Overview:
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874 to allow voters to introduce referenda on proposed laws, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
Switzerland, a country that espouses neutrality, is a prosperous and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. Its economic and political stability, transparent legal system, exceptional infrastructure, efficient capital markets, and low corporate tax rates also make Switzerland one of the world's most competitive economies.
In January 2015, the Swiss National Bank (SNB)
abandoned the Swiss franc’s peg to the euro, roiling global currency markets
and making active SNB intervention a necessary hallmark of present-day Swiss
monetary policy. The independent SNB has upheld its zero interest rate policy
and conducted major market interventions to prevent further appreciation of the
Swiss franc, but parliamentarians have urged it to do more to weaken the
currency. The franc's strength has made Swiss exports less competitive and
weakened the country's growth outlook; GDP growth fell below 2% per year from
2011 through 2017. In recent years, Switzerland has responded to
increasing pressure from neighboring countries and trading partners to reform
its banking secrecy laws, by agreeing to conform to OECD regulations on administrative
assistance in tax matters, including tax evasion. The Swiss Government has also
renegotiated its double taxation agreements with numerous countries, including
the US, to
incorporate OECD standards.
Source: CIA World Factbook
United States Mission to the United Nations:
Findings:
Highlights:
 Place Neuve
Place Neuve is considered to be Geneva's cultural epicenter. The Rath Museum, Conservatory of Music and Grand Theatre are all located on this historical square.
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 Bastions Park |
Bastions Park, is a must-visit beautiful park located next to Place Neuve, just under the Geneva's Old Town. Just behind the big decorated gate are huge black-white boards for playing Chess, Go and Checkers, always full of people immersed in their game, old or young. Also in the park stands one building of the University of Geneva and it's public library.
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 Reformation Wall |
The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, which was founded by John Calvin, and was built to commemorate the 400th
anniversary of Calvin's birth and the 350th anniversary of the university's
establishment. It is built into the old city walls of
Geneva, and the monument's location there is designed to represent the
fortifications', and therefore the city of Geneva's, integral importance to the
Reformation. During the Reformation, Geneva was the center of Calvinism, and its history and heritage since the
sixteenth century has been closely linked to that of Protestantism.
At the center of the monument, four 5 meter-tall statues of
Calvinism's main proponents are depicted:
To
the right (ordered from left to right) are 3 meter-tall statues of:
· Roger Williams (1603–1684) · Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) · Stephen Bocskai (1557–1606) 
Promenade
de la Treille
This beautiful, tree-lined promenade offers a stunning
panoramic view of Geneva. Originally used as a strategic post for military
purposes, given its height and position, in the 16th century, it was
transformed into a place of leisure around 200 years later. It is worth seeing just for the wooden bench along the promenade, built
in 1767 and measuring 120m (394 feet), which is the longest of its kind in the world. It
is also the site of a number of events throughout the year, including a music
festival annual commemoration of the 1602 Battle of Escalde.
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 Maison Tavel |
Situated in the center of the Old Town, the is the oldest private
residence in Geneva. It is an example of medieval architecture in
Switzerland, having been rebuilt after a fire in 1334 to resemble its original
11th-century state. Since 1986, it has also housed the Museum of Urban History
and Daily Life of Geneva, featuring in its permanent exhibition a number of
relics from Geneva’s past, including engravings, paintings, and models.
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St. Peter’s Cathedral
Founded in the 4th century, with the current structure
dating back to 1160, this cathedral is an extremely important historical site,
both architecturally and ecclesiastically. It is one of few cathedrals to
feature the unusual neo-classical design, with iconic pillars that make it
stand out from other European churches. It stands near the International Museum of the Reformation and the Calvin Auditorium, where Calvin preached and taught the principles of the Protestant Reformation.
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In the center of the Old Town, there are five intriguing cannons, all used right up until the beginning of the 19th century. On the cannons travelers can spy out the Genevan Latin motto, Post tenebras lux, a Calvinist mantra that means “light after darkness”. The cannons are artfully displayed against beautiful mosaics, each depicting a different moment in Geneva’s history. |
 Place du Bourg-de-Four |
This the oldest square in
Geneva and therefore a great place to start any visit to the Old Town. There is
some historical debate about what this pretty little courtyard was used for.
There is some evidence to suggest it was occupied by an East Germanic tribe in
the 5th century and perhaps once hosted a cattle market. Today, it is
surrounded by lovely cafés and bars, many with terraces on the square itself,
giving a constant hub of buzzing, local conviviality.
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| This tower was once part of the defensive walls of the city and protected the port. The tower has ornate clock, frieze, and the coats of arms of major Reformation contributors. A plaque states Geneva, city of refuge. |
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| Across Mont Blanc Bridge |
 Brunswick Monument |
This monument is a mausoleum built in 1879 in
Geneva, Switzerland to commemorate the life of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick.
He bequeathed his fortune to the city of Geneva in exchange for a monument to
be built in his name.
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 Jet d'Eau |
It literally means 'water jet', and is the huge fountain
on Lake Geneva. It is one of the tallest fountains in the
world. Originally built in 1886 to control and release the excess pressure of a
hydraulic plant. The fountain became the symbol of strength, ambition and vitality of
Geneva and Switzerland. Its strong engines pump 500 liters (132 gallons) of
water per second to the height of 140 meters (459 feet).
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Broken Chair is a huge sculpture in wood. It is constructed of 5.5 tons of wood is 39 feet high. It depicts a giant chair with a broken leg and stands across the street from the United Nations Palace. It symbolizes opposition to land mines and cluster bombs, and acts as a reminder to politicians and others visiting Geneva.
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The United Nations Office at Geneva is the second-largest of the
four major office sites of the United Nations. It is located in the Palais des Nations building constructed for the League of Nations between 1929 and 1938 and expanded in the early 1950s and late 1960s. Besides
United Nations administration, it also hosts the offices for a number of
program and funds such as the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (ECE).
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 Art and History Museum |
This museum has over 1 million exposition pieces
constructed in 1903 representing history of the western culture and
civilization from the ancient times to the present day. Expositions include ancient Egypt: Sphinx, Egyptian
pharaohs and their tombs, historic excavations such as vases from Meroitic age, jewelry and decorative objects. In the following room are antique
statues and many busts if Greek period, followed by Etruscan and ancient Roman
periods; many jewelry, vases, jars, bowls, cutlery and hanging scales. Religious items: paintings, icons, and stained
glass. In the left wing is a big room
full of medieval steel armors and various weapons such as swords, halberds, as
well as canons and handguns, decorated by hung flags. Collection of Fine Arts is located at the
first floor, where you walk by the massive staircase where one can see beautiful romantic sculpture from Canova, portraying
Venus and Adonis. Other collections include Konrad Witz (1444) portraying Jesus
Christ and a fisherman on the Geneva Lake. Others include paintings by
Rembrandt, Vallotton, Pissarro, Cézanne, Renoir and Modigliani.
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 Basilica Notre-Dame |
This is the main Roman
Catholic church in Geneva, the old Saint-Pierre cathedral had a Protestant
parish. The statue of Our Lady of
Geneva, offered by the Pope Pius IX, is venerated. It is also a stopover for
pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela. The church was built according to the design
of Alexandre Grigny between 1852 and 1857 on the site of a former stronghold
fortifications. This neo-Gothic building, whose appearance is partly inspired
by the Beauvais Cathedral, could break ground thanks to the city of Geneva,
which had ceded land to religious communities to build places of worship, and
through donations and manual labor provided by the Geneva Catholics. The dedication is celebrated October 4, 1857. Father
Gaspard Mermillod, future episcopal vicar of Geneva then cardinal pronounced
the sermon. He was later expelled from Switzerland by the government. After an anti-clerical
government came to power, Notre Dame was occupied on June 5, 1875 and closed. This occupation
was accompanied by a protest against the Roman Catholic and more unrests. The
commitment of Catholics to this sanctuary becomes even greater. Notre-Dame was
bought by the Catholic Church in 1911–1912.
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| The Annecy City Hall. Annecy is the largest city of Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. It is 22 miles south of Geneva. Switching from counts of Geneva's dwelling in the 13th century, to counts of Savoy's in the 14th century, the city became Savoy's capital in 1434. Its role increased in 1536, during the Calvinist Reformation in Geneva, while the bishop took refuge in Annecy. Saint Francis de Sales gave Annecy its advanced Catholic citadel role known as Counter-Reformation. The annexation of Savoy merged the city to France in 1860. |
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| Nicknamed the "Pearl of French Alps" because of its location between lake and mountains, the city controls the northern entrance to the lake gorge. |
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| Annecy has many Catholic churches around old town worth visiting with beautiful stained-glass windows, impressive grand organs and Medieval paintings. |
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Talloires, a small village located on the eastern
shore of the beautiful Lake Annecy. Ideally situated in a charming setting at
the foot of the sharp rocky ridges of the Tournette mountain and its peaceful
bay.
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| Benedictine Monks took up residence in the Abbey and built a small monastery in the 17th century and was twice destroyed by the fire. In 1674 a brief of pope Clément X displayed the insignia of the priory in the Abbaye Royale. In 1681 the reconstruction of the actual building was finished. After the French revolution the monastery became a winemaking company and in 1840 horse stables. In 1862 it becomes an inn and the first hotel restaurant on the banks of Lake Annecy. Today you can still admire the cloister, the gallery with the doors to ancient cells of the monks, the Prior’s room, |
Lunch at a local restaurant was Tartiflette a dish from the Alps of Savoy. It is made with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, lard and onions.
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Lausanne is a city on
Lake Geneva, in the French-speaking region of Vaud, Switzerland. It’s home to
the International Olympic Committee headquarters, as well as the Olympic Museum
and lakeshore Olympic Park. Away from the lake, the hilly old city has
medieval, shop-lined streets and a 12th-century Gothic cathedral with an ornate
facade. The 19th-century Palais de Rumine houses fine art and science museums.
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Tower of L’Ale
Dating back to the 14th century, this
tower is the last vestige of Lausanne’s old city walls, mostly destroyed during
the18th century. Standing some 65 feet high, it is in very close proximity to
blocks of flats today. A century ago, it served the unusual purpose of a pig
slaughterhouse.
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 Lausanne Cathedral |
| At the heart of the old town, this majestic church overlooks the city. Seen as one of the most beautiful gothic art monuments in Europe, it attracts more than 400,000 visitors every year. Constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, it was consecrated 20th October 1275 in the presence of Pope Gregory X and Rudolf of Habsburg. It became a protestant cathedral in 1536 during the Reformation. |
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The Cathedral has a highly significant multi-coloured
interior. Dating back to the original construction, this design was covered
over during the Reformation and then revealed at the beginning of the 20th
century. The paintings are still visible in the Chapel of the Virgin. 
The rose window is among the masterpieces of European artistic heritage along with those at Notre Dame in Paris and Chartres. Its panes depict the medieval view of the world arranged around the figure of God the creator. It was made by a wandering artist from Picardy, Pierre d’Arras.
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Eglise
Saint-Laurent
The Saint-Laurent church now sits in the heart
of the pedestrian alleyways in the shopping district. Built between 1716 and
1719, it complements the cathedral and the Saint-François church, which are the
only two places of worship remaining in Lausanne from before the Reformation.
Also, Saint-Laurent was built on the remains of an old medieval church that was
left in ruins in 1536. As for its
history, Saint-Laurent was used during the revolutionary period as a political
meeting place, accommodating the “Amis de la Liberté”, among others. It was
decorated with various statues, notably depicting the French generals Brune and
Bonaparte, William Tell, l’Egalité and probably a picture dedicated to
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, called “l’Education d’Emile”. The sight is used for numerous demonstrations
including a march for environmental causes in early April 2019, a student
walk-out and a march for the environment in May 2019, and a massive women’s
strike in June 2019. In recognition of protests a large poster of Martin Luther
King on its façade.
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The Olympic Museum and the Olympic Park
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The Olympic complex is located at Ouchy, south of
Lausanne. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are
located at Vidy, to the west of Ouchy. The permanent exhibition is organized into three major
themes on three separate floors: Olympic World, Olympic Games, and Olympic
Spirit. A visit begins on the third floor, where the Olympic World part of the
exhibition informs visitors of the history of the ancient Olympic Games and
the rebirth of the modern Games in the 19th century. Highlights include a
display of Olympic torches, as well as a video documenting major moments in the
history of opening ceremonies history.
The second floor focuses on Olympic Games. Sporting
equipment for a variety of sports are on display, and visitors are introduced
to the Youth Olympic Games and
the Paralympic
Games. More than 1,000 video clips of Olympic Games
events and athletes can be searched and viewed at individual viewing stations.
The final part of the permanent exhibit covers the
Olympic Spirit, where visitors are made to feel part of an Olympic Village and can test
their balance, agility, and mental skills with interactive exercises. Olympic medals are also on
display.
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The Olympic Museum is surrounded by a park containing numerous works of art on the theme of sports. Among the most notable works of art in the museum's permanent collection are the French sculptors Auguste Rodin's The American Athlete and Niki de Saint Phalle's Les Footballeurs, the Luxembourgish sculptor Lucien Wercollier's tribute to the pole vault titled Altius, the Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero's Jeune Fille a la Balle, and a kinetic art sculpture by the Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely which combines a hockey stick, a boar's head, and a motorbike wheel.
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| Paddle steamboats such as the Savoy bring day trippers from Geneva to Yvoire, in France, for the one and a half hour cruise up Lake Geneva. The SIMPLON a Belle Epoque - paddle steamboat is the first company steamboat with the boiler at the rear and the engine at the front, which changes the boat’s silhouette due to the positioning of its smokestack. After two partial renovations in 2005 and 2011, it will still need a last major renovation in 2022-2023 |
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| The paddle steamer engine works by heating water in a boiler until it evaporates, producing steam. The steam is transferred through pipes into a cylinder where it expands under pressure to push a piston in the cylinder. This provides the motion which is transferred from the piston to a drive shaft which turns the paddle wheels. Four incredibly polished pistons are visible from the passenger deck. |
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Yvoire
Yvoire Castle still dominates the small town today, as
it must have done back in the Middle Ages. The castle is a typical Savoy design
and reminds of many other medieval castles in the Lac Léman region. Yvoire
Castle looks the part with turrets, towers, few windows, and thick walls. It
has a commanding position right on the banks of Lake Geneva from where it
guards the small fishing boat and large modern yacht harbors.
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| Yvoire is described as a flowery medieval village on the shore of Lake Geneva, classified among the Most Beautiful Villages in France with 700 years of history, with the ramparts, the fortified gates, 14th century church and the impressive castle. Also the Garden of the Five Senses and some many beautiful shops and restaurants to enjoy and savor your day fully. Unfortunately the Castle and Garden were closed but did visit Saint-Pancras church. Also, had lunch of fried perch and fries at the Restaurant de Pecheures. |
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| Ferry stopping at the Village of Coppet |
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Town of Nyon |
 Gruyère |
The medieval town is an
important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and
gives its name to Gruyère cheese. The medieval town is located at the top of a hill overlooking the Saane valley and the Lake of Gruyère. Gruyères is first
mentioned around 1138-39 as de Grueri. The town developed beneath the
castle, which the Count of Gruyere had built on top of the hill, to control the
upper Saanen valley. The castle was constructed between 1270 and 1282 in the typical square
plan of the fortifications in Savoy.
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| One of many farms where cows graze on the lush grass and fragrant flora of alpine meadows situated between 2400-4800 ft. above sea level. |
 Gruyere Cheese Factory |
Gruyère is a hard
yellow Swiss cheese that originated in many regions in Switzerland. It is named after the town of
Gruyères. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d'origine contrôlée. Gruyère
is sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. Twice a day 36 farmers
deliver their milk to the fromagerie (cheese dairy). Master cheese-makers and their team produce up to 48 wheels of Gruyère a day,
observing the stringent AOP (appellation d’origine protégée) specifications. The cheese dairy is equipped with four vats
with a capacity of 4,800 litres (1,268 gallons), and a cellar used to mature 7,000 wheels of
cheese. The cheese is produced two to four times a day, between 9 am and 11 am and between 1 and 2 and half pm, according
to the season. The duration a cheese production is 2 and half hours.
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| Overview of Montreux from high above. |
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Along the shores of
Lake Geneva for almost four miles, the flower-adorned banks of Montreux,
between exotic flowers and palm trees, offer a sumptuous view of the mountain
panorama.
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| Along the Promenade |
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Freddie Mercury fell in
love with Montreux and Lake Geneva and decided to settle here. He said, among
other things, "If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux". To
commemorate his time in Montreux, a bronze statue of Freddie Mercury was placed
by the waterfront in 1996.
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| At the end of the Promenade is Chillon Castle which unfortunately I did not have time to visit but gives me an excuse, in addition to the annual jazz festival, to visit Montreux again. |
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Old Town Montreux is about a ten minute walk uphill from the lakeside. A street market is held every weekend.
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| Including entertainment. |
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| The other side of street market. |
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Golden Pass
Panoramic Express
Switzerland is bordered by Germany, France and Italy with each
region of the country reflecting the language, culture and cuisine of each of
its neighbors. The best way to set off on adventure to visit the country’s
acclaimed destinations is by the country’s acclaimed scenic trains.
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