Seven things that may surprise you when traveling in Switzerland
Among first things you will probably notice while in the country is how very expensive and very beautiful Switzerland is. But there are also many other surprises you are likely to discover.
Depending on how much you know about Switzerland before you travel, and what your level of expectations is, you may be quite surprised by what you find along the way.
Cleanliness
One of the first things you are likely to notice (especially if you come from one of Switzerland’s neighbours, which shall remain unnamed for the purpose of this article) is how well maintained the country is.
Not only is it clean but it is also manicured to the extreme: not a blade of grass is out of place, hedges are neatly cut and trimmed with utmost precision.
Travel: Six ways to save money while visiting Switzerland
If you see wildflowers and even weeds along the way, it is because they are allowed to grow — also in an arranged and organised manner. Nothing is left to chance or mother nature.
And if you notice that rivers flow in a straight pattern, it is probably also due to ingenious Swiss engineering.
Trimming hedges with precision is 'Swiss' thing. Photo: Pixabay
The road less travelled
Another surprise, somewhat related to the previous point, is that you will not find many off-the-beaten-track paths in Switzerland.
Vast majority of roads, both main and side, are paved, and that includes those in rural areas.
You may be able to find an unpaved path somewhere in a remote area or a hiking trail in the mountains (the Swiss would never call it a ‘dirt’ road), but that is probably by design.
Language
It is probably not a surprise that Switzerland is a multilingual country, but you may be stunned by how suddenly one linguistic region spills over into another, without any forewarning.
The only inkling you get that you passed from one language area to another is by signs on the (paved) road and hearing the locals speak.
However, most will also speak English, although they will first insist their skills are very bad (the Swiss don’t like to boast or show off).
But when they do start talking, you will be — yes, surprised — by their fluency in a language that's not their own.
READ MORE: How did Switzerland become a country with four languages?
Transportation
You have probably heard of punctual Swiss trains. But the country’s transportation network, including buses, trains and boats, can take you practically everywhere you want to go, both vertically and horizontally (which may explain why the Swiss like their roads paved).
Have you heard of PostBuses?
Those yellow buses travel the widths, lengths and heights of the country, including on narrow, winding, remote and mountain roads.
You can find more about this mode of transport here:
EXPLAINED: Why PostBuses are true Swiss icons
Postbus on a winding (paved) mountain road. Photo by Pixabay
Water!
You will find both good and bad surprises about water in Switzerland.
First, the bad: some restaurants will charge you for a carafe of water.
Good: You don’t have to pay a centime / Rappen / centessino for you water; you can quench your thirst at one of the numerous public drinking fountains that abound in practically every municipality in Switzerland.
These fountains are marked with Trinkwasser, Eau Potable, Acqua Potabile signs. They are perfectly safe.
Sometimes best things in life really are free.
READ MORE: Ten things Zurich residents take for granted
Trash
Please, please don’t throw your garbage away any which way.
The Swiss are meticulous when it comes to waste disposal (no surprise here) and have strict regulations on how to throw away trash in an environmentally correct manner.
Depending on the canton or municipality you are in, you will need a special bag or a sticker, and you will have to either place the trash in a specially designated communal bin, or put it to a curb on a specially designated day and in a specially designated place.
More information about Switzerland’s ‘trash culture’ can be found here:
Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?
Cheers to that!
It’s a given that Switzerland has lots of cheese and chocolate, but you may be surprised to discover that it has plenty of its own wine as well.
In fact, you will probably find local vineyards practically anywhere you travel in the country.
Sloping vineyards like these overlooking Lake Biel are common in Switzerland. Photo. Pixabay
But beware, when in Switzerland, you can’t just shout “bottoms up” and down your glass in one gulp. That’s because the Swiss have their own wine drinking culture — and that, certainly, is no surprise.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to drink wine like a Swiss
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Depending on how much you know about Switzerland before you travel, and what your level of expectations is, you may be quite surprised by what you find along the way.
Cleanliness
One of the first things you are likely to notice (especially if you come from one of Switzerland’s neighbours, which shall remain unnamed for the purpose of this article) is how well maintained the country is.
Not only is it clean but it is also manicured to the extreme: not a blade of grass is out of place, hedges are neatly cut and trimmed with utmost precision.
Travel: Six ways to save money while visiting Switzerland
If you see wildflowers and even weeds along the way, it is because they are allowed to grow — also in an arranged and organised manner. Nothing is left to chance or mother nature.
And if you notice that rivers flow in a straight pattern, it is probably also due to ingenious Swiss engineering.
The road less travelled
Another surprise, somewhat related to the previous point, is that you will not find many off-the-beaten-track paths in Switzerland.
Vast majority of roads, both main and side, are paved, and that includes those in rural areas.
You may be able to find an unpaved path somewhere in a remote area or a hiking trail in the mountains (the Swiss would never call it a ‘dirt’ road), but that is probably by design.
Language
It is probably not a surprise that Switzerland is a multilingual country, but you may be stunned by how suddenly one linguistic region spills over into another, without any forewarning.
The only inkling you get that you passed from one language area to another is by signs on the (paved) road and hearing the locals speak.
However, most will also speak English, although they will first insist their skills are very bad (the Swiss don’t like to boast or show off).
But when they do start talking, you will be — yes, surprised — by their fluency in a language that's not their own.
READ MORE: How did Switzerland become a country with four languages?
Transportation
You have probably heard of punctual Swiss trains. But the country’s transportation network, including buses, trains and boats, can take you practically everywhere you want to go, both vertically and horizontally (which may explain why the Swiss like their roads paved).
Have you heard of PostBuses?
Those yellow buses travel the widths, lengths and heights of the country, including on narrow, winding, remote and mountain roads.
You can find more about this mode of transport here:
EXPLAINED: Why PostBuses are true Swiss icons
Postbus on a winding (paved) mountain road. Photo by Pixabay
Water!
You will find both good and bad surprises about water in Switzerland.
First, the bad: some restaurants will charge you for a carafe of water.
Good: You don’t have to pay a centime / Rappen / centessino for you water; you can quench your thirst at one of the numerous public drinking fountains that abound in practically every municipality in Switzerland.
These fountains are marked with Trinkwasser, Eau Potable, Acqua Potabile signs. They are perfectly safe.
Sometimes best things in life really are free.
READ MORE: Ten things Zurich residents take for granted
Trash
Please, please don’t throw your garbage away any which way.
The Swiss are meticulous when it comes to waste disposal (no surprise here) and have strict regulations on how to throw away trash in an environmentally correct manner.
Depending on the canton or municipality you are in, you will need a special bag or a sticker, and you will have to either place the trash in a specially designated communal bin, or put it to a curb on a specially designated day and in a specially designated place.
More information about Switzerland’s ‘trash culture’ can be found here:
Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?
Cheers to that!
It’s a given that Switzerland has lots of cheese and chocolate, but you may be surprised to discover that it has plenty of its own wine as well.
In fact, you will probably find local vineyards practically anywhere you travel in the country.
But beware, when in Switzerland, you can’t just shout “bottoms up” and down your glass in one gulp. That’s because the Swiss have their own wine drinking culture — and that, certainly, is no surprise.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to drink wine like a Swiss
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