Switzerland is one of Europe's most visited countries, but one of its least understood. Pass through for a day or two and you'll get all the quaint stereotypes – cheese, chocolate and clocks – but not much else. Stay a bit longer and another Switzerland will emerge, which can be an infinitely more rewarding place to explore. Sights are breathtaking, transport links are excellent and costs are no higher than in Britain or Germany. Almost everyone speaks some English along with at least one of the official languages (German, French, Italian, and, in the southeast, Romansh).

Notoriously placid these days, Switzerland spent the first 500 years of its existence rent by conflict. The Swiss Confederation (abbreviated to "CH") dates back to 1291, when Alpine peasants formed an alliance to defend themselves against the Habsburgs. By the early 1500s, it had grown into a military superpower. The Swiss reputation for neutrality emerged with the Reformation and persisted right through to the boom years after World War II. In the 1990s, exposés uncovered Swiss banks' wartime collusion with the Nazis. Public soul-searching in the aftermath of the scandal heralded Switzerland's entry into the UN, and its first steps towards joining the EU.

The most visited Alpine area is the central Bernese Oberland, which has the highest concentration of picturesque peaks and mountainside villages; the loftiest Alps are further south, where Zermatt provides access to the Toblerone-peaked Matterhorn. In the southeast, forested mountain slopes surround the chic resort of St Moritz. Of the northern German-speaking cities, Zürich has a wealth of sightseeing and nightlife possibilities and provides easy access to the tiny principality of Liechtenstein on the Rhine. Basel and the capital Bern are quieter, each with an attractive historic core, while Luzern lies 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 and Lausanne – make up the heart of Suisse-Romande. South of the Alps, sunny, Italian-speaking Ticino can seem a world apart, particularly the palm-fringed lakeside resorts of Lugano and Locarno, with their Mediterranean atmosphere.