Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. Switzerland is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km² (15,940 sq mi) and land area of 39,997 km² (15,443 sq mi). Although the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities and economic centres are, among them Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. These cities are home to several offices of international organisations such as the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, the seat of the International Olympic Committee, the headquarters of FIFA, the UN‘s second-largest office, as well as the main building of the Bank for International Settlements. The main international airports of Switzerland are also located in these cities.

The cuisine of Switzerland is multifaceted. While some dishes such as fondue, raclette, or rösti are omnipresent throughout the country, each region developed its own gastronomy according to the differences of climate and languages. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.

Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering which enabled its production on a high-quality level. Also, a breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world’s largest consumers of chocolate. (Wikipedia: Switzerland) 

A special thank you to Wes Anderson from iDrone Aerials for a special take on all things Switzerland. If you want to be inspired to live your best life ever, follow him! Every time we see this video we smile. Be sure to see his other work and subscribe by clicking the link below the video. Click Visit Switzerland for the Official Travel Site.