Clock change/Daylight Saving Time | |
Nov 1 | Sunday | All Saints’ Day | Common local holiday | 15 cantons |
Dec 8 | Tuesday | Immaculate Conception | Common local holiday | 12 cantons |
Dec 21 | Monday | December Solstice | Season | |
Dec 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Observance | |
Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Common local holiday | All |
Dec 26 | Saturday | St. Stephen’s Day | Common local holiday | All except GE, JU, VD |
Dec 31 | Thursday | New Year’s Eve | Observance | |
Dec 31 | Thursday | Restoration Day | Common local holiday | Geneva |