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.

Located at the foot of the Black Forrest, Baden-Baden has been renowned since Roman Times for its curative baths and hot springs. Today, it evokes an aura of 19th-century privilege, combined with the most modern facilities. The surrounding countryside is perfect for hiking and mountain climbing and in wintertime is a center for skiing. Don't miss the Hohenbaden Castle, built in 1102, and known locally as the Altes Schloss and the magnificent view of the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley.

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.

For many, Frankfurt is primarily "Manhattan", city of finance and skyscrapers or only as a transit hub, but a closer look reveals a city of many charms: picturesque houses of the beautifully restored Römerberg in the city center, the unique "Museum Mile" along the banks of the Main river, traditional cider pubs in Sachsenhausen, shops galore in the elegant Goethestrasse and the "Fressgass", and a truly world-class cultural and arts scene. It boasts Germany's most spectacular skyline and Europe's tallest office building. Frankfurt throws more money at the arts than any other European city so you'll most likely catch a groundbreaking exhibition at one of its museums.

This town is especially famous for its oldest German University of Heidelberg (1386). As students always made up the majority of population, it escapes from the war air raids and managed to preserve the ancient buildings from Middle Ages and Renaissance. Beside the University decorated with towers and turrets, you can admire the Heidelpberg Castle, with its charming color changing with the sunlight. You can get excellent photos from the Karl-Theodor Bridge or walk along the famous Philosophenweg.

Innsbruck is one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful ski centers. Nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, the area has some 200 trails covering 500 kilometers (310 miles) and is perfect for beginner and intermediate-level skiers. It is a winter sports center with modern facilities. The world-famous Air and Style Competition at the Olympic Ski Jump stadium attracts over 25,000 visitors in early December and is a must-see for the ski lovers. Non-skiers and summer visitors can enjoy the sights of the medieval Old Town, the shops with Tyrolean specialties, and the many other outdoor activities that Tyrol offers. Culture seekers will be happy with world-class opera, gorgeous architecture, and superb museums.

Stresa is a small town on the shores of Lake Maggiore, where relaxing is the main activity for tourists and locals alike. The lakeside promenade will give everyone a chance to admire both the lake scenery and the grand lakeside hotels. The Borromean Islands, where Hemingway set his famed A Farewell to Arms, are a short boat trip away, and it would be pity to miss them.

Milan is Italy's window on Europe, its most sophisticated and high-tech metropolis. La Scala, its landmark, is one of Europe's most prestigious opera houses. In addition, it's the site of several world-renowned annual trade fairs. Milan is one of Europe's top shopping cities, with an incredible concentration of sophisticated, high style boutiques - and that's only fitting because Milan is the dynamo of the Italian fashion industry. Dolce & Gabbana, Ferré, Krizia, Moschino, Prada, Armani, and Versace have all catapulted to international stardom from design studios based here. Inevitably, shopping is of almost religious significance.

Big-city style and rural charm, Alpine character and Mediterranean verve, art treasures and the Oktoberfest, traditional customs and high technology, beer gardens and haute cuisine, operas and in bars; these are all ingredients that makes Bavaria's state capital so endlessly fascinating, and so popular with visitors from all over the world. Sprawling Munich is one of Germany's major cultural centers, second only to Berlin in terms of museums and theaters. It's also one of Germany's most festive cities, and its location, at the foot of the Alps, is idyllic. Munich's self-imposed image is that of a fun-loving and festival-addicted city - typified by its Oktoberfest.

Art lovers call Salzburg the Golden City of High Baroque; historians refer to it as the Florence of the North, or the German Rome; and music lovers know it as the Festival City - birthplace of Mozart and home of the world-famous Mozart Festival. Several beautiful castles and palaces dot the city. While Salzburg is a visual pageant of Baroque motifs, music is the element that shapes the life of the city. It is heard everywhere: in churches,castles, palaces, and, of course, concert halls.

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.

City of music, cafes, waltzes, parks, pastries, and wine - that's Vienna in a nutshell. Vienna doesn't hurry, and, as you saunter through its stately streets, marveling at its Baroque palaces, neither should you. Explore churches filled with statues of golden saints and pink-cheeked cherubs, wander through treasure-packed museums, or while away an afternoon in one of those countless meccas of mocha (the inevitable cafés), you will feel lapped in lashings of rich, delicious, whipped cream - the beloved Schlagobers that garnishes most Viennese pastries.