I have had the pleasure of enjoying the clear lakes, snowy peaks, grassy knolls, and fresh produce of Switzerland for over a year when I lived in Geneva. When I arrived in 2019, I made myself a commitment to learn all I can about the local geography, history, culture, and language. By the time I left in 2020, I had successfully become a part of professional circles in Geneva, religious groups in Zürich, and made personal friends all across the country in Lausanne, Luzern, Bern, and Olten.
During my time there, I purchased a monthly general subscription to the Swiss Federal Railways that allowed me unlimited travel around the country on all conventional modes of transport. I paid CHF3640 for 13 months, or an average of CHF280 a month, for first class travel including several loyalty discounts and deposit refunds to help save on the cost of the ticket. The second class ticket is usually CHF245, but if I could upgrade for just CHF35 a month I thought it was a pretty good deal. The 378 one-way journeys to over 110 destinations cost me less than CHF10 per journey with an average distance of 173km per instance. It’s a deal!
In terms of culture and history, I visited 58 museums with my annual Swiss Museum Pass to learn about the confederation of the country, its spirit of independence, and regional quirks. I also researched the taboo subjects of child labor, eugenics, and women’s rights in a country that is often thought of as a paradise. A lot of its history diverged from contemporary Europe due to its aversion from conflict and isolating mountainous terrain. While there, I visited 24 mountaintops 32 times with a total vertical height of over 61km.
Although I didn’t live in the German-speaking region of the country, my frequent travels there have led me to dabble in Swiss German here and there. By the time I left the country, I could respond to straightforward questions in Swiss German.
“Hey your accent really changed a little bit from High German to Swiss German.”
Sebastian – a friend from Zürich
