Switzerland in summer: Heaven on earth

A group of journalists from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, including Riyadi Suparno of The Jakarta Post, visited Switzerland recently at the invitation of the Swiss government. The group toured the cosmopolitan cities of Zurich, Bern and Geneva, Biel- Bienne and the scenic town of Interlaken and climbed Mount Pilatus. The following is a travel report.

Going to Switzerland during summer is like visiting heaven on earth; a breathtakingly beautiful landscape, elegant cities, perfect public transport and welcoming people, all at a celestial altitudes.

The only drawback is that Switzerland is not cheap.

However, whether vacationing, conferencing or just in transit, Switzerland is well worth every dollar you spend.

While the country is fascinating and beautiful at any time of year, visiting during summer is an easy change for people coming from tropical countries like Indonesia.

Another advantage of going to the country in the warmer months is that the summer calender is full of free outdoor activities and features world-class art and music festivals.

To give you some idea of the wealth of events available in summer, there is Art 35 Basel from June 15 through June 20, the Montreux Jazz Festival from July 1-16, Locarno International Film Festival from Aug. 3-13 and Lucerne Festival of classical orchestras from Aug. 12 through Sept. 17.

Switzerland during summer is also a great place to swim in picturesque lakes and hike up stunning mountain valleys. Summer is one of the only times you can get to climb the famous Swiss Alps by taking the country's unique cogwheel railways, some of the steepest in the world, which are not normally operational in winter.

The rail systems are also a way to experience snow. While you will not find icicles on the streets of Zurich during summer, you definitely will on the many Swiss mountains, which are generally snow-capped all year round.

Because the sky is normally clear at this time of year, you will also be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery -- the country's marvellous mountain architecture -- from all 360 degrees.

Some of these peaks are world famous. They include Jungfraujoch, which is an UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique landscape of ice, rock, alpine flowers and forest, and Schilthorn, which was made a household name by the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

According to Federico Sommaruga, a director at Switzerland Tourism, mountains top the list of the 10 reasons to visit Switzerland. Other attractions include the nation's cities, lakes and rivers, the health of the locales, the food and wine, luxury and design, and of course the shopping.

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer means longer days, which means longer opening hours for shops, some of which stay open until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.

All of Switzerland's metropolitan cities are a paradise for shoppers hunting for quality Swiss products, be they affordable Victorinox kitchenware products or the most expensive Rolex or Omega watches.

Of all the cities, Zurich is perhaps the shopper's best choice. The Zurcher Bahnhofstrasse is known as the most expensive street for shopping in Switzerland. It stretches about a mile from Zurich's central station all the way to Lake Zurich.

Another interesting -- and sometimes cheaper -- way to buy Swiss products is by going direct to the manufacturers, which generally means you get a free tour as well. Omega watch enthusiasts can see their favourite time pieces being made at Omega's assembly plant in Biel-Bienne, or sample a lot of nice Camille Bloch chocolates at their factory in the small village of Courtelary.

Inter-city traveling is a breeze, with Switzerland having one of the best public transportation systems in the world. The trains are visible and reliable and they go to most parts of the country. These include scenic train routes, which pass along lakes, rivers and many mountains. Switzerland also has a number of international airports.

This infrastructure fuels tourism, with more than 11 million foreign visitors coming to the country in 2002 -- more than the entire Swiss population of only 7.2 million people. These visitors spend about 13 billion Swiss francs (US$10.4 billion), which means tourism makes up a significant 6.5 percent Switzerland's gross domestic product.

Eleven million visitors don't lie, and the bottom line is that Switzerland a great pick for a special summer vacation and an essential stop for those keen on discovering Europe.