If you want a place to vacation this year, think like the Swiss and make for Switzerland! Learn about these interesting people, their culture, economy, climate and physical features, transportation, and interesting sites to see!
Swiss people are of a kind all their own. Their language and their culture is mostly German, about 60%. The French also have a dominant region of Switzerland, the western part, which borders France. In the southern part of Switzerland, the Italians stake their claim. A tiny 1% are of the Romanech culture and language.
Switzerland is a tiny country in the heart of western Europe, but even though it is small in size, it has many unique features. For instance, did you know that the Nestle chocolate company has its headquarters in Switzerland? The Swiss are world renowned for their skills in chocolate, and also watches. Switzerland has their own watch company, Swatch, and you can also buy many other expensive famous brands that are made and/or sold in Switzerland such as Rolex, Gucci, and Bucherer.
Most of Switzerland is covered in the Alps, except for the northernmost part. Switzerland is also known for its excellent skiing opportunities throughout the country, and perhaps one of the most famous peaks finds a home on the southern border of Switzerland, near the city of Zermatt, a skiing village. This mountain is called the Matterhorn, and is a very popular tourist attraction and is one of the most popular peaks in the world to climb.
The Swiss economy is very diverse. In Zurich, the most populated city of Switzerland, banking is the dominant industry, and the Swiss are also known for their banking trusts, which are said to be among the most reliable in the world. Many famous people and organizations have money in Swiss banks for safe keeping. There are also still some farmers up in the Alps, hearding goats, cows, etc (some cows grazing in the grasslands of the Alps). 
Other Swiss industries include tourism, chemical precision instruments, and insurance.
If you are going to visit Switzerland in the near future, take into consideation the people. Normally very neat, organized, and polite, the Swiss people are normally very friendly to Americans. The Swiss are also very intelligent people. For instance, the Swiss people have won more Nobel Prizes per capita than any other country in the world. When talking to Swiss people you must always be polite, say please, thank you, etc. If you do this, the Swiss will go out of their way to make your trip more pleasant.
When you visit Switzerland, there are a few things that you don't want to miss. Some must-see cities are: Zurich, the biggest city with many interesting museums and the banking capital of Switzerland; Geneva, the cultural center of Switzerland and second biggest city, also famous for Swiss watches; St. Moritz, a prestigous skiing area with a delightful Health Spa Center, and the only place in Switzerland where an Olympics was ever held; Zermatt, another famous skiing village, and the site of the famous Matterhorn peak; Bern, the capital of Switzerland and home to many interesting places to visit; Lucerne, a very historical and festive city home of the Kappelbrucke bridges, the oldest wooden bridges in Europe (shown here); 
and the Ticino region, where you can experience the Italian flavor of life.
The traditional Swiss foods that you might like to give a try are: various types of cheeses, sausages and meats, chocolate, delicious pastries, and much more. A few dishes that you might already be farmiliar with are fondue (a mixture of melted cheeses and various other ingredients that is dipped into bread...very tasty if I do say so myself) and double chocolate cake, also very scrumptous.
Also take into consideration that Switzerland has one of the highest standards of living in Europe and in the world, so expect the prices to be higher than that of other European countries.
The transportation in Switzerland is basically that of any other European country. Trains are a very popuar mode of transportation, and some beautiful scenic routes can be taken throough the Alps...a must see! The train systems in Switzerland are impeccable, at one time, the Swiss could boast that they had a train arrive and depart from every national destanation every hour on the hour. Cars and buses provide most of the rest of the transportation.
A few other things to note are that Switzerland has been a neutral nation for a very long time, dating back into the 12th and 13th centuries. They are one of the two countries in the world that are not part of the United Nations, but they still maintain good relations with all nations. As I stated earlier, Switzerland has a very high standard of living, and the costs are somewhat expensive. If you plan to visit this country, I STRONGLY suggest that you do it in style, to get the full flavor of Swiss life. Going all the way in 1st class style would cost about $30,000 for a week-long visit. However, if you do not feel that being extravagant is necessary and decide to be moderate or conservative, expect to spend roughly around $15,000.
Speakig of money, let's drift onto the subject of Swiss currency for a moment. The Swiss currency runs in Swiss Francs and there are roughly around 6.1 Swiss francs to one American dollar (the EXACT amount varies from day to day, if you are interested in exact currency rates for any country, xe.com can help you out), so one Swiss Franc would not do you that much good in Switzerland, since it is a pricey country it its own right.
A few good books that I highly recommend to use if you are seriously thinking of traveling to Switzerland are: Switzerland from the Lonely Planet company; this book has great maps and places to visit on your trip, and Daytrips Switzerland by Norman P.T. Renouf; this book is EXTREMELY well done, this man has really done his research...down to the best hotels, dining, and places to visit. I STRONGLY recommend buying this book for your traveling information. A good book to read if you are wondering about the little things, like gas prices, apartment prices (if you so choose) etc. is Living and Working in Switzerland: A Survival Handbook by David Hampshire.
Well ladies and gentlemen, I do believe you now know as much about this amazing country as I do. So go out there and learn more...I have provided a few informational websites to get you started. Thanks for visiting!
My Favorite things about Switzerland
My Favorite Switzerland Info Web Sites
A Map of Switzerland
Swiss chocolate
An everything you need to know about Switzerland web site
The best deals on car rentals in Europe!
