Cities in SwitzerlandWhile people are familiar with names like Geneva and Zurich, lesser known cities in Switzerland offer more in the way of traditional Swiss customs and history, such as Arbon, Montreux and Rheinfelden. Switzerland City Plan Atlas (35 Cities) When discussing Swiss municipalities, the concept of "cantons" is exclusive to Switzerland and refers to the 26 member-states comprising the federal state of Switzerland. Considered fully sovereign states, cantons have individual borders and flags that were established when Switzerland became a federal state in 1848. Some cantons’ names reflect their capital city, such as Zurich being in the canton of Zurich. Other capitals are located in cantons with different names, such as Altdorf being the capital of the canton Uri. Arbon Located in the canton of Thurgau, Arbon is one of the many cities in Switzerland situated near Lake Constance, a lake large enough to keep the climate mild in both winter and summer. Surrounded by the Rhine glacier moraines (an accumulation of rock and dirt leftover by ancient glaciers), Arbon is known to have been inhabited by people living in the Stone and Bronze ages, and probably well before those eras. During the 19th century, industrialist Franz Saurer encouraged manufacturing developments in Arbon and built his own factory there, which produced buses, trucks and military vehicles until 1986. Now this same factory manufactures textile machinery and employees several thousand people. Heritage Sites of National Significance In 1981, the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites became part of an ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council, which enacted the Federal law on the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage. Arbon is home to some of these sites, such as:
In fact, several cities in Switzerland are considered Swiss Heritage Sites, with Arbon being one of them. Montreux Situated in the canton of Vaud, Montreux lies on the east shores of Lake Geneva, offering tourists a brilliant walk along the lake that spans Villeneuve to Vevey. Being so near the Alps, Montreux has an "alpine" climate, which determined by the surrounding mountain topography. This mean it is moderately cool all year around because warm air pushes into higher elevations where it mixes with cold air, producing much precipitation, especially snow. Montreux is famous for its viticulture, or wine industry, established during the 12th century when the sunlit slopes of Lake Geneva offered areas in which to grow grapes. It is also host to numerous traditional festivals, such as:
In addition, many well-known people have lived, or are now living in Montreux, including:
Rheinfelden As one of the older cities in Switzerland, Rheinfelden lies in the canton of Aargau on the banks of the Rhine River and is notable for being the home to Feldschlösschen, a popular Swiss beer. Containing one of the leading hydroelectric factories in Europe, Rheinfelden is also a favorite destination for tourists seeking its saline baths as relief from a variety of health issues. Heritage Site of National Significance Rheinfelden is home to seven of these sites:
On your next trip to Switzerland, consider making your destination one of these regions, which hold just a few of the fascinating cities in Switzerland. You find they make any vacation to Switzerland an exhilarating and captivating adventure.
|
