Page 594 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

592  GERM AN Y , A USTRIA , AND SWITZERLAND

Shopping & Entertainment and Dôle (red), are among
the best. Among more trans-
There are plenty of high-quality Swiss-made products to portable food items are dried
take away from your trip, including, of course, watches and meats from the German parts
chocolate. Porcelain, lace, wine, and cheese are also popular of Switzerland, such as
purchases. Apart from major events, such as the Montreux Bündnerfleisch, alpine cheeses
such as Gruyère, and spicy
Jazz Festival, there is entertainment on a smaller scale Leckerli biscuits from Lucerne or
throughout the country. Classical and jazz concerts abound Basel. Even packets of ready-
in the large cities, which also have cinemas, opera halls, and made rösti mixture from super-
dance venues. Most regions hold a number of seasonal local markets can make a fun gift.
events, from wine festivals to antiques and bric-a-brac fairs.
Switzerland’s greatest attractions, however, are its landscape Entertainment Listings
and outdoor sports. The mountains welcome skiers in winter and Tickets
and climbers, hikers, and cyclists in summer, with all levels A great variety of small
of ability catered for. town- and village-based
concerts, festivals, and events
takes place in Switzerland
Where to Shop
jewelry is available, particularly throughout the year. Local
In the large cities, the old town at the top end of the market. tourist offices can supply
areas usually have the most Watches are one of details of what’s happening
rewarding shopping – often Switzerland’s most important during your visit, while the Swiss
you’ll find narrow streets exports, so the quality of Swiss Tourist Board offices abroad can
crammed with interesting, if watchmaking is very high. provide comprehensive listings
often expensive, specialist Other places where you of all major sporting and
stores and galleries. Bern’s old might find suitable gifts include cultural events taking
town, with its arcaded streets, any branch of Schweizer place in Switzerland
offers varied and sheltered Heimatwerk, which is a national over the coming year.
shopping whatever the chain of Swiss handicraft stores. Most major cities have a
weather. The major department They have outlets in many large variety of venues dedicated to
stores, such as Globus, offer a towns and cities, as well as at the arts, whether it be classical
fairly standard international the airports if you leave your music, theater, cabaret, or jazz.
shopping experience. present-buying late. Information about events can
Competitively priced nationwide Major museums, cheese be found on the websites of the
supermarket chains, including showrooms, and similar locations local tourist offices (for example,
Migros, Coop, and Denner, offer will often have a small store. In www.zuerich.com/events), on
an interesting array of Swiss the major tourist destinations, www.my switzerland.com or via
foodstuffs and wine. such as Gruyères, there is no the ticket office Ticketcorner.
shortage of shops selling cheap
tourist souvenirs, but you will
What to Buy Entertainment Venues
also find knowledgeable
After you have stocked up with retailers offering high-quality Many venues in Switzerland
Swiss chocolate, other items genuine Swiss-made items. offer more than one type of
you might consider taking away entertainment. The Reitschule
with you as souvenirs and gifts Markets in Bern is used for live music,
are linen and lace. Switzerland theater, film, and dance, while
has a long tradition of textile- Outdoor produce and craft the Théâtre de l’Usine in
working in the northeast of the markets are common in Geneva hosts concerts, theater,
country and the quality is Switzerland. Most towns and film, and cabaret.
generally very good. cities have a market on one or The Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra
Swiss army knives are two mornings a week, and is based at the Opernhaus, a
popular and incredibly useful; almost always on a Saturday popular venue for opera and
keep an eye out for Victorinox, morning. These are great places ballet. Zürich has a thriving
the only genuine manufacturer. to try out local wines and club scene. Rote Fabrik by the
Swiss porcelain and pottery can cheeses, as well as simply to lakeshore is inexpensive and
also be a good buy. Many of the savor the lively atmosphere. plays alternative music. The
designs favor strong colors and Widder Bar has live jazz
rural motifs. performances.
Basketry and carved wooden Food and Drink Cinemas in Switzerland often
items (such as toys) make ideal Very little Swiss wine is show films in their original
gifts, and these can sometimes exported, so it makes an language, with subtitles in
be found on market stalls. A unusual gift. Some of the Valais French, German, Italian, or
wide range of watches and wines, such as Fendant (white) English. Zürich has more than

592-593_EW_Europe.indd 592 14/07/16 10:19 am