Five things you didn’t know about Switzerland
Switzerland is known more for its yodelling and cheese fondues, but there is more than meets the eye to this picturesque alpine country. Here are five facts about Switzerland you may not have come across before:
• The Swiss are the world’s largest consumers of chocolate and Switzerland has the highest per capita rate of chocolate consumption worldwide. Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century
• Switzerland has four official languages: French, German, Italian and the lesser known Romansh- a Romance language spoken locally only in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland
• The bobsleigh was invented in Switzerland in the 19th century. The various types of prototypes came several years before the first tracks were built in St. Moritz, where the original bobsleighs were adapted upsized luge/skeleton sleds designed by the adventurously wealthy to carry passengers
• The most popular drink in Switzerland is wine. Perhaps surprisingly, Switzerland is prominent for the variety of grapes grown because of the large variations in types of land, with their specific mixes of soil, air, altitude and light. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era
• Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, or member states, which each have their own constitution, legislature, government and courts. The most recently created canton is the Canton of Jura, which separated from the Canton of Bern in 1979
High altitude ski resorts, spectacular scenery, picturesque villages and world-famous mountains. Combine all this with quality service and hospitality and it’s easy to see why Switzerland is still a favourite ski destination!
To experience Switzerland for yourself, Neilson offers a wide range of ski holidays Switzerland allowing you to relax as hard as you like. Neilson also offers ski chalet holidays in the French, Austrian and Italian Alps and in Scandinavia.
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