The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Switzerland:
German Switzerland
In most respects, the Swiss resemble their efficient German neighbors to the north more than the French or Italians to the south. The country's notorious coziness is everywhere tempered by strict control and state-of-the-art technology--you'll see liquor measured with scientific precision into 2-centiliter glasses, and high-tech stereo speakers cleverly concealed behind oversize cowbells. Switzerland's fastidious side is especially apparent in the German-speaking regions. Bern, for example, preserves its medieval arcades and towers to an eerie perfection, while fast-paced Zürich has drawn on a strict Protestant work ethic to become one of the world's best-organized financial centers. Even quirky Basel moves 27,500 French and German commuters into Switzerland every day with clockwork efficiency.
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