Discover Switzerland

Bern, the capital of the Swiss Confederation, has a population of about 660,000 in the metro area. It is located in west central Switzerland, in a bend of the Aare River. Legend says that the city got its name from the first animal the founder, Berchtold V, Duke of Zahringen, saw when he was hunting: a bear. In honor of this legend, bears are kept in an enclosure in the city center. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its beautifully preserved medieval buildings, and the major sights are the bear pit, the Cathedral and the Zytglogge (medieval clock tower).

This city of 80,000 people is in north-central Switzerland in the canton of Lucerne and sits on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The town began with a Benedictine monastery in the 8th century and gained importance from its location on trade routes. The most famous sights in Lucerne are the wooden Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) across the Reuss River, the Hofkirche (Church of St. Leodegar) and the Swiss Museum of Transport. The city celebrates Carnival every year beginning the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Mt Pilatus, with the world’s steepest cog railway, is visible from Lucerne.

This Alpine region covers much of western Austria, and contains some of the highest peaks in the Alps, such as the 12,370 ft/3770 m Wildspitze. The city of Innsbruck is in the heart of the Austrian Alps, and Salzburg is in the foothills on the northeastern end of the mountains. Other well-known destinations in these mountains are Zell am See, St. Anton am Arlberg and Saalbach, and skiing and mountaineering are the most popular activities here.

This is the capital of the state of Tyrol in the Alps of western Austria. Innsbruck is famous as a winter sports center and was the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. It is beautifully situated in the valley of the Inn River, and its most famous sights are the Golden Roof (a structure made from 2,800 gilded copper tiles that was added in 1500 to a building to celebrate the marriage of Emperor Maximilian I), the beautifully preserved city center with buildings covered in traditional Christmas decorations in the season, and the surrounding mountains.

The name of this city means “Salt Fortress” and it comes from the custom of taxing salt shipments down the Salzach River. It is the 4th largest city in Austria, and the capital of the state of Salzburg. The baroque Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the city sits in a valley surrounded by the Alps. Mozart was born here in the 18th century, and the city was the setting for “The Sound of Music”. Salzburg became part of Austria in the early 19th century, given by Bavaria. Some of the important sights are the Salzburg Castle, Salzburg Cathedral, Mirabell Gardens, the birthplace of Mozart and sites associated with “The Sound of Music.”

These gardens are located on the grounds of the Mirabell Palace, built by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Raitenau for his mistress, Salome Alt in 1606, and she lived there for 6 years until he was deposed. The gardens were created in the early 18th century , and are geometrically designed and filled with mythology-inspired sculptures. Emperor Franz Joseph opened the gardens to the public in 1854. Scenes from “The Sound of Music” were filmed here, including the “Do Re Mi” song with the children dancing around a horse fountain.

Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast, and its capital is Munich. It makes up almost 1/5 of Germany today, and was a powerful Duchy and Kingdom dating from 555 until its inclusion in modern Germany in the 19th century. The flag is white and blue, representing the colors of sky and heaven. Much of southern Bavaria is in the Alps, including the town of Oberammeragau. Many Bavarians consider themselves Bavaria first, German second. For many Americans, Bavaria brings to mind cars (BMW) and beer (Munich’s Oktoberfest).

Inspired by Versailles and built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1886, Linderhof Palace has a Baroque facade with rich Rococco ornamentation inside. The Palace is an excellent way to see the incomparable artistry of the era’s craftspeople. Look for such lush decorations as a carpet made of ostrich plumes, an ivory candelabra and a table top inlayed with lapis-lazuli, amethyst and chalcedony.

Traditional costumes for the Tyrol region in Austria include lederhosen and dirndls, and brightly embroidered fabrics. The dances are similar to jigs, and the most famous is the Schuhplattler (shoe-slapping) dance. The instruments may include long Alpine horns, cow bells, zithers and harps. Yodeling is also sometimes featured.