Page 580 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

578  GERM AN Y , A USTRIA , AND SWITZERLAND

defenses; by the 5th century AD, the era famous at this period for producing skilled
of Roman rule had ended. During the mercenaries, who were paid handsomely
so-called “Dark Ages,” the Burgundian tribe to fight battles well beyond Swiss frontiers.
controlled the west, the Alemanni the Protestantism took root in Switzerland in
center and east. In the 5th century, both the 16th century, spread by the teachings
tribes came under the control of the of Zwingli and Calvin. Swiss cities
Franks, and later the Holy Roman embraced the new doctrines,
Empire. The 13th century saw the whereas rural cantons remained
rise of powerful local families such mostly Catholic. Tensions between
as the Habsburgs and the the two communities erupted
Zähringen, who established into violence from time to
feudal rule over the area. time, and apart from a brief
In 1291, three forest cantons period at the turn of the 19th
around Lake Lucerne – Uri, century when Napoleon
Schwyz, and Unterwalden – established the Helvetic
came together to swear an Oath Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), Republic, these issues were
of Allegiance, thus forming an leader of the Swiss Reformation not resolved until the
independent Swiss state. Over adoption of a federal
the coming centuries, more constitution in 1848.
cantons came to join the Confederation. With stability came development –
These included lands south of the Alps railways were built, agriculture diversified,
known as the Ticino, and those to the west, resorts developed. A tradition of
where Charles of Burgundy was defeated humanitarianism began in the mid-19th
by the Swiss in 1477. Switzerland was century with the founding of the

Stuttgart
Exploring Switzerland
GERMANY
Switzerland is a small country – only 350 km (220 miles) by Strasbourg Freiburg Schaffhausen
220 km (140 miles) at its greatest extent. The Alps run 14 Stein- Munich
am-Rhein
across the southern part of the country, and in the Basel Rhein Thur 13 Bodensee
A3
northwest, the Jura mountains stretch along the 6 18 Baden Winterthur Arbon am
A1
Bodensee
French border. Mediterranean influences can be Aarau Zürich St Gallen
felt and seen in mild winters and palm-lined FRANCE 6 Balsthal Olten 8
esplanades south of the Alps. Traveling Solothurn Reuss Zürichsee Appenzell
by car is the most flexible mode of La Chaux- Biel A6 Langenthal A2 A14 Zug Walensee VADUZ
transportation, but the reliable rail de-Fonds A1 Lucerne LIECHTENSTEIN
network makes sightseeing by train Neuchâtel BERN Langnau im (Luzern) Schwyz Glarus A3 AUSTRIA Innsbruck
easy and surprisingly affordable. Boudry Lac de Emmental Stans Altdorf 17 28
Neuchâtel
10
Yverdon SWITZERLAND
Fribourg 19 Chur Klosters Scuol
Sights at a Glance Vallorbe 1 Interlaken and 11 Rhein 3 Davos
Thun
Swiss
1 Geneva A1 A12 Bulle the Jungfrau 9 A2 Disentis National Park 28
2 Lake Geneva Morges Lausanne Gruyères Grindelwald 27 Bolzano
3 Neuchâtel A1 Vevey 11 A13 St. Moritz
4 Basel Nyon Lake Geneva Montreux Leukerbad 19
5 Bern (Lac Léman) Rhône A2 3
6 Interlaken and the Jungfrau A9 Sierre
7 Zermatt Geneva (Genève) A9 Sion
8 Lucerne Lyon Chamonix Locarno Bellinzona
9 Zürich Annecy Martigny Ticino IT AL Y
0 Chur Zermatt Lugano
q Swiss National Park 0 km 25 21
w Ticino 0 miles 25
IT AL Y A2
Turin
For hotels and restaurants see p594 and p595
Milan
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