What do the Swiss do better than us?
**Switzerland**, with its idyllic watercolor landscape, its trains that always arrive on time and its charming, well-kept villages, makes for a more than desirable trip.
When you return from it, moreover, you will realize that you have fallen in love with a lot of things … all the ones that the Swiss do better than us:
THE OBVIOUS
**Watches, chocolates, banking, knives, cheese **. It is not a figure of speech: as soon as you land at the airport, the publicity of all these items will corner you, and you will not escape from it until you catch the plane back.
Of course, as soon as you try some good chocolates of the country - that's where Nestlé and Suchard come from - or one of their cheeses -although we also have extraordinary ones-, you will know that there is a good reason behind that pride...
Their cheeses, their watches, their chocolates...
MULTILINGUALISM
In Switzerland there are four linguistic regions: Germanic Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland, Italian Switzerland and Rhaeto-Romance, so it is rare for a Swiss who cannot speak at least two languages.
In fact, according to the country's Federal Statistical Office, six out of ten Swiss regularly speak more than one language; one of them is probably English, as you will realize if you spend a few days there.
PEACEKEEPING
Swiss has been since 1815 without being part of any armed conflict, and in fact, it offers itself as a mediating country in numerous conflicts between countries.
Basel, Switzerland
DEMOCRACY
It is true that Switzerland is a much smaller country than Spain - it has 8,500,000 inhabitants - but there democracy is exercised in a much more direct way. A) Yes, each citizen is summoned to the polls an average of four times a year to express themselves on an average of fifteen issues, in addition to having the possibility of articulating their demands through popular initiative, optional referendum and mandatory referendum.
Namely, a Swiss citizen can present proposals for an amendment or extension of the Constitution if he manages to collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months, or demand that a law approved by the Federal Assembly has to be submitted to a popular vote -getting 50,000 signatures-. Likewise, each amendment to the Constitution approved by Parliament is subject to a mandatory referendum.
You can't put a 'but' on the Swiss landscape
THE HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING
The human development index - which measures having a long and healthy life, acquiring knowledge and enjoying a decent standard of living, among other things - places Switzerland in second place in the world, only below Norway, while Spain is in twenty-sixth. And if we talk in economic terms, they also beat us: the Swiss enjoy a GDP per capita of $80,837 , while we Spaniards touch less than half: 40,290, to be exact.
LOVE FOR ART
No matter how small a town you visit in Switzerland, chances are it will have an art gallery , or at the very least, a craft workshop. It is also rare the place that does not have a bookstore.
THE VERY HIGH MOUNTAINS -AND VERY BEAUTIFUL-
That he Matter Horn he is the George Clooney of the mountains as we said a while ago. What you may not have known is that Switzerland has the largest number of peaks in Europe that exceed 4,000 meters in altitude.
Throughout them -and their beautiful valleys, glaciers and lakes- there is a 65,000 kilometer network of trails, the equivalent of one and a half circumferences of the Earth, and they are usually well marked and prepared to receive both those who go on foot as well as by bike or skis.
Caring for your mountains
THE CARE OF THE LANDSCAPE
Whether you are in a lost town, in a big city or in the middle of nature, you will realize that Swiss landscape can not be put a 'but'. Everything is where it needs to be: the buildings are cared for; the monuments, well maintained; the streets, clean, and the gardens, which are everywhere, are always beautiful and lush.
THE MUSIC BOXES
Yes, although it seems strange that the Swiss do better than us, there the music boxes, with a tradition that dates back to the 16th century, is a craft that gives rise to beautiful and even moving pieces. An example? those of Reuge , which began to be manufactured in 1865.
The mountains, very high and very beautiful
THE PUBLIC BATHS
Ok, there is little romance in this... But let us never underestimate the wonder that it is for the traveler to find public restrooms in good repair at all times and places , from large cities to very small towns. It's a plus, especially if you take a road trip, which in Switzerland can only be the ** Grand Tour **.
FUNICULARS AND CABLE CARS
With so much mountain, it is normal for the Swiss to use funiculars and cable cars like we use the bus here. In fact, there is the steepest funicular in the world, a route between Schywz to the mountain village of Stoos, with slopes of up to 110% that are saved thanks to an ingenious system made up of two lines of cylindrical carriages.
Similar to beer barrels, they allow passengers to remain upright at all times. You can also try the ** highest tricable cable car in the world ** in the Swiss country, inaugurated recently.