Did you know...?

Do you know how many natural sources of mineral water Switzerland has? How many kilometers of cycling track does Switzerland have? How many golf greens are found in the Swiss Alps? What is the length of Berne’s arcades – which represent Europe’s longest covered shopping street? Where can the courageous take the longest Bungee jump in the world? Where can the courageous take the longest Bungee jump in the world? To which summit does the world’s first rotating gondola lead?

Which canton hosts the Camellia Festival every spring? How long is the Aletsch Glacier? Where did Albert Einstein develop his theory of relativity? Which castle inspired a poem by Lord Byron? Which film was shot in Switzerland?

Do you know who established the oldest chocolate factory in Switzerland in 1819 that still stands today? How many Oscars has the successful Swiss film producer Arthur Cohn been awarded? How many passengers does the Swiss Federal Railway (SBB) transport each year? From where does two-thirds of Swiss electricity stem? Which world-wide famous industrialist is a native of La Chaux-de-Fonds?

What links the St. Jakob-Park football stadium in Basel with the Miami Art Museum and the Olympic Stadium in Beijing? What is the most famous chemical product to be invented by a Swiss person? It should come as no surprise that the world’s biggest watchmaker is based in Switzerland. What is its name? Did you know that a Swiss doctor was the first to describe a stroke as early as the 17th century?

Did you know that Switzerland is home to internationally renowned musicians? Did you know that Switzerland not only boasts clean air but remarkably clean water as well? Do you know how much territory the Alps cover in Switzerland? Did you know that the executive branch of the Swiss government consists of seven members? Do you know what a Swiss pipe or the Swiss Guard are?

Did you know that the 225 residents of Bivio, canton of Graubünden, speak seven languages and dialects? Did you know that the canton of Valais is home to a record number of recognized wine varieties? Do you know where the presumably oldest and still playable organ in the world can be found? Did you know that in the remote Muota Valley of central Switzerland weather forecasts are made without any technical aids?

Do you know which is Europe’s highest city? Where do you not pay any duty on your purchases? Who are Europe’s true gourmets? Where does the most expensive watch come from? Do you know of how many separate agreements the Geneva Convention consists?

Did you know that 48 mountains in Switzerland are over 4000 meters (13,125 feet) above sea level? The most famous of course is Switzerland’s Matterhorn, which reaches for the sky at a height of 4,478 meters - although it is not the highest in Switzerland. The first men to reach the summit of the Matterhorn were a group of seven mountaineers on July 14, 1865, led by Edward Whymper from Great Britain. And four of these seven men died on the way back.