Swiss 1 – 5 reasons why Switzerland is the perfect world

There is something about Switzerland that makes me break my rule “no country twice unless all country once”. I have been to Switzerland thrice in the past one year and I can’t wait to return. My ultimate wish is to retire amongst the green pastures of the Alpine country hearing the chiming of cow bells and climbing up and down its many mountains – my only doubt is if I can live up to the Swiss standard of life. Here are the five things that make Switzerland the perfect world –

1. Cleanliness – The country is spotless and immaculately clean. The Swiss are obsessed with cleanliness. You can see people vacuuming the outside of their houses and scrubbing clean everything that is visible to the eye. With an environmental performance index (EPI) of 95.5, this European country ranks first in cleanliness.

 2. Robust Public Transportation – A dense network of railroads, buses, tramway lines and even boats operate on a systematic timetable allowing you to reach almost anywhere in Switzerland once per hour. In most cases one ticket is enough for a journey even if numerous railway, bus and ship operators are involved. Switzerland has the highest train density in Europe, a higher proportion of the population uses public transport and they travel longer distances than in any other country except Japan. They work with the goals of 95% arrivals with less than 5 minutes delay and 75% with less than 1 minute delay which are regularly achieved.

3. Hiking Paths – There is no end to hiking trails in Switzerland totalling a 66,200 kms. The best thing is that hiking paths are signposted with direction, distance and time to destinations. You can keep walking into the alps and always find your way back. The Roads are so well-marked that you can never get lost in the alps.

4. Natural Beauty – Switzerland is blessed with unparalleled natural beauty. Is that cliche? Yes! But how else do I describe the tall mountains covered with the lush green and beautiful cities nestled by lakes with gorgeous cathedrals and cuckoo clocks.

5. Efficiency and Quality – Precision, efficiency and quality are the principles that run the Swiss life. Swiss watches, Swiss Knives Swiss chocolates, Swiss cheeses – the “Swiss” is now a brand name in its own right. Trains leave and get everywhere on time. The hotels are clean. The food is good. The procedures are clear and well-defined. Everything in this country moves according to a plan with a clear sense of purpose. All in all there is no such thing as “shoddy”, “clumsy” or “cheap” in this country. Being in Switzerland feels like being in a big five star hotel.