They didn’t invent the cuckoo clock, just put it in a small chalet to hang on the wall, but pretty much everything else is true about the Swiss. It’s one of the cleanest countries in the world, trains and buses run on time, the chocolate’s fantastic, the views tremendous and the cheese to die for.

And if that’s not enough, there’s more to this mountainous little country at the heart of Europe than Alps and banking.

What defines Switzerland more than anything else is what divides it, too. That’s language—and all the culture and influences that go with it.

Switzerland is made up of German-, French-, Italian- and Romansh-speaking regions—that’s in order of size. By far the largest areas are the German and French, followed by the Italian. Romansh is spoken in just one of the country’s 26 semi-autonomous cantons. English is widely spoken and you’ll even hear train announcements translated, which makes getting around easy.

And there’s a lot to get around and see.

This is a land of crystal-clear lakes, towering snow-capped mountains and lush green pastures. It’s no surprise that Switzerland placed second in the environment category of this year’s Quality of Life Index. Zurich must be the only international financial center where you drink straight from the lake.

All across the country, the conical towers of perfectly-preserved fairy-tale castles rise above tranquil villages. Smoke from the chimneys of wooden chalets built 200 years ago drifts through ancient forests.

The health care is excellent, the state-run education top quality, and the public transport super-efficient. Despite being expensive, it’s no wonder so many expats love life here.

Swiss people have a reputation for being taciturn, and they certainly aren’t relaxed. On the other hand, huge numbers of flower and lingerie shops adorn even small towns…so that tells you something.

You find galleries in every town, and lots of niche museums, too. The Musee de L’art Brut in Lausanne is one of the world’s premier collections of outsider art. And in Yverdon you’ll find the world’s only dedicated science-fiction museum, Maison d’Ailleurs (“the house of elsewhere”).

Swiss cuisine exists and it’s delicious. Dishes like rosti (fried potato), pape vaudois, (salty sausage meat with leek) and infinite variations on the famous fondue are all homegrown and the ultimate in comfort food. From October to January, restaurants offer the seasonal treats of the hunt (la chasse), when you can dig in to dishes like boar, deer, hare or pheasant.

And if a pot of melted cheese mixed with white wine isn’t your thing, then you can choose from French, Italian or German cuisine as well.

Olives, figs and juicy fruits of all shapes and sizes arrive over the border from Italy. French-style steaks, sauces and soups are readily available. And a bratwurst sausage from a street stall in Zurich or Basel goes down as a treat on a frosty morning.

Other countries have some of the Alps—Austria, Italy, France—Switzerland is the Alps, and it’s renowned for every imaginable winter sport. But this is also a hiker’s paradise. Come summer, you can picnic in high pastures carpeted with wild flowers where nothing disturbs your peace but the gentle clatter of cow bells and the chirping of grasshoppers.

And if you tire of life here, then everywhere is accessible. To the north is the Black Forest and Germany’s southern Rhineland. Any day of the week, you can catch a train to Paris or Milan. Flights and trains leave Geneva and Zurich for stops all over Europe. You can even ride the rails to Istanbul.

But for me, the real revelation…the country’s hidden gem…is its white wines. They don’t have much by way of an international reputation, but that’s because the Swiss keep them for themselves. From the vineyards that sweep down to Lake Geneva come some of the sweetest, crispest, freshest wines you’ll ever taste. And (unlike much else in Switzerland), a perfectly good bottle is cheap—you’ll pick one up for $6 or $7 dollars.

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“The Greatest View on Earth”

By Dick Badler

Switzerland is a fantastic haven. Yeah, sure it’s expensive. But it’s safe, majestic, and you find there the epitome of work-life balance. For over a year, my wife and I lived in Lausanne. It may be smaller than the top-tier cities in the U.S. or capital cities in Europe, but Lausanne is compact, cultured, sophisticated and easy to get around.

Out the window of our high-rise apartment we enjoyed one of the greatest views on earth—a 180-degree panorama starting to the left with the village of Montreux, passing along the length of Lake Geneva, with the town of Evian directly across the water and finishing with the Jet d’Eau fountain in the harbor of Geneva to the right, 40 miles away. We created a rating system for the view, with “A” reserved for those crystal days when you could see the top of Mont Blanc, poking through the clouds.

My wife gave birth at a private clinic with a Berlitz book on her lap, the doctor and midwife yelling “poussez, poussez.” Then she was moved to a single room, about the size of a large hotel room in the States with a view of Lake Geneva and 24-hour room service. There was a bar in the lobby and unlimited visiting hours.

Switzerland is such a great base for seeing Europe. We took lots of trips. To Gstaad, Interlaken, Bern… Rome was just an hour away by plane. And Paris just three hours by train.

Editor’s Note: This article was taken from a past issue of International Living’s monthly magazine. To get full access to all past and future articles and to receive the magazine in the mail or online each month, you can subscribe here.

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