Admittedly, the first impression, of a small, clean and orderly metropolis with church steeples above a crystal-blue river and lake, is pleasant rather than exciting. But then you're struck by the happy noise of the cobbled Niederdorfstrasse, on the eastern riverbank, and won over by the hedonism around the lake.
Switzerland may be neutral but it is certainly not flavourless. The fusion of German, French and Italian ingredients has formed a robust national culture, and the country's alpine landscapes have enough zing to reinvigorate the most jaded traveller.
Goethe summed up Switzerland succinctly as a combination of 'the colossal and the well-ordered'. You can be sure that your trains and letters will be on time. The tidy, just-so precision of Swiss towns is tempered by the lofty splendour of the landscapes that surround them.
ZURICH
● When To Go
You can visit Switzerland any time throughout the year. Summer lasts roughly
from June to September and offers the most pleasant climate for outdoor
pursuits. Unfortunately, you won't be the only tourist during this period,
so prices can be high, accommodation hard to find and the mainstream sights
crowded. You'll find much better deals and fewer crowds in the shoulder
seasons of April-May and late-September-October.
At any time, as you travel around the country you'll hit many different
climatic conditions. The continental climate in the Alps tends to show the
greatest extremes between summer and winter. Mid-August to late October
generally has fairly settled weather, and is a good period for hiking trips.
If you're keen on winter sports, resorts in the Alps begin operating in
early December, move into full swing around Christmas, and close down when
the snow begins to melt in April.