Zurich is a stunningly beautiful with a charming old town where cobbled streets of the 12th-century Old Town are pristin and the blue trams run reliably. The avant-garde Dadaist movement started here in 1916. Zurich also attracted Irish author James Joyce. The city's extraordinary museums and galleries, confirm the city's position as Switzerland's spiritual, if not political, capital. There is also a hip, less conventional side to Zurich. Züri West, once the industrial section, has become the in spot over the last decade, with loft living, galleries, museums, experimental theater and clubs.

Chic Geneva, the soul of Switzerland's French speaking territory, is home to some of the world's most luxurious and exclusive stores and extravagant restaurants. Filled with parks and promenades, the city becomes a virtual garden in summer. At the heart of the city is the huge Cathédrale St-Pierre, and some of its top-class museums include Musée d'Art et d'Histoire and an impressive gallery of East Asian art. Last but not least, Geneva is home to dozens of international organizations among them the United Nations European headquarters and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Bern is one of the oldest and loveliest cities in Europe, with origins going back to the 12th century. It is on the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage. There are many museums, theatres, landmarks, cafés, restaurants and shops - not to mention the weekly market (and the lovely Christmas market) - all of which can be easily reached on foot. The Old Town of Bern has one of the longest "weatherproof" shopping malls in Europe under its six kilometers of covered arcades. The medieval atmosphere, with shops in the cellar vaults is unique. The modern mingles harmoniously with the old in this charming city, as in recent years residents have discreetly added contemporary-style homes and structures to the historic environment.

Located at 570 metres above sea level, Interlaken is one of the oldest tourist resorts in Switzerland and one of the most popular. It offers winter sport's lovers access to some of the most spectacular skiing in the Alps, in an idyllic lakeside setting between the lakes Thun and Brienz. The main attraction for hiking is probably the mountain Jungfrau with the altitude of 4158m. The resort offers a variety of water-based activities, throughout the year.

Located at the north end of the Lake Lucerne within sight of Mount Pilatus and Rigi, Lucerne is a beautiful small city in the heartland of Switzerland. It abounds in narrow cobblestone streets, covered bridges, frescoed houses, and fountains. The city became a center of Swiss history and legend, and is the setting for the most memorable part of the legend of William Tell who shot an apple off of his son's head. Lucerne is also a great base from which to explore other famous Swiss sites.

Originally known for its mineral springs, which were discovered, probably by the Celts, some 3,000 years ago, St. Moritz is nowadays the most fashionable resort in the world. Situated on the southern side of the Alps in the Upper Engadine, at an altitude of 6,000 ft., St Moritz is the mecca of skiing. It has been the host city for the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics. Other attractions are: The Segantini Museum, the olympic bob run - the last natural bob sleigh, and Glaciers landscape.

Dating back from the Stone Age, Lausanne flourished particularly in the Age of Enlightenment, when it was associated with the two leading writers of the 18th century Rousseau and Voltaire. Don't miss the famous Olympic Museum and the Gothic Cathedral. Built on three hills, Lausanne offers some astonishing views of the surroundings. Lausanne is the second-largest city on Lake Geneva. It'll only take a short walk to take a boat tour on the lake or a short ride to explore the great snowy outdoors.

Located on the Lake Geneva, Montreux is considered the chief resort of the Swiss Riviera. The main sight is the Château de Chillon, a castle on a small island in Lake Geneva; Byron is said to have carved his name in one of the columns in the dungeon where Bonivard was detained during a few years. The city hosts several international events, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Film Festival. The mountains around Hauts de Montreux are threaded with forest trails, caves, grottos, and wildlife.

Lugano is the third Swiss banking centre after Zürich and Geneva. Its old alleys and winding lanes are full of commerce, with boutiques, villa-style hotels and apartment buildings. The main attractions are the ancient churches and a clutch of world-class art galleries, including the famous Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Take a stroll under the lakeside palms alongside the shimmering lake. Both Monte Brè and San Salvatore are served by funiculars, and both give spectacular views over the Alps.

Located 5,315 ft. above sea level, Zermatt is a car-free village at the base of the magnificent mountain Matterhorn. It is world-renowned resort for skiing and mountaineering. The town has one of the best networks of alpine cable cars, gondolas, and cog railways in Switzerland operating all year long. In Zermatt, falls more snow than on other winter resorts in Europe and that's way high-altitude skiing, especially at the Théodul Pass continues throughout the spring and early summer.

Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam is "different." Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. More important, you can enjoy Amsterdam, its culture, history, and beauty, without stretching the limits of your credit cards. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals.

Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval center that contributed so much to the cultural and political development of Europe. Art treasures Michelangelo's David Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and Raphael's La Velata draw millions of visitors every year. Throw into the mix fabulous architecture (the Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's campanile, Santa Croce), fine restaurants and earthy trattorie, plus leading designer boutiques and bustling outdoor markets, and the city of the Renaissance becomes quite simply one of the world's must-see sights.

The ancient capital of the Dauphine, Grenoble is the commercial, intellectual, and tourist center of the Alps. Its university, founded in 1339, has a student body of some 40,000 and also the largest summer-session program in Europe attracting a large number of foreign students. The city is also home to four other universities with a large contingent of English and American students, giving the city a cosmopolitan air.

London just isn't what it used to be. It's better! A blend of old and new, pace and buzz alongside peace and tranquility, and an amazingly diverse cultural scene. The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, the visual arts, and just about everything else, London stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s. But rest assured that traditional London survives.

Lyon is the third-largest city in France is a very modern city that has not lost its special character. Lyon is also music and theater promoting and hosting productions of all kinds, particularly in the national Opera house, renovated by Jean Nouvel. Parks, skyscrapers and sidewalk cafes, a great transport system, and a nightlife fueled by student energy invigorate Lyon. It has the finest food in France and you will have the chance to discover the "Châteaux" and taste the unequaled wine!

Montecatini Terme is a heaven for those who love spa treatments. The curative powers of the hot springs and steaming vaporous caverns of the Valdinevole west of Pistoia have been renowned for centuries. Wrapped in mud packs, drinking mineral-laden waters, getting radioactive vapors steamed into your face you will forget all about the stress. The Parco dei Termi, a long park of neoclassical temples expanding over the sources of various underground hot springs is the ideal place for relaxation.

Nice is the capital of the Riviera, yet far less glamorous and expensive than Cannes. It's also one of the most ancient, having been founded by the Greeks, who called it "Nike," or Victory. Because of its brilliant sunshine and relaxed living, it has attracted in the past famous artists and writers. The best trip center on the Riviera, you can choose to explore region or hang out in its famous cafes. But the most obvious hangout spot here is the beach. The Nice beach is rocks, just rocks so wear a pair of good sandals.

Paris assaults the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. Gaze impressive monuments and savor its gourmet pastiche of cheese, chocolate, wine and seafood. Paris is a city of vast perspectives and intimate streets, of formal espaces verts (green open spaces) and of quiet squares. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable. Unforgettable walks exhibiting the best of Paris: stroll down the Champs-Elysees for the chic grand boulevard experience and Rue Cler for a more intimate snapshot of Parisian living.

Rome is Italy's treasure, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement. Modern Rome has one foot in the past, one in the present. Find a cafe at summer twilight and watch the shades of pink turn to gold and copper before night finally falls. That's when another Rome comes alive; restaurants and cafes grow more animated and after dinner you can have a gelato (or an espresso in winter) or stroll by the fountains or through Piazza Navona, and the night is yours.

With sumptuous palaces and romantic waterways, Venice is straight out of an 18th-century Canaletto masterpiece. No matter how many times you have seen it in movies or TV commercials, the real thing is more surreal and dreamlike than you ever imagined. Its landmarks, the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale are exotic mélanges of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. It is full of secrets, ineffably romantic, and - at times - given over entirely to pleasure. You must walk everywhere in Venice and where you cannot walk, you go by water.