GeoStats:

Population: 615,857

Languages: French; many also speak English and a smaller number speak German.

Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports are required of Australian, Canadian, U.K. and U.S. citizens. U.S., Canadian and Australian citizens may stay up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.

Predominant Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant) and growing Muslim and Jewish populations.

Time Zone: 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+1 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the end of March to the end of October.

Voltage Requirement: 220 volts/50 Hz

Telephone Codes: 41, country code; 22, city code

Destination:

Geneva


Getting Ready

topBooks

Quest for the Sublime: Finding Nature's Secret in Switzerland
Richard Bangs

Richard Bangs revisits the Swiss Alps, following the likes of Byron, Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth in an attempt to grasp the Sublime. Buy now

The GR5 Trail, Through the French Alps, Lake Geneva to Nice
Paddy Dillon

Hiking in the Alps, covering the GR5 trail from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. Illustrated throughout with maps and photographs, it's a classic, revised, guide to the route. Buy now

A Tramp Abroad
Mark Twain

Written 11 years after Innocents Abroad, this is Twain's second foray into European travel. Filled with his characteristic wit and humorous observations, it documents his journeys through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Buy now

Swiss Chocolate
James M. Weil

Life in a Swiss boarding school is idyllic for Drew Smith. Captivated by the beauty of the Swiss Alps, he is also in love with the girl of his dreams, Alexandra Cavalletti, a young aristocrat from Rome.  Buy now

topBooks for kids

Bloomability
Sharon Creech

A coming-of-age tale set in an international boarding school in Lugano, Switzerland. Thirteen-year-old Dinnie is at first a reluctant boarder, but her reluctance evaporates as she skis, climbs mountains and makes friends from all over the world. Buy now

Asterix in Switzerland
Rene de Goscinny

This entry in the Asterix series of comic books features excellent drawings of the Swiss Alpine landscape. Age 9-12 Buy now

Heidi
Johanna Spyri

The beloved tale of a little girl who is sent to live with her curmudgeonly grandfather in a remote Alpine village. This handsome hardback edition retains the quaint prose and buoyant disposition of Johanna Spyri's 1880 original.  Buy now

The Apple and the Arrow
Conrad Buff

Families will enjoy this spirited retelling of the famous legend of William Tell and his 12-year-old son, Walter, which won the 1952 Newbery Medal. Buy now

Banner in the Sky
James Ramsey Ullman

A suspenseful tale of a young boy determined to keep his father's mountaineering dream alive. Buy now

Switzerland, Enchantment of the World
Lura Rogers

An overview of Switzerland -- history, geography and culture -- for readers 9-12. Buy now

topDVD's

The Montreux Dream - The Story of the Montreux Jazz Festival / B.B. King Montreux Workshop
Various Artitists

The Montreux Jazz Festival is the most successful and respected European jazz festival in the world. Over the last 30 years it has attracted the finest artists and remains the dream-child of one individual – Claude Nobs. This DVD presentation follows Nobs during the 1999 festival, as he books, entertains and performs with some of the world’s greatest musicians. Buy now

Goldfinger (1965)
Starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman

In this action-packed James Bond flick, our favorite British spy chases Goldfinger's Rolls Royce through the Swiss Alps near Andermatt, which is a located close to the capital of Berne.  Buy now

Culinary Travels: How do you say Graubunden? Switzerland
Dave Eckert

Home to resort capitols like Saint Moritz and Davos, Graubunden is a winter paradise. But, what happens in the summer? Come along and find out as we showcase some traditional Swiss sweets, an outdoor fondue celebration, and the self-proclaimed "last beer stop before heaven." Buy now