Switzerland is a land-locked country bordered by France, Germany and Italy. Its main mountain range is the Alps. For its size, Switzerland is a very wealthy country and it also produces around half of all the wrist watches made in the world. Its largest city is Zurich, while other major population centres include Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. Every year millions of people flock to the country for some of the world's best skiing at places including Gstaad, St Moritz and Engelberg. During the summer many visitors tend to rent a car in Switzerland and explore these alpine resorts.
Switzerland has a great deal to offer the visitor over and beyond the obvious appeal of skiing and winter sports. Zurich's museum of art, for example, has one of Europe's largest collections of modern pieces with works by Picasso, Munch and Braque and in the city you'll also find some of the most exclusive and glamorous shopping opportunities in the world. In Geneva, which sits on the banks of the magnificent Lake Geneva with its iconic central fountain, there are no less than 82 places that are considered to be Swiss Heritage Sites of national significance - including the very impressive Cathedral-St Pierre.
Driving in Switzerland is on the right hand side of the road, and you will find that drivers here tend to be considerate and polite. However there are certain rules you should be aware of. One of the most important is that pedestrians have the right of way over drivers in most areas. They will often step right into the road on official crossings and expect you to stop for them. Also, when you're approaching a bend in the road outside a built-up area, you must sound your horn during the day and flash your headlights at night time.
