Switzerland breathtaking scenery has drawn travellers since the early 1800s. The most visited Alpine area is the central Bernese Oberland, which has the highest concentration of picturesque peaks and mountainside villages, although the loftiest Alps are further south, where the small but crowded resort of Zermatt provides access to the country’s most distinctive mountain, the notorious Matterhorn.

Switzerland  is a landlocked alpine country. This small multi-lingual country, with a population of little over 7 million people, has four national languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Swiss Standard German is written and used in formal situations, while the different dialects commonly spoken are called “Swiss German”.

In the south east area of Switzerland of the country, wild, thickly forested mountain slopes provide the setting for the world-famous resorts of St Moritz and Davos. Of the northern German-speaking cities, Zürich has a wealth of holidaymaking possibilities and provides easy access to the tiny independent principality of Liechtenstein overlooking the Rhine.

Basel and especially the capital Bern are quieter, each with an attractive historic core, while Luzern is in an appealing setting close to lakes and mountains. In the French-speaking west, the cities lining the northern shore of Lake Geneva – notably Geneva itself, and Lausanne – make up the heart of Suisse-Romande. South of the Alps, sunny, Italian-speaking Ticino can seem a world apart from the rest of the country, particularly the palm-fringed lakeside resorts of Lugano and Locarno, with their Mediterranean, riviera atmosphere.

When you rent a holiday home in Switzerland through ownersabroad.org, you deal directly with the owner, who is your best source of information for local attractions, restaurants, entertainment near your accommodation in Switzerland.　Local knowledge helps to make the most of villa holidays in Switzerland.