Switzerland
Officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in the confluence of western, central, and southern Europe.It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities seated in Bern. Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps, and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi), and land area of 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are located, among them the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva.(from Wikipedia)
In 2017 we visited Switzerland. Arriving at Zurich airport we picked up a rental car, drove around Alps. Out trip also included many hiking and visiting Bern, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Chaplin’s World, Interlaken, Gimmelwald, Zurich and St Gallen. Some of our travel videos are available on this page.
Bern, Switzerland
Bern or Berne is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to by the Swiss as their (e.g. in German) Bundesstadt, or “federal city”. With a population of 142,493 (January 2019), Bern is the fifth-most populous city[citation needed] in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the canton of Bern, the second-most populous of Switzerland’s cantons.
Gimmelwald, Swiss Alps
Gimmelwald is a small village in the Bernese Oberland in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is located approximately halfway up the mountain between Stechelberg and Mürren, at an elevation of 1363 meters (4472 feet). The village is at the foot of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area. Gimmelwald is an allemanic linear village and a walser settlement first mentioned in a bill of sale in 1346. Because of its very typical and exceptional townscape, Gimmelwald is part of the inventory of Swiss heritage.
International Clock Museum
In 1865 the Watchmaking School of La Chaux-de-Fonds had the idea of putting together a collection of old clocks. This resulted, in 1902, in the opening of a small museum in the same building as the school. It finally became clear that the premises were no longer suitable for a permanent and functional display of the whole collection. The Committee of the Museum therefore suggested to the Municipality of La Chaux-de-Fonds that a foundation should be set up with the purpose of promoting the construction of a new building. Opened in 1974 under the name of Musée international d’horlogerie, this was characterized by a conception and techniques in the avant-garde of architecture and museography. Three decades later its construction is as fascinating as its exhibits. Both Le Locle and its geographical twin town La Chaux-de-Fonds have now been recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, for their horological and related cultural past.
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