The Switzerland evokes impressions of lush green valleys, alpine villages of chocolate-box timber chalets. High above, snow-capped mountain peaks extend glistering icy-cool glaciers, and waterfalls tumbling into the valleys. It is just that and much more.
Join us on one of our exciting 6 or 9-day hiking tours in the Pennine Alps of the Bernese Oberland, taking in the Swiss peaks of the Matterhorn, the Eiger, the Jungfrau, and many more. Or, try our Tour du Mont Blanc hiking trips and see the Mont Blanc from Switzerland, Italy, and France.
Switzerland is located centrally, in Western Europe, bordering, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, and Austria.
The Swiss Alps, from Mont Blanc spread continuously west to east through the length of the country for about 180 miles (290 km), occupying the central and the southern part of the country, approximately 60% of the country, making Switzerland one of the main Alpine countries.
Switzerland has 17 'Fourteeners', mountain peaks with an elevation of at least 14,000 ft (4267 m) and 48 of the official Alpine 4,000 metre peaks (13,123 ft). Some of the most notable are the Dufourspitze 15,203 ft (4,634 m), the Dom 14,911 ft (4,545 m), the Weisshorn 14,783 ft (4,506 m), the Matterhorn 14,691 ft (4,478 m), and the Dent Blanche 14,294 ft (4357 m). From the Saastal valley, for example, 18 of the 4,000-metre peaks can be seen from the trails.
The glaciers of the Swiss Alps cover an area of 470 square miles (1,220 sq km), representing over 40% of the total glaciated area in the Alps.
Switzerland itself is one of the world's oldest federal republics. It has four national languages, each reflecting their own linguistic and diverse cultural variations: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Switzerland has good transatlantic access with both Geneva and Zurich airports serving direct flights from the US.
There are 48 of the official four-thousand metre Alpine peaks (13,123 ft) in the Swiss Alps.
