About Switzerland
26 cantons, 4 official languages, one mosaic. A short orientation for travellers who like context.
The land
Switzerland is small. From north to south it is 220 km. From east to west, 348. Inside that compact frame, the country fits four official languages, two religious traditions, 26 self-governing cantons and a landscape that ranges from Mediterranean palms in Lugano to glaciers at 4,000 m.
What surprises most travellers is how quickly things change. A 90-minute train ride takes you from the German-speaking, Protestant pace of Zürich to the Italian-speaking, Catholic afternoons of Ticino. The food changes. The light changes. The accents change. The Alps stay constant.
Einwohner
8,7 Mio.Official languages
4Square Kilometer
41’285
Heidi B.
Lead guide · 12 years guiding through the Alps
Heidi grew up in Grindelwald. She has been guiding parties through the Bernese Oberland and Wallis since 2014, with side specialties in alpine cuisine and the Swiss railway timetable as a kind of poetry. She has summited the Eiger three times and recommends none of them.
Der Bundesbrief
Uri, Schwyz und Unterwalden unterzeichnen den Bundesbrief auf dem Rütli. Das traditionelle Gründungsdatum der Alten Eidgenossenschaft.
Independence
The Westfälische Frieden erkennt die Unabhängigkeit der Schweiz vom Heiligen Römischen Reich an.
Neutralität
Der Wiener Kongress bestätigt die Schweizer Neutralität. Das Land erhält seine heutigen Grenzen.
Bundesverfassung
Ein moderner Bundesstaat ersetzt die lose Eidgenossenschaft. Bern wird Bundesstadt.
Geneva-Konvention
Die erste Genfer Konvention wird unterzeichnet — die Regeln des Krieges und der Schutz von Verwundeten. Das Rote Kreuz wurde ein Jahr zuvor in Genf gegründet.
Frauenwahlrecht
Appenzell Innerrhoden — der letzte Kanton — gewährt das Frauenstimmrecht in kantonalen Angelegenheiten auf Anordnung des Bundesgerichts.
From the journal
Short reads from our guides and editors.
May 22, 2026
Packing for the alpine spring
It is sunny in the valley and snowing on the ridge. Pack accordingly.
Read article
May 22, 2026
What to eat in Zürich after a hike
Three dishes that taste better when you have earned them.
Read article
May 22, 2026
5 reasons to take the GoldenPass Line
The most photogenic train ride in Europe, in five quick reasons.
Read articleLive conditions
Weather across Switzerland
Current conditions, updated live. Plan your day in the mountains.
Data: Open-Meteo.com (free, no API key). Refreshes every 10 minutes.