Advt.
Advt.
As I am sure, all football fans know that one of the co-hosts
of the Euro 2008 is Switzerland. The matches will be played
in Bern, Zurich, Geneva and Basel. I also think that some of
you will want to look around these cities and visit some
beautiful places, except the football stadiums. That's why I am
writing this article - I want to point out some places in
Switzerland, worth visiting.
Berne is perhaps the most popular city in the country
and also its capital. Its Old Town is a protected heritage site
by UNESCO and both its parts (western and eastern) are very
beautiful. One can visit the Cathedral of St. Vincent (The
Münster) from the 15th century. There you can see an outstanding
tympanum over the main door, which depicts the Last Judgment and
has more than 200 figures. Also interesting is the Bundeshaus
the Federal Palace in Renaissance style. A landmark of the town
is Zytgloggeturm (Clock Tower), dating back to the 12th century.
Four minutes before every hour, lost of mechanical puppets make
a great show for the crowd around the clock. Other places worth
visiting are Kunstmuseum (Fine Arts Museum), Botanischer Garten
(Botanical Garden), Nydegg Castle, Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre
Fountain) and more.
Zurich is also a very popular place in Switzerland the
largest city and the capital of the Zurich canton. Its Old Town
is very beautiful, located on the banks of the Limmat River with
lots of medieval buildings and narrow streets. If you like
nature you can go to the Zoologischer Garten (Zoological Garden)
and the Botanischer Garten (Zurich Botanic Garden). The
Botanical Garden contains more than 15 000 living plants and its
herbarium has the amazing 3 million plants. One should not miss
the beautiful Grossmünster Cathedral some parts of it dating
from the 11th century. Its 3 storey towers also offer some
gorgeous views of the city. Schloss Kyburg is also a recommended
place the biggest castle in the eastern part of the country. It
now houses a museum with art and armor from the Middle Ages. You
can also visit the Urania Observatory, Landesmuseum (Swiss
National Museum), Uetliberg and many more.
Geneve yet another important centre in Switzerland,
located in its south-western part. The city is near Lake Geneva,
between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Palais des Nations
houses the headquarters of the United Nations and is the second
largest building in Europe. It is open for visit and there are
guided tours available. Just across the entrance you will find
another interesting place the Musée International de la
Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Museum). There you will experience the history of
the Red Cross from its founding in 1863 till present times.
Maison Tavel is the oldest house in Geneva (14th century) and is
now open as a museum. From Mont Salève and Mont Blanc one can
enjoy some amazing views of Geneve and its surroundings.
Last but not least, Basle is another city from the Euro
2008. The settlement is very old and is still the most important
cultural centre of Switzerland. It is located on the Rhine
River, surrounded by the Jura Mountains. In Basel there are
numerous galleries and museums, but you can go to Kunstmuseum
(Fine Arts Museum), Museum für Gegenwartskunst (Museum for
Contemporary Art), Foundation Beyeler (a gallery of modern art),
Historisches Museum Barfüsserplatz and Kunsthalle (also a
gallery). Spalentor (Spalen Gate) is a gate from the 15th
century which marks the end of the medieval part of the city.
Münster (Basel Cathedral) is also very popular, built in the
11th century. It offers some beautiful views of the Rhine River,
Germany and Pfalz (the palace).
This is where my list of nice places to visit in Switzerland
ends. Of course, there are numerous other interesting sites in
the country one could say that every corner of Switzerland is
beautiful. I do hope I was helpful to those who would like to
see more than the football games.
Submitted by:
Ivaylo Yordanov is the author and can provide you with
additional tourist info about Switzerland - use the Contact Us
page of the site below. Additionally, more comprehensive
information is available at
http://www.switzerland-trips.com/ and http://www.switzerland-trips.com/European-Football-Championship-Euro-2008-tickets.html
