Image by pobre.ch

I traveled around Switzerland in 2005, I can say that I treasure those memories dearly. The country is, for the lack of a better word, lovely. And clean – very clean; you don’t know »clean« until you’ve been to Switzerland. The Swiss managed to build a very orderly society, and keep their environment incredibly clean. I wouldn’t say Switzerland is the best place to visit for people that like the excitement of the night life and what have you, but if you value fresh air, impeccable culture and natural beauty, then you’d love it as much as I did.

Here’s a list of five things I love most about Switzerland:

1) I know I repeat myself, but this has to be mentioned twice and stressed: the cleanliness. The proverb says: »The grass is always greener on the other side«, but in the case of Switzerland, the grass really is greener there. You will not see any trash on the floor. You won’t see anyone mindlessly disposing of their garbage. The waters in the lakes are crystalline, and the pastures are as green as green can be.

2) The perfect mix of modern and old. While driving in the suburbs around Baden I’ve seen something rather weird. An old house with a farmstead. But in the front of the house there was an extremely expensive sports car – a Lamborghini. Only in Switzerland. Their taste seems to be so environmentally and rustically oriented that even if they make bank, they stay … well, Swiss.

3) The lakes. Switzerland has many lakes and you should visit as many as you can. All my senses were full of delight seeing the scenery. The pure air, the preserved beauty of nature. I personally loved Lake Constance the most (they call it »Bodensee«). There is a pretty impressive large church in St. Gallen that is near Bodensee around 15 miles south. You can see so many of the beautiful Swiss houses there. You can spend all your day just walking in the streets and discovering the beauty of the place.

4) The people. One thing that really left me impressed is the attitude of people. They have a very »libertarian« outlook on things. They don’t feel a sense of entitlement about everything. Maybe it was just my perspective, but they seem to really value personal freedom above everything else, and they strongly believe that everyone should work for everything they get. They are really friendly and hard-working.

5) The famous Swiss bell, the glockenspiel in Bern. A giant clock that sets its chimes in motion every hour to produce an incredible tune. Switzerland is famous for its watches (and cheese, yes, the cheese is really good – it’s not just a cliché) – and this has to be the pinnacle of their watchmaking. The machinery of the Glockenspiel is unforgettable.

I would absolutely love to live there. Of course, having been there for a limited amount of time I probably didn’t experience all facets of their living, but from what I’ve seen, I can say it’s a slice of paradise.

Missy Diaz is a freelance guest blogger and online marketer that works with a host of clients including Inghams UK; a website that discusses Switzerland Holidays. When she’s not working online, she loves to travel, read about travel and is always dreaming of where she will trot to next.