A Little Bit About... Switzerland!

When talking to some of the new friends I made recently, the topic of my home country almost always came up. In this article, the Swiss culture and customs will be described, to give you a short overview about the little country.

Switzerland is a small independent country in central Europe. The capital, Berne, is famous for its Bear Pit, which is a tourist attraction centered around two real bears who can be watched and even fed. There are around 7 million inhabitants in the whole of Switzerland, and main features of the landscape are the numerous forests and smaller villages, the Alps (a chain of mountains), and a few larger cities (Geneva, Zurich).

If you visit, you’ll find most areas very clean, neat and proper. The Swiss in general are always on time – if the train is only 3 minutes late, it will be announced and the train crew must apologize. Of course, this helps keep impeccable order and control, yet sometimes it can be inconvenient. For example if the stores close at 5 o’clock, you will not be let in anywhere at 5:03. On the other hand, you will hardly ever have to wait for a Swiss person, and promises will most likely be kept! To top that, social support is efficient and there are very few homeless and beggars in Switzerland.

The culinary specialties are chocolate and cheese. It is not a coincidence that both products require milk; cows are very common here and almost every farmer keeps some. Famous recipes are Fondue, which is bread dipped in melted cheese, and Raclette, another form of melted cheese usually eaten with potatoes. I will be posting an article on how to make Swiss Truffles (chocolates similar to Pralines) soon, so keep an eye out for that – they’re really tasty and don’t take too long to make!

Nightlife in Switzerland is average – you will find rather nice clubs and bars in the larger cities, yet many residents, especially the elderly, prefer a quiet life. Something everyone gets excited for is 1st of August, the National Day. Firework displays usually start days in advance, and parades, lanterns and bonfires are highly valued traditions of that day.

Well – that’s Switzerland for you! If there’s anything else you’d like to know feel free to tell me! Also, make sure you read my article on Five Great Cooking Tips – it’s relevant for everyone, not just the Swiss!
So how are things in your county? Let me know in a comment!