A View from Switzerland

While researching an article about the luxurious side of Switzerland for Eat Love Savor magazine, I was intrigued by the innovation and inspiration coming from this tiny nation.

Have you heard of Max Miedinger? He’s the font designer of Helvetica. Perhaps Adrian Frutiger: Typographer rings a bell. How about Dr. Bircher-Benner, the inventor of muesli or Henry Dunant, founder of the humanitarian organization The Red Cross and recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Another purely Swiss innovator Karl Elsener created the Swiss army knife known the world over for its ingenious and practical design.  Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941. Alone their names not resonating until paired with their unique and valuable contributions to our world.

As a crossover point between northern and southern Europe, Switzerland covers just under 16,000 square miles with 65% of the country occupied by the Alps. The 7.2 million inhabitants speak German, French and Italian with a smattering of Romansh spoken by less than 1% of the population. The country is divided into 26 ‘cantons’ or states, each having a distinct cultural bent.

Nearly every canton is connected via their innovative train system that literally connects every town, village or city to the next!

Switzerland is arguably one of the most eco-conscious countries in the world. From their hydroelectric trains that connect to every Swiss town to their significant contributions to the ‘Environment for Europe process,’ The Swiss care about the size of their eco footprint. They are also financially savvy hosting some 400 of the world’s finest banking institutions.

If you’d like to read about the luxurious side of this tiny nation, visit Eat Love Savor Magazine to read the article!